Purpose of transition words: Transition words help to lead your reader from point to point in your writing. Often you know why one fact or sentence follows another, but that logic stays unseen in your head. The reader doesn’t know the logic, and thus ideas can seem disconnected or misplaced. Use transition words so the reader can follow your thinking. Lead them along to make sure you are understood.
Addition:
Additionally (in addition)
Also
Alternately
Besides
Further (furthermore)
Moreover
Example:
After all
As an illustration
For example
For instance
In particular
Specifically
Comparison:
Along the same lines
In a like manner
In other words
In the same way
Likewise
Similarly
Contrast:
Actually
Admittedly
Although
Conversely
Even so
Even though
However
In contrast
Ironically
Nevertheless
Nonetheless
On the contrary
On the other hand
Regardless
Still
Yet
Emphasis:
Above all
Besides
Indeed
More importantly
Cause and Effect:
Accordingly
As a result
Consequently (as a consequence)
Hence
It follows, then that…
Presumably
Since
So
Therefore
Numerical or listing:
Eventually
Finally
First of all (+ second, third, etc.)
Firstly (+ secondly, thirdly, etc.)
In the first place (+ in the second place, in the third place, etc.)
Lastly
Previously
Subsequently
Then
Summary or conclusion:
As a result
Consequently
In a word
In short
In the end
Overall
Thus
To put it another way
To summarize
Ultimately
James Couture 