Jul 18, 2008

SAT Prep | Transitions

Transitions are like the links of a bracelet, holding the beads or major points of your essay together. They help the reader follow the smooth flow of your ideas and show a connection between major and minor ideas. Transitions are used either at the beginning of a paragraph, or to show the connections among ideas within a single paragraph. Without transitions, you will jar the reader and distract him from your true ideas.

Here are some typical transitional words and phrases:


Linking similar ideas
again for example likewise

also for instance moreover

and further nor

another furthermore of course

besides in addition similarly

equally important in like manner too


Linking dissimilar/contradictory ideas

although however otherwise

and yet in spite of provided that

as if instead still

but nevertheless yet

conversely on the contrary on the other hand


Indicating cause, purpose, or result

as for so

as a result for this reason then

because hence therefore

consequently since thus


Indicating time or position

above before meanwhile

across beyond next

afterwards eventually presently

around finally second

at once first thereafter

at the present time here thereupon


Indicating an example or summary

as a result in any event in short

as I have said in brief on the whole

for example in conclusion to sum up

for instance in fact in other words

Linking similar ideas
again	for example	likewise
also	for instance	moreover
and	further	nor
another	furthermore	of course
besides	in addition	similarly
equally important	in like manner	too
Linking dissimilar/contradictory ideas
although	however	otherwise
and yet	in spite of	provided that
as if	instead	still
but	nevertheless	yet
conversely	on the contrary	on the other hand
Indicating cause, purpose, or result
as	for	so
as a result	for this reason	then
because	hence	therefore
consequently	since	thus
Indicating time or position
above	before	meanwhile
across	beyond	next
afterwards	eventually	presently
around	finally	second
at once	first	thereafter
at the present time	here	thereupon
Indicating an example or summary
as a result	in any event	in short
as I have said	in brief	on the whole
for example	in conclusion	to sum up
for instance	in fact	in other words