Transitional Words and Phrases

Trying to teach students how to avoid giving their readers thought whiplash? You've come to the right place. Whether you're teaching them how to craft an argument, weave a narrative, or structure a research paper, the transitional words and phrases below will help your students better connect the ideas in their sentences, paragraphs, chapters, and sections. Check out each tab below to see a set of transitions for that category.

 

Click here to view the entire list as a PDF.

 

  • To show order
  • To add to an idea
  • To show cause and effects
  • To oppose an idea

 

after

after a few hours

after all

afterwards

all in all

altogether

anyhow

anyway

as a final point

as has been mentioned

as has been noted

as has been said

as has been shown

as was previously stated

at any rate

at first

at last

at this point

before

before this

briefly

by the way

concurrently

eventually

finally

first

first of all

following this

for a start

forever

formerly

fourth

given these points

immediately

in a word

in all

in conclusion

in short

in sum

in summary

in the end

in the first place

in the second place

in the third place

incidentally

initially

last but not least

lastly

later

meanwhile

next

now

on the whole

on this occasion

once in a while

overall

perennially

previously

second

secondly

simultaneously

sometimes

soon

subsequently

summing up

then

thereafter

third

thirdly

to be brief

to begin with

to conclude

to put it briefly

to resume

to return to the subject

to start with

to sum up

to summarize

 

 

above all

actually

additionally

also

as a matter of fact

as an illustration

as for

as well

besides

but also

by comparison

by the same token

by way of example

certainly

compared to

concerning

considering

either

emphatically

equally

equally important

especially

even more

evidently

for example

for instance

for one thing

formerly

further

furthermore

in a like manner

in addition

in all honesty

in fact

in other words

in particular

in the same way

in this case

in this situation

including

indeed

let alone

likewise

more importantly

moreover

much less

namely

naturally

neither

nor

not only

not to mention

notably

obviously

of course

on the subject of

particularly

positively

regarding

similarly

speaking about

specifically

such as

surprisingly

take the case of

that is

that is to say

the fact that

thus

to demonstrate

to illustrate

to put it another way

to say nothing of

to tell the truth

undeniably

unquestionably

vis a vis

what is more

what's more

with regards to

without a doubt

without reservation

 

 

accordingly

as a consequence

as a result

as long as

because

being that

consequently

due to

even if

for fear that

for the purpose(s) of

for this reason

given that

granted

granting

hence

if not

if so

in case

in consequence

in light of

in order to

in that

in that case

in the event that

in the hope that

in view of

lest

on the condition

only if

otherwise

owing to

provided that

providing that

seeing that

since

so as to

so long as

so that

that being the case

then

therefore

thus

to that end

to the end that

to this end

under those circumstances

unless

with this in mind

with this intention

 

 

admittedly

albeit

all the same

alternatively

although

although this may be true

at any rate

at least

balanced against

be that as it may

but

but even so

by way of contrast

conversely

despite

either way

even though

granted

however

in any case

in any event

in contrast

in either case

in either event

in spite of

instead

nevertheless

nonetheless

notwithstanding

on the contrary

on the other hand

rather

regardless

still

though

up against

whatever happens

when in fact

whereas

whichever happens

while

yet