Transition Words for College Essays | Editor World

Transition Words for College Essays

College essays, regardless of the topic at hand, are all about making connections. Whatever your main point, it must be seamlessly linked from one paragraph to the next to boost readability and provide cohesion. One of the best ways to accomplish this is with transition words. Sometimes called conjunctive adverbs, they can help a reader follow your arguments. Ignoring the proper use of transition words is to your detriment and can interfere with your college essay’s natural flow.

Common transition words

There are approximately 200 transition words in the English language. They are used to connect ideas, introduce a shift in thinking, contrast or oppose a viewpoint, provide emphasis or agreement, or signal a conclusion.

Here are some examples of effective transition words: 

Common Transition Words for College Essays


FOR EMPHASIS

FOR ADDITION

FOR CONTRAST

FOR ORDER

FOR CONCLUSION

Absolutely

Additionally

Alternatively

Above all

Briefly

Clearly

Along with

Conversely

At this time

Consequently

Definitely

Apart from this

Despite/In spite of

Before

In brief

Especially

As well as

Differing from

First/Firstly

In conclusion

Importantly

Besides

Even so

First and foremost

In the final analysis

Indeed

Furthermore

In contrast (to)

Finally

In summary

In particular

In addition

Nevertheless

Following

In the end

Take into account

In addition to

Nonetheless

Last but not least

On the whole

Obviously

Moreover

Unlike

Previously

To conclude

Undoubtedly

Again

Whereas

Second/Secondly

To summarize


When and how to use transition words

Understanding the importance of transition words is not the same as knowing when and how to use them correctly. If you find yourself struggling to shift from one point to the next logically, chances are you are not using transition words effectively. It also is possible that the concepts in your outline do not build on each other naturally. Before you adjust your copy, create another outline with the main topics and sub-topics. Does the order flow smoothly? If one topic is not a logical transition to the next, try shifting the order of topics, so they also make sense in your outline. 

 

Never use transition words alone and follow them with special punctuation. There are rules about which types of punctuation are most appropriate. In most cases, use semicolons and periods after the opening sentence. Never use a semicolon unless the group of words on either side of it are a complete sentence. Use a comma to denote how the clause relates to the previous phrase.

 

Example

In this sentence, we are using the transition word consequently to signal we are concluding our thought: 

Single-use plastics pollute our environment and poison our wildlife. Large plastic pieces can break into smaller fragments, finding their way into the stomachs of more than 90 percent of the world’s sea birds. Consequently, they should be banned and replaced with an eco-friendly alternative.

 

Same-Day Editing Services

If you are struggling to use transition words effectively, consider working with a professional editor. At Editor World, we provide same-day editing services. 

 

Our academic editing services include:

  • Grammar, spelling, punctuation errors, and typos corrected
  • Suggestions for improved clarity, flow, and readability
  • Tracked changes markup so you can review original content and suggested changes
  • Formatting citations and references as instructed

 

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