Transition Words in English That You Need to Know

by | May 11, 2024 | Advance Vocabulary, Transition Words

Transition words are commonly used in English to connect words, phrases, and sentences. They are also used to connect paragraphs to bridge the gap and avoid any breaks between them.

In this article, you will learn what transition words are in English, why you need to learn them, and the most commonly used transition words in English. You will also find a list of transition words and examples of sentences using these important words to explain how function in sentences. 

What are Transition Words in English?

Transition words are those words that help to connect words, phrases, and sentences together. Also, transition words are used to connect paragraphs to bridge the gap and avoid any breaks between the words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs. 

Examples:

  • He and his friend are participating in the final round.
  • She is studying hard because her final exam is approaching.
  • First, she went to the grocery store and then the bank.
  • She loves her kids, so she keeps buying more toys for them.

Common Transition Words in English

Here are some of the most commonly used transition words in English writing.

  • and 
  • because
  • in short
  • to sum up
  • in contrast
  • similarly
  • so 
  • while 
  • Therefore
  • But
  • however
  • Whereas

List of Transition Words in English

To Add

Here are some of the most commonly used transition words in English writing.

  • Moreover
  • in addition 
  • furthermore
  • next
  • what’s more
  • equally important 
  • finally
  • further
  • again 
  • and 
  • and then
  • besides
  • first
  • Second
  • nor 
  • too
  • lastly
  • and then
  • nor 

To Prove:

Here are some of the most commonly used transition words in English writing.

  • indeed
  • in fact
  • because
  • obviously
  • furthermore
  • in any case 
  • for 
  • since
  • in addition 
  • moreover
  • for the same reason
  • that is 
  • evidently

To Repeat

Here are some of the most commonly used transition words in English writing.

  • As I have said
  • As has been noted
  • in brief
  • As I have noted

To Compare

Here are some of the most commonly used transition words in English writing.

  • in contrast
  • conversely
  • however
  • nevertheless
  • balanced again 
  • but 
  • yet
  • meanwhile
  • whereas
  • up against
  • where
  • on the contrary
  • on the other hand
  • after all 
  • although this may be true
  • by comparison 
  • compared to 
  • vis a vis
  • although
  • but 
  • conversely

To Show Time

Here are some of the most commonly used transition words in English writing.

  • finally 
  • previous
  • formerly 
  • immediately 
  • first
  • second
  • soon 
  • and then 
  • tehrafter
  • then
  • later, next
  • after a few hours
  • formerly

To Emphasize

Here are some of the most commonly used transition words in English writing.

  • definitely
  • in fact
  • indeed
  • without a doubt
  • undeniably
  • always
  • absolutely
  • obviously
  • certainly
  • naturally
  • extremely
  • forever
  • surprising
  • without reservation
  • emphatically
  • in any case
  • perennially
  • positively
  • unquestionably
  • emphatically
  • always
  • never
  • eternally

To Show Sequence

Here are some of the most commonly used transition words in English writing.

  • first 
  • second
  • third
  • and so forth
  • next
  • then
  • following
  • thus
  • therefore
  • soon
  • hence
  • previously
  • at this point
  • now 
  • subsequently
  • consequently 
  • finally
  • following this
  • at this time 
  • after
  • afterward
  • simultaneously
  • before this

To Show Exception

Here are some of the most commonly used transition words in English writing.

  • However
  • sometimes
  • nevertheless
  • despite
  • in spite of 
  • yet
  • still
  • once in a while
  • of course

To Give an Example

Here are some of the most commonly used transition words in English writing.

  • for example
  • for instance
  • as an illustration 
  • take the case of 
  • to demonstrate
  • on this occasion
  • in this situation
  • in this case
  • on this occasion 
  • to illustrate

To Summarize or Conclude

Here are some of the most commonly used transition words in English writing.

  • to sum up
  • in short
  • in brief
  • as I have said
  • as mentioned earlier
  • accordingly
  • as a result
  • on the whole
  • to conclude
  • in conclusion 
  • as I have shown
  • therefore
  • consequently 
  • summing up

Conclusion

Transition words are words that help you to connect words, phrases, and sentences together. They even connect paragraphs with each other to create a flow in the writing and avoid gaps and breaks in the sentences. Therefore, using transition words in your writing boosts your writing skills. 

Transition Words in English FAQs

What are transition words in English?

In English, some words help us to connect words, phrases, and sentences together to create a consistent flow of thoughts in the writing. These words are called transition words. Based of th ecateory they falls, they can be divided into different groups and cateoreis.

What are some examples of transition words in English?

Some of the examples of transition words are immediately, conversely, in conclusion; however, on the other hand, in short, in summary, and, to sum up.

Why should you learn transition words in English?

Learning to use transition words in your writing correctly can improve your writing skills. When you use transition words, you are connecting words, phrases, and sentences to keep the flow of thoughts in your writing. For instance, these words are equally crucial in essay writing skills. 

I hope this article helped you to learn what transition words are, why you need to learn transition words, and example sentences using transition words to better explain how these words affect your writing.

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