2 Chapter 4 Transition Words
2 Chapter 4 Transition Words
2 Chapter 4 Transition Words
Learning Outcomes
LESSON PROPER
Transitional words and phrases connect and relate ideas, sentences, and paragraphs. They
assist in the logical flow of ideas as they signal the relationship between sentences and paragraphs. In
prose, the material is supported and conditioned not only by the ordering of the material (its position)
but by connectives which signal order, relationship and movement.
The most basic transition words are conjunctions that join words, phrases, or clauses together. For
example, words like "and," "but" and "or" can connect two sentences together:
As you can see in the examples above, even simple conjunctions serve different purposes.
• The first sentence uses "and" as a transition word that connects the two occurrences equally.
• The second sentence uses "but," which introduces a contrast.
Knowing the different categories of transition words will help you choose the ones that best get your
point across.
Other transition words are adverbs that describe the way an action is performed or how it relates to
another idea. For example:
There are several types of transitional words and phrases, and each category helps the reader to make
certain connections. Some signal the building of an idea, while others help readers compare ideas or
draw conclusions. Here are some common transition sentences.
Comparison/Contrast
These transitions point out alternatives or differences. See how these work in sentences.
Chronology
• Before you go home, make sure you jot down your assignments.
• During the evening, you can review your work.
• Later, you'll be glad you did.
• You’ll be able to simultaneously eat dinner and review your work.
Cause/Effect
• Since you're such a good student, you'll get into a good college.
• Therefore, you can get a job you like.
• As a result, you should be a happy person.
• Because people are happier, they have less stress.
Illustration/Examples
These transition words add emphasis or introduce evidence. Example transition sentences include:
• Ellen loves ice cream. Truly, she'd be happy to eat sundaes every day.
• Specifically, Ellen loves chocolate fudge brownie sundaes.
• To demonstrate her love of ice cream, Ellen is planning an ice cream social for all her friends.
Addition
These transitions add information or reinforce ideas. Here are a few fun transition sentences.
Clarification transition words show support. You can see these transition words through the transition
sentences:
Qualification
Qualification transition words present conditions or intentions. See them in action now.
• With what was possibly the greatest catch of all time, the Patriots won the Super Bowl.
• They almost always win big games.
• With this in mind, they could be called the greatest team of all time.
Summary/Conclusion
• All the facts have been presented and, as can be seen, the results are clear.
• Given these points, it's clearly time to consider some changes.
• In the long run, these recommendations will benefit our company.
REFERENCE BOX
Bett, Jennifer (n.d). Examples of Transitional Words and Phrases in Sentences. Your Dictionary.
Retrieved from https://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-transitional-words-
and-phrases.html
(2020). Identifying Independent and Dependent Clauses. Purdue OWL. Retrieved from
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/punctuation/independent_and_depende
nt_clauses/index.html
(2020). Phrase: Definition, Types & Examples. Learn Grammar. Retrieved from
https://www.learngrammar.net/english-grammar/phrase#conjunctional