To signal relationships or shifts in meaning, a transition connects one paragraph, sentence, clause, or word with another. A transition also identifies what kind of connection exists, helping readers anticipate how the next paragraph or sentence will relate to the meaning of what they have just read.

Following are the groups of transitions, what they signal, and examples of each:

1. Chronological Transitions. . .Relationship in time:
   
   

   presently	meanwhile	the next day
   thereupon	at length	thereafter
   immediately	soon afterward	following this
   afterward	after that	by that time
   next	beforehand	later
   soon	at that moment	at last
   within an hour	shortly	from then on
   earlier	when I returned	first
   second	then	with that finished

   
   
   
2. Spatial Transitions. . .Relationship in space:
   
   

   a little farther on	at the edge of the clearing
   in the next room	at the center of the circle
   at that altitude	across the way
   between those cities	about a foot to the left
   beyond this point	just to the right

   
   
   
3. Comparison Transitions. . .What follows is similar to what precedes:
   
   

   likewise	once again	similarly
   in the same way	in like manner	at the same time
   once more

   
   
   
4. Contrast Transitions. . .A contradiction or contrast:
   
   

   however	conversely	nevertheless
   whereas	still	even so
   surely	unlike	on the other hand
   nonetheless	on the contrary	in spite of this
   notwithstanding	for all that	in contrast

   
   
   
5. Middle Paragraph Transitions. . .What follows is an illustration, a qualification, or an example:
   
   

   for example	for instance	likewise
   specifically	frequently	in particular
   similarly	to illustrate	whenever
   that is	in general	occasionally
   generally	especially	usually

   
   

   What follows is additional or supplementary:

   furthermore	besides
   moreover	as if that were not enough
   and	indeed
   in fact	first, second, third. . .
   in addition	also
   then, too	again

   
   

   What follows is quite expected, quite natural, or obviously true:

   to be sure	it follows, then, that
   of course	for that matter
   naturally	as a matter of fact
   surely	without a doubt

   
   
   
6. Cause-Effect Transitions. . .What follows is a result of what precedes:
   
   

   as a result	as a consequence	so
   thus	consequently	another
   therefore	then	hence
   in other words	wherefore	at last
   for this reason	and that is why	first
   second	on the whole	accordingly
   and so	finally	all in all

   
   
   
7. Counterargument Transitions. . .For concession:
   
   

   of course	certainly
   doubtless	to be sure
   to doubt that	granted that
   it may be true that

   
   
   
8. End of Paragraph or Conclusion Transitions. . .What follows is a repetition or intensification of that which precedes:
   
   

   in other words	indeed
   to repeat	in any case
   as we have seen	in fact
   as noted earlier	besides
   to put it another way

   
   
   
9. Conclusion Transitions. . .What follows is a summary:
   
   

   therefore	all in all	in short
   in a word	on the whole	in conclusion
   what we have, then	in sum	to summarize
   in summary	in brief	finally
   to conclude