Transitions are one of the most important aspects of the body of your paper. Transitions between paragraphs as well as between sentences are essential in order for a paper to be readable, for the reader to fully understand the connections between the points you are trying to make and for the overall coherence of your essay. The use of transitions creates one unified paper instead of several smaller papers all thrown together under a similar larger topic.
- Where Do We Need Transitions?
- Between Sections -- This divides the major ideas or topics of your paper
- Between Paragraphs -- This divides the minor ideas of your writing because you must show a logical connection between your paragraphs.
- Between Sentences -- This shows the relationship between your sentences. These transitions are generally only a word or two, and can be done through the use of conjunctions which are words used to combine two sentences and show the relationship between them.
- Between Parts of a Sentence -- This shows how phrases connect within your sentences.
- Remember to use a variety of transitional expressions
- Remember to be consistent with your transitional expressions that separate the sequential ordering of your points. For example, use first, second and third if you are ordering your points, but not first, secondly, and last
- A mark of punctuation such as a dash, colon or semicolon, is a transition because it connects or shows a relationship between two things
- Remember that if something connects or shows a relationship then it is a transition