Word Wise: Our Transitions, Ourselves

What’s wrong with this paragraph?

Transitions make writing flow smoothly. Transitions are words or phrases, sometimes whole paragraphs, that connect one idea to another. Usually (!), transitions come at the start of a sentence or paragraph. They may come in the middle or at the end. They guide your reader by revealing the logic behind the progression of thought. An overuse of transitions can confuse or distract readers. Avoid forcing a transition into every sentence. Paragraphs are another story. Unless you’re writing straight narrative—this happened, that happened—most paragraphs need transitions. Think of sentences and paragraphs as body parts. They are. Bodies need joints.

I wouldn’t call the paragraph bad, but it could use a few more transitions. Notice how much more smoothly the reading goes here.

Transitions make writing flow smoothly. Transitions are words or phrases, sometimes whole paragraphs, that connect one idea to another. Usually (!), transitions come at the start of a sentence or paragraph. They may, however, come in the middle or at the end. They guide your reader by revealing the logic behind the progression of thought. Since an overuse of transitions can confuse or distract readers, avoid forcing a transition into every sentence. Paragraphs are another story, though. Unless you’re writing straight narrative—this happened, that happened—most paragraphs need transitions. Think of sentences and paragraphs as body parts—because they are. And bodies need joints.

Use transitions often and fluidly, the way you use your elbows. (X-ray of the elbow courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, public domain.)

Think about your body. What if you had no elbows? What does an elbow do, after all? It holds your upper arm and forearm together while enabling you to move your hand from here to there. This all-important joint enables movement—movement so coordinated, so perfectly suited to the task that you don’t even notice it. Now you’re stroking your cat as it purrs in your lap, now you’re scratching your ear. While you think about other things, your elbows make your every move smooth.

Give your writing elbows.

In other words, use transitions to connect the various parts of your body text while supporting readers in moving, mentally, from here to there. If you use transitions wisely—naturally, logically, aptly—no one will notice them. But everyone will appreciate them.

How to create a transition

As you create your own transitions, let logic and your normal way of talking guide you. For small shifts, small movements in thought, you may need only a single word, like however. For larger shifts, you may need a sentence or paragraph that sums up where you’ve been and pivots to where you’re going.

For example, at one point in The Devil in the White City, Erik Larson uses a 47-word transitional sentence, highlighted here in yellow. Larson needs this whole sentence to ease readers away from the Saturday Afternoon Club scene and into the narrative’s next section.

Erik Larson frequently crafts long, masterful transitions to ease readers from one section of his book to another. You might not write best sellers, but if you ever need to shift directions within a piece of writing, your readers will appreciate your using as many words as necessary to make the shift.

Notice Larson’s pivot word, other. His sentence bends, elbow-like, right there.

How many other words and phrases (there’s other again) can writers use as pivots? Lots. Below you’ll find a sampling, 400 give or take. Adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions, pronouns. I’ve culled this list from various websites and from my own reading.

Given all these transition-creating pivot words—including given and these—why not use transitions often? Use them fluidly, the way you use your elbows.

Transitions. They do a body good.

Common Transitional Words and Phrases (by Category)

Addition

again
also
and
another
as well as
besides
both
but also
equally important
even more
finally
first (second, third)
further
furthermore
last
lastly
likewise
in addition
initially
moreover
next
nor
not only
once (twice, three times)
other
similarly
or
than
that same
too

Cause and Effect

accordingly
as a result
because
consequently
for that reason
given
hence
on account of
since
so
so that
resulting in
therefore
thus
with the result that

Clarification

in other words
that is to say
to clarify
to explain
to put it another way

Comparison (Similarity)

analogous to
as if
by the same token
equally
in like manner
in a similar fashion
in the same way
just as
like
likewise
similarly
such
that same

Concession

although
at any rate
at least
even though
granted that
in spite of
of course
still
to be sure
while

Conclusion

in conclusion
finally
to conclude

Contrast

after all
although
and yet
another
at the same time
but
conversely
even though
however
in contrast
in spite of
nevertheless
nonetheless
nor
notwithstanding
on the one hand
on the contrary
on the other hand
or
other
otherwise
rather
unlike
while this may be true
yet

Emphasis (Intensification)

above all
by all means
certainly
especially
indeed
in fact
in truth
no
of course
surely
to repeat
truly
undoubtedly
without a doubt
yes

Exemplification (Illustration)

as an illustration
especially
including
in detail
in other words
in particular
for example
for instance
namely
specifically
such as
to demonstrate
to explain
to illustrate

Place (Space)

above
adjacent to
below
beyond
elsewhere
here
inside
nearby
neighboring
next to
on
opposite to
outside
there
wherever

Pronouns that clearly refer back to a word, phrase, list, image, etc.

her / his / its / my / our / that / their / this / these / those / your__________
she / he / it / they / we

Purpose

for this purpose
for this reason
so that
to that end
with this in mind
therefore

Qualification

almost
although
always
frequently
maybe
nearly
never
perhaps
probably
usually

Summary

as a result
finally
in brief
in conclusion
in short
in sum
in summary
in the end
therefore
thus
to summarize
to sum up
ultimately

Time

after
afterward
all the while
always
another
as
at last
at length
at the same time
before
coincidentally
during
earlier
even as
finally
first (second, third)
following
for a minute
formerly
generally
immediately
in the meantime
last
later
meanwhile
never
next
now
once
ordinarily
previously
rarely
simultaneously
so far
sometimes
soon
subsequently
that same hour (minute, day)
then
this time
to begin with
until now
usually
when
whenever
while
ultimately