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TransitionWords

TRANSITIONWORDS
Whataretransitionsandhowaretheyused?
transitionsarephrasesorwordsusedtoconnectoneideatothenext
transitionsareusedbytheauthortohelpthereaderprogressfromonesignificantideatothenext
transitionsalsoshowtherelationshipwithinaparagraph(orwithinasentence)betweenthemainideaand
thesupporttheauthorgivesforthoseideas
differenttransitionsdodifferentthings....

Transitionsmaybe"Additive,""Adversative,""Causal,"or"Sequential."
Additive
Transitions

Adversative
Transitions

Addition
Introduction
Reference
Similarity
Identification
Clarification

Causal(notcasual)
Transitions

Conflict
Emphasis
Concession
Dismissal
Replacement

Cause/Reason
Effect/Result
Purpose
Consequence

Sequential
Transitions
Numerical
Continuation
Conclusion
Digression
Resumption
Summation

AdditiveTransitions:
Theseshowaddition,introduction,similaritytootherideas,&c.
Addition:
indeed,

further,

aswell(asthis),

either(neither),

notonly(this)but
also(that)aswell,

also,

moreover,

whatismore,

asamatteroffact,

inallhonesty,

and,

furthermore,

inaddition(tothis),

besides(this),

totellthetruth,

or,

infact,

actually,

tosaynothingof,

too,

letalone,

muchless

additionally,

nor,

alternatively,

ontheotherhand,

nottomention(this),

[backtolist]

Introduction:
suchas,

as,

particularly,

including,

asanillustration,

forexample,

like,

inparticular,

foronething,

toillustrate

forinstance,

especially,

notably,

bywayofexample,

[backtolist]

https://www.msu.edu/~jdowell/135/transw.html

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TransitionWords

Reference:
speakingabout(this),

considering(this),

regarding(this),

withregardsto(this),

asfor(this),

concerning(this),

the fact that

on the subject of (this)

[backtolist]

Similarity:
similarly,

inthesameway,

bythesametoken,

inalikemanner,

equally

likewise,

[backtolist]

Identification:
thatis(tosay),

namely,

specifically,

thus,
[backtolist]

Clarification:
thatis(tosay),

Imean,

(to)put(it)anotherway

inotherwords,

[backtolist]

AdversativeTransitions:
Thesetransitionsareusedtosignalconflict,contradictionconcession,dismissal,&c.
Conflict:
but,

bywayofcontrast,

while,

ontheotherhand,

however,

(and)yet,

whereas,

though(finalposition),

incontrast,

wheninfact,

conversely,

still
[backtolist]

Emphasis:
evenmore,

aboveall,

indeed,

moreimportantly,

besides
[backtolist]

Concession:
butevenso,
https://www.msu.edu/~jdowell/135/transw.html

nevertheless,

eventhough,

ontheotherhand,

admittedly,
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TransitionWords

however,

nonetheless,

despite(this),

notwithstanding(this),

albeit

(and)still,

although,

inspiteof(this),

regardless(ofthis),

(and)yet,

though,

granted(this),

bethatasitmay,

[backtolist]

Dismissal:
eitherway,

whicheverhappens,

ineitherevent,

inanycase,

atanyrate,

ineithercase,

whateverhappens,

allthesame,

inanyevent,

[backtolist]

Replacement:
(or)atleast,

(or)rather,

instead
[backtolist]

CausalTransitions:
Thesetransitionssignalcause/effectandreason/result,etc...
Cause/Reason:
forthe(simple)reasonthat,

beingthat,

for,

inviewof(thefact),

inasmuchas,

because(ofthefact),

seeingthat,

as,

owingto(thefact),

dueto(thefactthat),

inthat

since,

forasmuchas,

[backtolist]

Condition:
on(the)condition(that),

granted(that),

if,

providedthat,

incase,

intheeventthat,

as/solongas,

unless

giventhat,

granting(that),

providingthat,

evenif,

onlyif,

[backtolist]

Effect/Result:
asaresult(ofthis),

consequently,

hence,

forthisreason,

thus,

because(ofthis),

inconsequence,

sothat,

accordingly

asaconsequence,

somuch(so)that,

so,

therefore,

[backtolist]

https://www.msu.edu/~jdowell/135/transw.html

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TransitionWords

Purpose:
forthepurposeof,

inthehopethat,

forfearthat,

sothat,

withthisintention,

totheendthat,

inorderto,

lest

withthisinmind,

inorderthat,

soasto,

so,
[backtolist]

Consequence:
underthosecircumstances,

then,

inthatcase,

ifnot,

thatbeingthecase,

ifso,

otherwise

[backtolist]

SequentialTransitions:
Thesetransitionsareusedtosignalachronologicalorlogicalsequence.
Numerical:
inthe(first,second,etc.)place,

initially,

tostartwith,

firstofall

thirdly,(&c.)

tobeginwith,

atfirst,

forastart,

secondly,

[backtolist]

Continuation:
subsequently,

previously,

eventually,

next,

before(this),

afterwards,

after(this),

then
[backtolist]

Conclusion:
toconclude(with)

asafinalpoint,

eventually,

atlast,

lastbutnotleast,

intheend,

finally,

lastly,
[backtolist]

Digression:
tochangethetopic

incidentally,

bytheway,
[backtolist]

Resumption:
togetbacktothepoint,
https://www.msu.edu/~jdowell/135/transw.html

toresume

anyhow,

anyway,

atanyrate,
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toreturntothesubject,

[backtolist]

Summation:
aswaspreviouslystated,

so,

consequently,

insummary,

allinall,

tomakealongstoryshort,

thus,

asIhavesaid,

tosumup,

overall,

ashasbeenmentioned,

then,

tosummarize,

tobebrief,

briefly,

giventhesepoints,

inall,

onthewhole,

therefore,

ashasbeennoted,

hence,

inconclusion,

inaword,

toputitbriefly,

insum,

altogether,

inshort,

[backtolist]

[Originalversionsubmittedby:GregoryM.Campbell(gcampbe@bgsuvax.bgsu.edu)Thu,15Dec199415:44:200500(EST)similar
toMichaelBuckhoff's(MBuckhoff@aol.com)pageonExpositoryWriting
<http://buckhoff.topcities.com/using_transition_words.htm>].Ad(a/o)ptedbyJohnA.Dowell,10.3.97.
Feelfreetousethis,withthesecreditstoProf.Campbell,Prof.Buckhoff,andmyself,ifyouplease,alongwiththislinktoCreative
Commonslicense3.0<http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/>.
Lastly,hereisabriefpagewithsomeexcellentexplanatoryinformation:<http://www.englishathome.com/grammar/linking
words/>

https://www.msu.edu/user/jdowell/135/transw.html

https://www.msu.edu/~jdowell/135/transw.html

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