Transition Words and Phrases

Transition words and phrases help make thoughts and ideas flow in a logical manner. Strong writers vary syntax (types of sentences) and use transitions to introduce new ideas or components of a piece of writing. The transition word or phrase that a writer uses depends on what type of idea is being introduced. Use the chart below to help you choose appropriate transition words and phrases.

To show similarities:	To show differences or contrasting viewpoints:	To emphasize (draw attention to) a point:
Similarly Likewise Also	But However In spite of Yet On one hand On the other hand While this may be true	Above all Indeed Truly Of course Certainly Surely In fact Really
To add more information about a given topic:	To show steps in a logical order:	To summarize or conclude:
In addition to Furthermore Equally important Also Secondly Lastly For example For instance Therefore	Afterwards Then Next Last First, second, etc. Another Meanwhile At the same time Subsequently Eventually	Therefore Finally Consequently Thus In conclusion Clearly As a result of Accordingly

Transitions can be used at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence. They often require a comma, semi-colon, or hyphen to offset them from the rest of the sentence.

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