Essay Writing: Transitions & Connectives

Transitions and connectives generally have at least eight different functions:

1. To support, add or continue: Besides Also Too In addition Last First Second Third Next Finally Further Another Moreover Again Similarly Furthermore Likewise In a like manner In the same way Equally important

2. To compare and contrast: Also And All are Like Both Just as Likewise Although Similar(ly) As well as In the same manner Have in common In a like manner Whether or not On the other hand As opposed to Nevertheless Unlike Compared to Contrastin g Conversely Yet Instead Whereas In spite of In contrast However Even though Rather than On the contrary Despite

Beside The same s as But While

3. To introduce details or exemplify: For example In fact For instance In any event As evidence In support of Such as To illustrate In this case As stated in / by According to As a result In any case

4. To show cause and effect: Since Because of Due to Therefore Caused by Thus To this end As a result (of ) Hence For this reason This results Brought about in Consequently Made possible Accordingly As might be expected In effect Was responsible for Leads to If then

5. To counter: Obviously many people believe Evidently others feel Clearly, opponents maintain Surely most want Even though some people support Although citizens argue Society favors The (This) idea deserves some merit 6. To indicate order, sequence or importance: First Second (etc.) Sooner or later In the first place Moreover Meanwhile Later To begin with

countering transitions: But Yet However In contrast Its unlikely that I question On the contrary Nevertheless

At the same Finally Lastly time Most important Last of all Of greater (est) For one reason Meanwhil importance e Next Presently

7. To show chronological order:

After Finally Since At last When

Earlier Next At first Until During

Later As soon as Soon Formerly Meanwhile

While Then Before Afterward First

In the mean time Moments later At the same time In the beginning (end)

8. To conclude: As noted above In other words To be sure In short Undoubtedly Obviously In any event In any case Unquestionably Without question Without a doubt On the whole

Connectives
HOW DO I ...
and paragraphs? link sentences

CONNECTIVES Topics for paragraphs, reports and essays may develop in different ways according to your content and needs.

A list of linking words, or connectives, is provided to help you link your ideas, sentences and paragraphs. Connective words are used either in or between paragraphs to help to show the connection or relationship between one sentence and another. Used carefully, they can assist the reader in moving from one point to the next. Connectives may be used to:

make comparisons or contrasts add to an idea express a result summarise explain or illustrate arrange ideas in order, time or space.

namely EXPLAINING IDEAS such as as already stated firstly PUTTING IDEAS IN ORDER meanwhile initially further in addition ADDING TO IDEAS also likewise in a similar way COMPARE AND CONTRAST nevertheless yet

for example in other words

that is for instance

secondly next afterwards lastly moreover too similarly

then finally later most importantly furthermore besides in like manner

however still

but on the other hand

by contrast all the same after all conversely because CAUSE AND EFFECT consequently

rather notwithstanding for all that despite this in order that for thus

on the contrary nonetheless at the same time though so that for that reason as a result as a result thus all this suggests that this resulted in

therefore hence CONCLUSION all in all all this evidence points to

so in conclusion finally consequently to sum up

all this leads to