How to Use Transitions Effectively

When writing, whether the eventual aim is to produce an essay, piece of fiction or personal letter, the proper use of transitions is essential to creating a polished tone. Transitions are especially useful when writing longer pieces because they allow for a seamless progression from one paragraph to the next. Luckily, it's relatively easy to learn to use transitions effectively in your writing. Here's how:

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Writing Ability
• Know-how

1. Use transitions to move your reader from paragraph to paragraph. At the beginning of every new paragraph you write in an essay, there should be some manner of transition to help the flow from the last paragraph into the new one seem logical and easy. Without a transition your paragraphs will effectively seem isolated from one another and almost unrelated.

2. Vary your transitions. Many people make the mistake of always using the same, formulaic system of transitions. In a five paragraph paper, for instance, many people will have the following system of transitions: first of all, secondly, thirdly, in conclusion. While this is a proper use of transitions, it would be better to vary your transitions so that the essay doesn't seem so formula-driven and has a better stylistic element. For example, in a five paragraph paper consider using other transitions such as: likewise, indeed, on the other hand, similarly, contrastingly, next, needless to say, or any of the other dozens of available transitions.

3. Always use logical transitions that you understand. Many writers, particularly young ones, make the mistake of using difficult vocabulary that they don't fully understand. Words like apropos, hence, and concurrently are all examples of transitions that students should only use if they truly understand the word and its full meaning. Otherwise, using such transitions will make the writing look amateurish and unprofessional.

4. Read the finished paper aloud to see if there's anywhere that is in need of a transition. Often times, students only read their work internally, not aloud, and miss spots where they should have placed a transition but failed to do so. Make sure that you read your work aloud every time to avoid this mistake.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember, transitions aren't as relevant in fictional work and needn't be placed at the beginning of every paragraph like they ought to be in non-fiction or in letters.
• Don't overuse transitions. In the same way that a piece of writing with too few transitions appears to be poorly written and has no rhythmic flow to the language, using too many transitions will make the language seem clumsy and overwrought.

Resources

• List of Transitions from Purdue University's Website