100+ Important Transition Words and Phrases with Examples

Mastering the art of using transition words effectively is a vital skill for any English learner who wants to enhance their communication abilities. They might appear simple at first glance, but these small words and phrases hold great power in making our writing clear, logical, and easy to follow. From additives to contrasts, and even transitions that show cause and effect, we’ll provide you with valuable tips on incorporating these essential elements into your writing process.

Table of Contents

What are Transition Words?

Transition words are like the glue that helps us connect our thoughts and ideas smoothly. They’re essential in written and spoken communication, making our writing more engaging and easier to understand. In this section, we’ll explore what transition words are and the role they play in our writing.

First, let’s define transition words. As the name suggests, these are words or phrases that help us transition smoothly from one thought to another. They act as bridges between concepts, sentences, and paragraphs. By using them, we create a flow in our writing, ensuring our ideas are well-structured and interconnected.

Categories of transition words include:

Additive: These words introduce new information or examples, such as “additionally,” “moreover,” “also,” and “besides.”
Contrast: These words highlight differences, like “however,” “conversely,” “on the other hand,” and “nevertheless.”
Cause and effect: These words show a relationship between events or ideas (cause and effect), such as “because,” “therefore,” “hence,” and “consequently.”
Comparison: These words point out similarities, like “similarly,” “likewise,” “in the same way,” and “just as.”

Categories of Transition Words

Addition Transition Words

Addition transition words are used to express agreement, similarity, or reinforce ideas. These words help us to add more information to support our points. Some common addition transition words are:

Additionally
Furthermore
Moreover
In addition
Likewise
Similarly
Also
As well as
Not to mention
Coupled with
Together with
And
Too
What is more
Not only…but also
Besides

Examples:

She was an excellent swimmer. Additionally, she was a talented gymnast.
The movie received critical acclaim. Furthermore, it was a box office success.
The restaurant has great food. Moreover, the service is exceptional.
I enjoy hiking. In addition, I love camping in the mountains.
John loves playing the guitar. Likewise, his brother is also musically talented.
Sarah and Emily have a lot in common. Similarly, they both enjoy painting and reading.
I love chocolate cake. Also, I enjoy eating ice cream.
My sister speaks French fluently. As well as that, she’s learning Spanish.
The museum has beautiful paintings. Not to mention, the sculptures are also amazing.
The company offers a great benefits package. Coupled with a competitive salary, it’s a desirable place to work.
The team worked hard. Together with their coach’s guidance, they won the championship.
I like to read books. And I also enjoy listening to audiobooks.
Jane likes to travel. Too bad she can’t go anywhere now due to the pandemic.

Contrast Transition Words

Contrast transition words are used to show the difference or opposition between two ideas. They help us emphasize the differences, pointing out the contrasting aspects. Some common contrast transition words are:

Transition Words	Example Sentences
However	I want to go to the party, however, I have a lot of work to do.
On the other hand	The weather is beautiful today, on the other hand, I have to work all day.
In contrast	The city is noisy and crowded, in contrast, the countryside is peaceful and quiet.
Nevertheless	I know it’s risky, nevertheless, I’m going to take the chance.
Nonetheless	I’m not feeling well, nonetheless, I’m going to the gym.
Conversely	Some people love winter, conversely, I prefer summer.
But	I want to go to the beach, but it’s too far away.
While	While I was studying, my roommate was watching TV.
Although	Although it’s raining, I’m still going for a run.
Even though	Even though I’m tired, I’m going to finish this project tonight.
Despite	Despite the bad reviews, I still want to see the movie.
In spite of	In spite of the traffic, I arrived on time.
Whereas	I love spicy food, whereas my sister can’t handle it.
Unlike	Unlike my brother, I’m not a big fan of sports.
Rather	I would rather stay home and read a book than go out tonight.
On the contrary	He thought I was angry, on the contrary, I was just tired.
Alternatively	If you don’t like sushi, you can alternatively order a burger.
Despite this	I’m not a great cook, despite this, I love trying new recipes.
Regardless	Regardless of the outcome, I’m proud of myself for trying.

Consequence Transition Words

Consequence transition words show the result or effect of an action or idea. They highlight the connection between cause and effect. Some examples include:

Transition Words	Example Sentences
Consequently	I missed my flight, consequently, I had to stay an extra night.
As a result	I studied hard, as a result, I got an A on the exam.
Therefore	I’m allergic to cats, therefore, I can’t visit my friend’s house.
Thus	I have a lot of work to do, thus, I can’t go to the party.
Accordingly	The restaurant was closed, accordingly, we had to find another place to eat.
Hence	I forgot my phone at home, hence, I couldn’t call my friend.
Because of	Because of the rain, the game was canceled.
Due to	Due to the traffic, I arrived late to the meeting.
Owing to	Owing to the bad weather, the concert was postponed.
For this reason	I don’t like horror movies, for this reason, I won’t watch them.
So	I’m hungry, so I’m going to make some food.
Since	Since it’s a holiday, I don’t have to work today.
That’s why	I overslept, that’s why I was late for the meeting.
Under these circumstances	Under these circumstances, we have no choice but to cancel the event.
In effect	The new policy will be in effect starting next week.
In consequence	In consequence of the accident, the road was closed.
In view of this	In view of this new information, we need to reconsider our plan.
So that	I’m going to the store so that I can buy some groceries.
Therefore, it follows that	He didn’t study for the test, therefore, it follows that he didn’t do well.

Purpose Transition Words

Purpose transition words help us to explain the objective or reason behind something. They clarify why something is being done or said. Some common purpose transition words are:

To
In order to
So as to
For the purpose of
With the aim of
With the intention of
To the end that
To this end
With this in mind
With a view to
For the sake of
In the hope that
In the interest of
In order that
So that

Examples:

She wakes up early in order to be on time to work.
They visited him so as to offer their condolences for the death of his wife
He helped the new policewoman so as not to fail in her first mission.

Summary Transition Words

Summary transition words help us to briefly recap an idea or statement, providing a concise overview. They can be used to sum up the main points or link back to the overall topic. Examples include:

In conclusion
To summarize
All in all
Ultimately
Overall
To sum up
To put it briefly
In summary
Briefly stated
To conclude
In essence
Given these points
As a result
Hence
Therefore
Thus
Consequently
In brief
In short
In a word

Examples:

In conclusion, I hope the preceding arguments have convinced you of the need for action.
To conclude, I’d like to express my thanks to my family.
To sum up, damp walls are not disastrous structurally, but the cause must be ascertained and the condition rectified.
In a nutshell, the owners thought they knew best.
In brief, I have made up my mind to quit my job.

Comparison Transition Words

Comparison transition words help us to draw connections between two ideas. These words show similarity or likeness between different thoughts. Some examples are:

Similarly
Likewise
In the same way

For example: We enjoy hiking in the mountains. Similarly, our friends love outdoor activities.

Sequence Transition Words

Sequence transition words help us to show the order of events or steps. They make it easier to understand the progression of ideas. Some common sequence transition words are:

First, second, third
Next
Then
Finally

For example: First, we went grocery shopping. Next, we prepared the ingredients. Finally, we cooked dinner.

Time Transition Words

Time transition words enable us to show the relationship between events or ideas based on their timing. These words help to clarify the chronological order. Some examples are:

Before
After
Meanwhile
Later

For example: We finished the project before the deadline.

Place Transition Words

Place transition words describe the location of something or the spatial relationship between objects. They help us to understand where something is happening or where items are positioned. Examples include:

Nearby
Above
Below
Adjacent to

For example: The bakery is nearby our house.

Condition Transition Words

Condition transition words express a condition or requirement that must be met for something to happen or be true. They indicate a relationship between two events or ideas, often in a cause-and-effect way. Examples include:

If
Unless
In case
Provided that

For example: We will go to the movies if it doesn’t rain.

List of 100 Transition Words

Additionally
Also
Furthermore
Moreover
In addition
Likewise
Similarly
Another
Equally important
Correspondingly
Next
Then
Consequently
Therefore
Thus
Hence
Accordingly
As a result
Because
Due to
Since
As a consequence
For this reason
In effect
In fact
In other words
That is
Namely
To clarify
To illustrate
To explain
For example
For instance
Specifically
In particular
As an illustration
Notably
Significantly
As a matter of fact
Certainly
Indeed
Surely
Undoubtedly
Without a doubt
Clearly
Obviously
Evidently
Apparently
In any case
At any rate
Anyway
However
Nevertheless
Nonetheless
In contrast
On the other hand
Conversely
Whereas
Although
Even though
In spite of
Despite
Regardless
Still
Yet
But
All things considered
All in all
Altogether
In summary
In conclusion
To summarize
To conclude
In brief
Alternatively
By the same token
In the meantime
Meanwhile
Subsequently
Henceforth
Thereafter
To sum up
Ultimately
Finally
Eventually
As soon as
As long as
Before
Afterwards
At the same time
Simultaneously
On top of that
In comparison
On the contrary
In reality
To emphasize
To highlight
To put it differently
To put it another way

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katelyn mohammed

Tuesday 21st of November 2023

these transitional word helped me with creative writing a lot people should use them more to put their stories in or atleast help them organize them

Mark Williams

Wednesday 22nd of March 2023

This is very helpful

Sam

Tuesday 15th of November 2022

Would 'This is also' be a transition word/phrase?

Wednesday 27th of December 2023

Yes, "This is also" can be considered a transition phrase that indicates a continuation or addition of information. It can be used to connect ideas or points in a sentence or paragraph.

Issabella

Thursday 17th of August 2023

No, "This is also" is not a transition word/phrase. It is a phrase that can be used to add additional information to a previous statement, but it does not serve as a transition between two different ideas or paragraphs. Have a nice day :)

dad ????????

Monday 20th of March 2023

@Sam,

deej

Wednesday 14th of September 2022

this is not useful at all not what ur searching for at all

Yes

Friday 9th of September 2022

Hello people