You might be wondering, “how can I add some spice to my essay?” The answer is, with transition words! So, what are these words, and how do they aid your written expression? These are items of language that tie your paper together, increasing the overall flow and coherency for your beloved reader.

Looking for some right transition words for essays? We are here to introduce you to some of the best and most commonly used phrases out there. We have organized 50 of the best transition words for essays into four easy-to-follow categories.

You may try and see that such expressions change the sentences and make them look much better. Compare these two paragraphs:

Paragraph 1.

Statements like “I have no time” are lame excuses. They show that something is not a priority for you. They often hint at poor time management skills. We haste to live and often fail to manage all daily activities and obligations. If you stop and think of the issue at a different angle by substituting “I have no time” for “it’s not a priority for me,” you’ll see a big difference.

Paragraph 2.

Statements like “I have no time” are lame excuses. First, they show that something is not a priority for you. Second, they often hint at poor time management skills. Indeed, we haste to live and often fail to manage all daily activities and obligations. However, if you stop and think of the issue at a different angle by substituting “I have no time” for “it’s not a priority for me,” you’ll see a big difference.

As you can see, the second one flows much better. The phrases like “first” and “second” illustrate the author’s flow of thoughts. The expression “indeed” reinforces his/her idea, and the ending shift word “however” marks the point at which the author presents an alternative viewpoint.

Do’s and Don’ts of Using Transition Words for College Essays

So, you have the phrases at hand, but how do you use this list of transition words for essays? Let´s start with the basic do´s and don´ts.

Do:

• Understand that these expressions are a vital part of any written paper, adding to its overall readability and flow.
• Use only one when presenting a new idea. For example, begin new paragraphs and ideas with these phrases, followed by a comma or place them in the middle of two ideas to show a logical connection.
• Read your ready text over and ask yourself it these transitions make sense to you. We know proofreading may be a drag, but it´s worth it!

Don’t:

• Never overuse transitions. It is essential as the more such phrases you use, the harder it is to grasp the message you´re trying to convey clearly. We´re all about sounding smart but don´t overdo it!
• Avoid using them both at the beginning and in the middle. It makes the reader´s head spin, having to re-read the text more than a few times to try and follow your roller-coaster of ideas.
• Don’t assume by adding transition expressions to your paper will sound awesome, and your grades will soar. Maybe in a perfect world, it’s so, but unfortunately, in the academic world, this is not the case. And we all know some of your professors are the captains of the grammar police.

Finding a transition words list for college essays can be very easy, sometimes too easy. Just make sure to follow the basic rules, and you will notice a vast difference in the flow of your texts. Such an improvement is guaranteed to raise your writing grades. We know you have some fantastic ideas that can be difficult to convey at times. By adding the phrases that aid the narrative’s development, you’ll make your thoughts more organized and more evident, thus giving the reader insight into your writing genius.

Best Transition Words for Argumentative Essays

So, now that you have a glimpse into the usage of transitions let’s get a little more specific. One of the types of writing tasks that professors love to assign is the infamous argumentative essay. This type of work is meant to test how students take a look into two sides of an argument, presenting clear examples and evidence for both. Whether you as the writer choose to display both cases equally or favor one over the other, it’s entirely up to you. Because we´re awesome, we are taking your knowledge of assistive vocabulary one step further and giving you some good transition words for argumentative essays.

If you are assigned an argumentative homework, these expressions are essential for making your readers think about both sides of an argument. By using these transition words and phrases for essays, you are well off to improving your overall game when it comes to writing. May you never have to live in fear of home tasks again!

Top Transition Words for Persuasive Essays

Another equally popular assignment is the persuasive writing piece. When performing this task, you should persuade your reader to agree with you by giving strong arguments supporting your particular opinion. As you may see, there are a lot of good transition words for essays out there, and their uses vary but follow our lead, and you´ll make them a part of your writing technique in no time. So, transition words suitable for persuasive writing tasks are the following:

Not too shabby, right? Persuasive assignments are generally more accessible than most of the others because students have to present their points of view or perspectives. You are disclosing your personality and invite the readers to embrace your opinion. However, writing is not everyone’s favorite activity, so even persuasive writing pieces sometimes pose challenges to students.

If you are stuck and can’t make your essay flow, then these words will help you keep your thoughts and ideas organized. By using development phrases skillfully, you will always present them in a way that even your baby brother could follow.

But remember that the key to essay writing is comprehension. It´s great to know a lot of fantastic vocabulary aiming in the development and shifts in your narrative, but there is no need to put them all on display. Save a few for the next home task.

Need Help with Transition Words and Editing in General?

Hopefully, you found our breakdown of transition words for college essays simple and easy to follow. Nothing comes overnight, and practice in the use of these expressions is crucial. We recommend outlining your paper; this helps you organize your thoughts and ideas and gives you a guide to follow along while writing.

An outline should contain all the necessary parts that a written assignment requires – introduction, body (usually with three main points), and conclusion. The next time you´re assigned a task, take some time to make a plan.

Write out general ideas for each piece of your essay. Then, pick your transition phrases. Try to be creative; don´t use the same ones over and over. In this way, you will have a general idea of what your essay will look like after it´s finished.  You can make sure you’re not repetitive, and all your points are readable and clear.

Learning the transitions is easy, but mastering their appropriate use is far from simple. Here are some additional tips for making your writing technique better day by day.

• Read, read, read! When reading, you are learning by example. Try and go for things that cater to your interest. Choose texts from magazines, reviews, newspapers, and other print and digital sources. By reading this content, you’ll see transition words in action, making it one of the best ways to commit them to memory.
• Use the resources you pay for. It´s sad to note, but most students don´t take full advantage of the resources and extra help offered on campus. Sign up for tutoring with your professor or, if you feel more comfortable with your fellow peers, sign up for coaching from a volunteer. In this way, you can clarify any questions and get practical help and suggestions from a detached external observer.
• Spellcheck, read, repeat. Spellcheck should be your best friend during the completion of any written task. But don´t forget the power of your brain, which has been training for a long time; no digital tool will review your texts better than you may do it with your own eyes and mind. Read over your paper and test it for readability – reread it! Also, don´t be shy to ask a friend or relative to read it for you. Maybe they can catch something you overlooked.

And what to do if you have taken all these steps and still don’t capture the ways of using transitions properly? What if you can’t distinguish openers, phrases meant for conclusions, or those used to agree or disagree with the previous points? It’s OK, we are all human, and having poor writing skills does not mean that you are lazy or stupid – it’s simply not your piece of cake. Here’s when our company’s experts can step in to save your grades and compose perfectly flowing papers for you.

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