Among the many tasks facing a writer, one of the
most important is to provide transitions that explain how ideas in a text are
related to one another. Coherence in writing is the "logical glue" that
allows readers to move easily and clearly from one idea to the next.
To achieve coherence, writers usually turn to conjunctions, adverbs, and prepositional phrases and clauses that function as adverbs. To make that task easier, we have compiled the following list of transitional words and phrases organized according to the logical connection, or transition, they indicate.
To indicate examples:
- occasionally
- usually
- often
- frequently, especially
- specifically
- principally
- mainly
- namely
- significantly
- indeed
- for example, for instance
- first of all
- for one thing
- most important, most importantly
- to illustrate
- in particular
- in general
- in this way, in this manner
To indicate comparison:
- at the same time
- in the same way
- in a like manner
- likewise
- similarly
- like
- as
To indicate addition:
- and
- also
- above all
- further, furthermore
- moreover
- first, second, third . . .
- next
- other
- besides
- too
- likewise
- last
- again
- finally
- in addition
- in the second place, secondly
- what is more
- indeed
- in fact
