Transition Words

Linking & Connecting Words Part 1/2

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Linking Words Transition Words Conjunctions

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Transition Words and Phrases

T"is structured list of commonl% used 'nglis" transition words a!!ro*imatel% 2++, can -e considered as .uasi com!lete. /t can -e used 0-% students and teac"ers alike1 to find t"e rig"t e*!ression. 'nglis" transition 2ords are essential, since t"e% not onl% connect ideas, -ut also can introduce a certain s"ift, contrast or o!!osition, em!"asis or agreement, !ur!ose, result or conclusion, etc. in t"e line of argument. T"e transition 2ords and !"rases "a(e -een assigned onl% once to some2"at artificial categories, alt"oug" some 2ords -elong to more t"an one categor%. T"ere is some o(erla!!ing 2it" !re!osition and !ost!osition, -ut for t"e !ur!ose of clarit% and com!leteness of t"is concise guide, / did not differentiate.

Agreement / Addition / Similarity

T"e transition 2ords like also, in addition, and, likewise, add information, reinforce ideas, and express agreement 2it" !receding material.

in t"e first !lace not onl% ... -ut also as a matter of fact in like manner in addition cou!led 2it" in t"e same fas"ion / 2a% first, second, t"ird in t"e lig"t of

not to mention to sa% not"ing of e.uall% im!ortant -% t"e same token again to and also t"en e.uall% identicall% uni.uel% like as too moreo(er as 2ell as toget"er 2it" of course like2ise com!arati(el% corres!ondingl% similarl%

furt"ermore additionall%

Opposition / Limitation / Contradiction

Transition !"rases like but, rather and or, e*!ress t"at t"ere is e(idence to t"e contrary or !oint out alternatives, and t"us introduce a c"ange t"e line of reasoning 0contrast1.

alt"oug" t"is ma% -e true in contrast different from of course ..., -ut on t"e ot"er "and on t"e contrar% at t"e same time in s!ite of e(en so / t"oug" -e t"at as it ma% t"en again a-o(e all in realit% after all -ut 0and1 still

unlike or 0and1 %et 2"ile al-eit -esides as muc" as e(en t"oug" alt"oug" instead 2"ereas des!ite con(ersel% ot"er2ise "o2e(er rat"er ne(ert"eless nonet"eless regardless not2it"standing

Cause / Condition / Purpose

T"ese transitional !"rases !resent s!ecific conditions or intentions.

in t"e e(ent t"at granted 0t"at1 as / so long as on 0t"e1 condition 0t"at1 for t"e !ur!ose of 2it" t"is intention 2it" t"is in mind in t"e "o!e t"at to t"e end t"at for fear t"at in order to seeing / -eing t"at in (ie2 of /f ... t"en unless

2"en 2"ene(er 2"ile

-ecause of as since 2"ile lest in case !ro(ided t"at gi(en t"at onl% / e(en if so t"at so as to o2ing to inasmuc" as due to

Examples / Support / Emphasis

T"ese transitional de(ices 0like especially1 are used to introduce e*am!les as support, to indicate importance or as an illustration so t"at an idea is cued to t"e reader.

in ot"er 2ords to !ut it differentl% for one t"ing as an illustration in t"is case

for t"is reason to !ut it anot"er 2a% t"at is to sa% 2it" attention to -% all means

im!ortant to reali3e anot"er ke% !oint first t"ing to remem-er most com!elling e(idence must -e remem-ered !oint often o(erlooked to !oint out on t"e !ositi(e / negati(e side 2it" t"is in mind nota-l% including like to -e sure namel% c"iefl% trul%

indeed certainl% surel% markedl%

es!eciall% s!ecificall% e*!ressi(el% sur!risingl% fre.uentl% significantl% in fact in general in !articular in detail for e*am!le for instance to demonstrate to em!"asi3e to re!eat to clarif% to e*!lain to enumerate

suc" as

Effect / Conse uence / !esult

ome of t"ese transition 2ords 0thus, then, accordingly, consequently, therefore, henceforth1 are time 2ords t"at are used to s"o2 t"at after a !articular time t"ere 2as a conse uence or an effect. 4ote t"at for and because are !laced -efore t"e cause/reason. T"e ot"er de(ices are !laced -efore t"e conse.uences or effects.

as a result under t"ose circumstances in t"at case for t"is reason in effect for t"us -ecause t"e t"en "ence conse.uentl% t"erefore t"ereu!on fort"2it" accordingl%

"encefort"

Conclusion / Summary / !estatement

T"ese transition 2ords and !"rases conclude, summari"e and / or restate ideas, or indicate a final general statement. #lso some 2ords 0like therefore1 from t"e Effect / Conse uence categor% can -e used to summari3e.

as can -e seen generall% s!eaking in t"e final anal%sis all t"ings considered as s"o2n a-o(e in t"e long run gi(en t"ese !oints as "as -een noted in a 2ord for t"e most !art after all in fact in summar% in conclusion in s"ort in -rief

in essence to summari3e on -alance altoget"er o(erall ordinaril% usuall% -% and large to sum u! on t"e 2"ole in an% e(ent in eit"er case all in all

5-(iousl% 6ltimatel% )efinitel%

Time / Chronology / Se uence

T"ese transitional 2ords 0like finally1 "a(e t"e function of limiting, restricting, and defining time. T"e% can -e used eit"er alone or as !art of adverbial expressions.

at t"e !resent time from time to time

sooner or later at t"e same time u! to t"e !resent time to -egin 2it" in due time as soon as as long as in t"e meantime in a moment 2it"out dela% in t"e first !lace all of a sudden at t"is instant first, second

immediatel% .uickl% finall% after later last until till

since t"en -efore "ence since 2"en once a-out ne*t no2

formerl% suddenl% s"ortl% "encefort" 2"ene(er e(entuall% mean2"ile furt"er during in time !rior to

fort"2it" straig"ta2a%

-% t"e time 2"ene(er

until no2 no2 t"at

instantl% !resentl% occasionall%

7an% transition 2ords in t"e time categor% 0consequently; first, second, third; further; hence; henceforth; since; then, when; and whenever1 "a(e ot"er uses. '*ce!t for t"e num-ers 0first, second, third1 and further t"e% add a meaning of time in e*!ressing conditions, .ualifications, or reasons. T"e num-ers are also used to add information or list examples. Further is also used to indicate added s!ace as 2ell as added time.

Space / Location / Place

T"ese transition 2ords are often used as !art of adverbial expressions and "a(e t"e function to restrict, limit or .ualif% space. &uite a fe2 of t"ese are also found in t"e Time categor% and can -e used to descri-e s!atial order or s!atial reference.

in t"e middle

to t"e left/rig"t in front of on t"is side in t"e distance "ere and t"ere in t"e foreground in t"e -ackground in t"e center of

adjacent to o!!osite to "ere t"ere ne*t 2"ere from o(er near a-o(e -elo2 do2n u! under

furt"er -e%ond near-% 2"ere(er around -et2een -efore alongside amid among -eneat" -eside -e"ind across

List of Transition Words

Transition Words are also sometimes called 0or !ut in t"e categor% of1 Connecting Words. Please feel free to download t"em (ia t"is link to t"e categor% !age8 Linking Words & Connecting Words as a P)F. /t contains all t"e transition #ords listed on t"is site. T"e image to t"e left gi(es %ou an im!ression "o2 it looks like.

$sage of Transition Words in Essays

Transition 2ords and !"rases are (ital de(ices for essays, !a!ers or ot"er literar% com!ositions. T"e% im!ro(e t"e connections and transitions -et2een sentences and !aragra!"s. T"e% t"us gi(e t"e te*t a logical organi3ation and structure 0see also8 a List of %non%ms1. #ll 'nglis" transition #ords and phrases 0sometimes also called 9conjuncti(e ad(er-s91 do t"e same 2ork as coordinating con%unctions8 t"e% connect t2o 2ords, !"rases or clauses toget"er and t"us t"e te*t is easier to read and t"e co"erence is im!ro(ed.

6sage8 transition 2ords are used 2it" a s!ecial rule for punctuation8 a semicolon or a !eriod is used after t"e first 9sentence9, and a comma is almost al2a%s used to set off t"e transition 2ord from t"e second 9sentence9.
Example &' People use () muscles #hen they fro#n* ho#ever+ they use only ,- muscles #hen they smile.

Example ,' /o#ever+ transition #ords can also 0e placed at the 0eginning of a ne# paragraph or sentence 1 not only to indicate a step for#ard in the reasoning+ 0ut also to relate the ne# material to the preceding thoughts.

6se a semicolon to connect sentences, onl% if t"e grou! of 2ords on eit"er side of t"e semicolon is a com!lete sentence eac" 0-ot" must "a(e a su-ject and a (er-, and could t"us stand alone as a com!lete t"oug"t1.

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Con%unctions 2 Cohesive 3evices

Linking & Connecting Words Part 2/2

Home

Linking Words Transition Words Conjunctions

Words for ... Feelings ... !eec" ... #ction

... Pre$Writing

List of %non%ms

&uotes & a%ings

'nglis" Language Humor mart & Funn% & Cle(er

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Cohesive 3evices

# (ariet% of useful 'nglis" Conjunctions e*ists, 2"ic" com!lete t"is list of t"e most used Cohesive Devices. Toget"er, t"e% can "el! to e*!ress a co"esi(e (ie2 and eas% understanda-le and reada-le te*ts.

3efinition
Words t"at link t2o !arts of a sentence are called conjunctions 0see ;to conjoin;1. T"e most common ones are 9and9, 9or9 and 9-ut9. T"ere are t"ree -asic t%!es of conjunctions8 coordinating conjunctions used to connect t2o inde!endent clauses su-ordinating conjunctions used to esta-lis" t"e relations"i! -et2een t"e de!endent clause and t"e rest of t"e sentence correlati(e conjunctions used to join (arious sentence elements 2"ic" are grammaticall% e.ual

Con%unctions
Coordinating Con%unctions
Comes usuall% in t"e middle of a sentence, and a comma is used -efore t"e conjunction 0unless -ot" clauses are (er% s"ort1. T"e% join indi(idual 2ords, !"rases, and independent clauses. W"ereas coordinating conjunctions join parts of a 4sentence9, t"e !ur!ose of transitional 2ords and !"rases usuall% is to join t2o 9sentences9.
Examples' We can dra# lessons from the past+ 0ut #e cannot live in it. 5Lyndon 6. 7ohnson8 The purpose of most computer languages is to lengthen your resume 0y a #ord and a comma. 5Larry Wall8

#nd, -ut, for, nor, or, so, and %et are t"e se(en coordinating conjunctions. To remem-er t"em, t"e acron%m F#4<5= can -e used.

1. F > for 2. # > and ?. 4 > nor @. < > -ut A. 5 > or

B. = > %et C. > so

Su0ordinating Con%unctions
#lso called su-ordinators, introduce a dependent clause. T"ese ad(er-s t"at act like conjunctions are !laced at t"e front of t"e clause $ and a comma is needed at t"e end of t"e ad(er-ial !"rase 2"en it !recedes t"e main clause.
Examples' 9f the only tool you have is a hammer+ you tend to see every pro0lem as a nail. 5A0raham :aslo#8 Some people ma;e headlines #hile others ma;e history. 5Philip Elmer13eWitt8

Conjunctions Concession

t"oug" alt"oug" e(en t"oug" 2"ile

Conjunctions Condition

if onl% if unless until !ro(ided t"at assuming t"at e(en if in case 0t"at1 lest

Conjunctions Comparison

t"an rat"er t"an

2"et"er as muc" as 2"ereas

Conjunctions Time

after as long as as soon as -efore -% t"e time no2 t"at once since till until 2"en 2"ene(er 2"ile

Conjunctions !eason

-ecause since so t"at in order 0t"at1 2"%

Delati(e Ad%ective

t"at 2"at

2"ate(er 2"ic" 2"ic"e(er

Delati(e Pronoun

2"o 2"oe(er 2"om 2"ome(er 2"ose

Conjunctions :anner

"o2 as t"oug" as if

Conjunctions Place

2"ere 2"ere(er

Correlative Con%unctions
T"e% are al2a%s used in !airs and denote e ualityE and s"o2 t"e relations"i! -et2een ideas e*!ressed in different !arts of a sentence $ and t"us make t"e joining tig"ter and more em!"atic. W"en joining singular and !lural su-jects, t"e su-ject closest to t"e (er- determines 2"et"er t"e (er- is singular or !lural.

as . . . as just as . . . so

-ot" . . . and "ardl% . . . 2"en scarcel% . . . 2"en eit"er . . . or neit"er . . . nor

if . . . t"en not . . . -ut 2"at 2it" . . . and 2"et"er . . . or not onl% . . . -ut also no sooner . . . t"an rat"er . . . t"an

Con%unctive Adver0s
T"e% are often used as a linking de(ice -et2een ideas. T"e% s"o2 logical relations"i!s e*!ressed in clauses, sentences or !aragra!"s. Conjuncti(e ad(er-s are (er% em!"atic, so t"e% s"ould -e used s!aringl%.

imilar to And

also -esides furt"ermore like2ise moreo(er

imilar to 6ut

"o2e(er ne(ert"eless nonet"eless still

con(ersel% instead ot"er2ise rat"er

imilar to So

accordingl% conse.uentl% "ence mean2"ile t"en t"erefore t"us

List of Con%unctions

Conjunctions are also sometimes called $ or !ut in t"e categor% of $ Linking Words. Please feel free to download t"em (ia t"is link to t"e categor% !age8 Linking Words & Connecting Words as a P)F. /t contains all t"e con%unctions listed on t"is site. T"e image to t"e left gi(es %ou an im!ression "o2 it looks like.

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