Transitions

What are they?

•  Transition words and phrases help establish clear connections between ideas.

•  They ensure that paragraphs flow together smoothly, making them easier to read.

Transitions between paragraphs

•  Transitions between paragraphs should: – Summarize the previous paragraph – Give a hint about the topic of the next

paragraph – Be a word or two, a phrase, or a sentence – Be at the end of the first paragraph,

beginning of the second paragraph, or both

Example: transitioning between paragraphs

•  If I want to transition from my first body paragraph about Walt Disney’s rough childhood to the second paragraph about his rise to fame, my transition may look something like this:

•  Although Walt Disney’s childhood was no fairytale, it didn’t take long for him to find fame by creating the fairytales he always wished he could experience.

Transitions within paragraphs

•  Transitions within paragraphs: – Act as cues – Help readers anticipate what is coming before

they read it – Tend to be single words or short phrases

Example: Transitioning within paragraphs

•  His home life provided meager comforts because his father, Elias, showed no affection to any of his five children. In fact, Brad. A Smith and Chris Wingert, historians, reveal that Walt’s disciplinarian father delivered daily beatings to Walt and his older brother, Roy (2). Yet, small incentives in Walt’s bleak life granted him some form of escape. Walt’s mother, Flora, captivated his imagination with sensational fairy tales (Harmon, par. 5). Consequently, enchanted lands and mystical creatures from these fairy tales served as foundations for his future films.

Transitional words and phrases

Practice #1

• I went to biology class, ________ I went to lunch.

Practice #2

• I was going to take out the trash when I got home, ______ I didn’t because Jersey Shore was on!

Practice #3

• There are many reasons why freshmen think they should never have homework. ________, many students play sports after school and don’t have the time.

Practice #4

• Freshmen aren’t the only ones who don’t like homework. __________, teachers don’t like it either.

Practice #5

• Sally had an eventful Saturday. ______ she went to the mall, ______ she got her hair done, and _________ she went to Prom.