Overview
This lecture explains transition words and phrases, their categories, and their essential role in linking ideas for coherent writing.
What Are Transition Words?
- Transition words connect words, phrases, or sentences to help ideas flow smoothly.
- They build coherent relationships, clarify connections, and improve text structure.
- Transition words are also called connecting words or conjunctive adverbs.
Categories of Transition Words
Agreement, Addition, Similarity
- Used to add information, reinforce ideas, or show similarity (e.g., also, in addition, likewise, furthermore).
Opposition, Limitation, Contradiction
- Express contrast, alternatives, or contradictions (e.g., but, however, on the other hand, nevertheless).
Cause, Condition, Purpose
- Indicate cause, purpose, or condition (e.g., because, since, unless, in order to, so that, provided that).
Examples, Support, Emphasis
- Introduce examples, support points, or emphasize ideas (e.g., for example, such as, especially, notably).
Effect, Consequence, Result
- Show outcomes or results of an action (e.g., thus, therefore, consequently, as a result).
Conclusion, Summary, Restatement
- Conclude, summarize, or restate points (e.g., in conclusion, overall, to sum up, in summary, finally).
Time, Chronology, Sequence
- Indicate the order or timing of events (e.g., first, next, finally, meanwhile, before, after).
Space, Location, Place
- Describe spatial relationships (e.g., above, below, next to, here, in the foreground).
Usage in Writing
- Transition words are vital for essays to connect sentences and paragraphs, enhancing organization and readability.
- They often require a comma after the transition and may follow a semicolon if joining two complete sentences.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Transition Words — words/phrases linking ideas within sentences or paragraphs.
- Conjunctive Adverbs — another term for transition words connecting clauses.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Download the full list of transition words from the linked PDF for reference.
- Practice writing sentences using different categories of transition words.
- Review examples to understand punctuation with transition words.