How to Make Transitions in a Paragraph

eHow
July 13, 2011

A paragraph represents one complete idea. Paragraphs must flow logically: each follows the one before it and leads the reader to the one that comes after it. It is equally important to construct the paragraphs with smooth, clear transitions between sentences and phrases. These words and phrases are cues to the reader to anticipate what is coming next and how to mentally organize the information given. In sum, the paragraph should be concise and reflect a logical order of ideas.

Step 1
Brainstorm your ideas and put them in logical order. It is easier to make good transitions when all of your thoughts are in order.

Step 2
Use conjunctive adverbs or transitional phrases to modify sentences, relating them to the sentences that come before and after. These usually come at the beginning of the sentence, separated from the phrase with a comma.

Step 3
Use ordinal terms if your paragraph contains a sequence of events or points. Ideas can be ordered chronologically, using terms like “first,” “then,” “next” and “finally.” These terms can also indicate order of emphasis or importance.

Step 4
Use indicators of place in time when appropriate. “Afterward,” currently,” “before,” “meanwhile,” “recently” and “simultaneously” all indicate to the reader an idea’s place in time in relation to other ideas.

Step 5
Give examples to illustrate a point in the paragraph using terms like “for example,” “for instance,” namely” and “specifically.”

Step 6
Compare and contrast ideas in a paragraph with terms like “also,” “likewise,” “similarly,” however,” “nevertheless” and “yet.”

Step 7
Show cause and effect between two sentences by using terms like “consequently,” “hence” and “therefore.”

Step 8
Give additional support for your idea with terms like “additionally,” “furthermore” and “moreover.”

Step 9
Indicate to the reader that the thought is complete and the paragraph is ending with phrases like “finally,” “in conclusion,” “on the whole” and “in sum.”

References
University of California-Santa Barbara: Paragraph Transitions
University of North Carolina: Transitions

Resources
Purdue Online Writing Lab: Writing Transitions