Transitional Devices

Transitional devices are like bridges between parts of your paper. They are cues
that help the reader to interpret ideas a paper develops. Transitional devices are words
or phrases that help carry a thought from one sentence to another, from one idea to
another, or from one paragraph to another. And finally, transitional devices link
sentences and paragraphs together smoothly so that there are no abrupt jumps or
breaks between ideas.
There are several types of transitional devices, and each category leads readers
to make certain connections or assumptions. Some lead readers forward and imply the
building of an idea or thought, while others make readers compare ideas or draw
conclusions from the preceding thoughts.
Here is a list of some common transitional devices that can be used to cue readers in a
given way.

TO ADD:
and, again, and then, besides, equally important, finally, further, furthermore, nor, too,
next, lastly, what's more, moreover, in addition, first (second, etc.)

TO COMPARE:
whereas, but, yet, on the other hand, however, nevertheless, on the contrary, by
comparison, where, compared to, up against, balanced against, vis a vis, but, although,
conversely, meanwhile, after all, in contrast, although this may be true

TO PROVE:
because, for, since, for the same reason, obviously, evidently, furthermore, moreover,
besides, indeed, in fact, in addition, in any case, that is

TO SHOW EXCEPTION:
yet, still, however, nevertheless, in spite of, despite, of course, once in a while,
sometimes

TO SHOW TIME:
immediately, thereafter, soon, after a few hours, finally, then, later, previously, formerly,
first (second, etc.), next, and then

TO REPEAT:
in brief, as I have said, as I have noted, as has been noted

TO EMPHASIZE:
definitely, extremely, obviously, in fact, indeed, in any case, absolutely, positively,
naturally, surprisingly, always, forever, perennially, eternally, never, emphatically,
unquestionably, without a doubt, certainly, undeniably, without reservation

TO SHOW SEQUENCE:
first, second, third, and so forth. A, B, C, and so forth. next, then, following this, at this
time, now, at this point, after, afterward, subsequently, finally, consequently, previously,
before this, simultaneously, concurrently, thus, therefore, hence, next, and then, soon

TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE:
for example, for instance, in this case, in another case, on this occasion, in this
situation, take the case of, to demonstrate, to illustrate, as an illustration, to illustrate

TO SUMMARIZE OR CONCLUDE:
in brief, on the whole, summing up, to conclude, in conclusion, as I have shown, as I
have said, hence, therefore, accordingly, thus, as a result, consequently

Source:
Purdue Writing Lab. “Transitional Devices // Purdue Writing Lab.” Purdue Writing Lab,
2018,owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/mechanics/transitions_and_transitional_
devices/transitional_devices.html. Accessed 11 Aug. 2021.

Example Paragraphs Using Transitional Devices/Transitional Statements

(The transitional statements/devices are highlighted in the following paragraphs)
Paragraph 1
You can cook perfectly boiled egg for breakfast if you follow these six easy steps.
First, get a pot big enough to hold one egg. Then, fill the pot 4/5 full with water and put
in the egg. Next, turn the heat high until the pot of water boils. Boil the egg in the water
for three minutes. Take the egg out of the pot and put it in an egg cup. Now the egg is
ready to eat!
Paragraph 2
Registering for college course can be difficult if the process is not understood
well. The first thing now students should do is make an appointment with an academic
advisor. An advisor can help students make better decisions on which classes to take
and what order to take them in. Next, students should find maps and material on the
registration process and make sure they understand them well before registration day.
And finally, when students are registering for classes, they should make sure they
arrive on time as registration can take time to complete.

Paragraph 3
Writing in English can be difficult for many foreign students. For some students,
the English grammar can be a challenge as it is different from their own language. For
example, the placement of the verb can be at the end of the sentence in many
languages, whereas in English it usually comes at the beginning of a sentence. Also,
the way that ideas are presented in an English paragraph may be different from their
own language. This, as a matter of fact, makes it difficult to write well-developed
English paragraphs. All of these things can make writing in English a challenge for
many students.
Paragraph 4
Drawing is all about taking the time to master each step. In other words,
mastering the art of drawing doesn’t happen in a day. Furthermore, it’s a skill that takes
daily practice as well as dedication to hone your craft. It’s important not to burn yourself
out, but you need to stick with it.

Paragraph 5 (Excerpt from an Essay)

Lastly, the effect poverty has on education needs to be examined. Many
students below the poverty line do not have access to transportation and other
resources that allow them to take advantage of school of choice. Additionally, the
services available through programs within their area are lacking. It follows
logically that these students lack access to quality education and services students in
middle class homes have.

Paragraph 6 (Excerpt from an Essay)

As you can see, poverty can have an impact on several aspects of an
individual’s life. Not only does it impact their work and home life, but their education as
well. Therefore, as a community, it’s pivotal to provide advanced services and
assistance to individuals in lower-income areas.

Paragraph 7
In the previous section, this study explored the demographics of the Chicago,
Illinois area. Understanding the diversity of the population throughout the area is
particularly important to dissecting the implementation of after-school programs. In the
following paragraphs, the study will consider the importance demographics play in
understanding the need-based programs.