101 transitions to help connect your writing
Transitions can make or break your writing.
Good transition words connect sentences and paragraphs and turn disconnected writing into a unified whole. They help the reader (and writer) move from idea to idea.
Transitions can also be tricky. Sometimes you need to use words other than “but,” “however” and “in addition,” yet it can be difficult to find that perfect connecting word. Consider the following phrases when you need some new transition ideas.
- above all
- accordingly
- admittedly
- after all
- afterward
- all things considered
- alternatively
- altogether
- an example of
- as a result
- as a rule
- as before
- aside from
- at first glance
- at the same time
- at this point
- balanced against
- being similar in many ways
- beginning with
- besides
- beyond this/that
- by comparison
- certainly
- clearly
- concurrently
- consequently
- considering this
- conversely
- corresponding to
- decidedly
- despite
- equally important
- evidently
- excluding
- following this
- for the most part
- for the same reason
- fortunately
- further
- furthermore
- given these points
- hence
- in any case
- in contrast
- in other words
- in this case
- in short
- in the end
- in the future
- in the meantime
- in this situation
- incidentally
- indeed
- instead
- just as interesting
- lastly
- likewise
- looking ahead
- meanwhile
- moreover
- nevertheless
- notably
- not surprisingly
- obviously
- on the contrary
- on the whole
- on this occasion
- on the contrary
- once in a while
- ordinarily
- other than
- otherwise
- overall
- particularly
- perennially
- previously
- rather
- recently
- surprisingly
- take the case of
- the next step
- thereby
- therefore
- thus
- to begin with
- to conclude
- to demonstrate
- to illustrate
- to restate
- to resume
- to return to the subject
- to summarize
- undeniably
- unquestionably
- what’s more
- whereas
- with attention to
- with that in mind
- without exception
- without reservation
- yet
Do you have any other transitional phrases to add?
This article was first published on Ragan Communication’s PR Daily.
