

Use to show spatial relations next to, above, below, beneath, left, right, behind, in front, on top, within Use to develop or clarify an idea, to introduce examples, or to show that the second idea is subordinate to the first for example, to illustrate, on this occasion, this can be seen, in this case, specifically, once, to illustrate, when/where, for instance, such as, to demonstrate, take the case of, in this case Use to demonstrate similarities between ideas that may not be under the same subject heading or within the same paragraph like, likewise, just, in a different way / sense, whereas, like, equally, in like manner, by comparison, similar to, in the same way, alike, similarity, similarly, just as, as in a similar fashion, conversely Use to introduce an opposing idea however, whereas, on the other hand, while, instead, in spite of, yet, despite, still, nevertheless, even though, in contrast, but, but one could also say… Use to demonstrate differences between ideas or change in argument direction but, however, in contrast, on the other hand, on the contrary, yet, differ, difference, balanced against, differing from, variation, still, on the contrary, unlike, conversely, otherwise, on the other hand, however Use to suggest a temporal relationship between ideas places evidence in sequence first, second (etc.), next, last, finally, first of all, concurrently, immediately, prior to, then, at that time, at this point, previously, subsequently, and then, at this time, thereafter, previously, soon, before, after, followed by, after that, next, before, after, meanwhile, formerly, finally, during Use when presenting multiple ideas that flow in the same direction, under the same heading/ idea also, another, finally, first, first of all, for one thing, furthermore, in addition, last of all, likewise, moreover, next, and, second, the third reason Depending on the example, these suggestions may be within sentences or at the beginning of sentences. Below, you’ll find some of the most commonly used transition categories and examples of each. These tools should alert readers to shifts in your argument while and also maintain the smoothness and clarity of your prose. Transitions clarify the logic of your argument by orienting your reader as you develop ideas between sentences and paragraphs.
#Signal words for sequential order pdf#
Away I went.In an effort to make our handouts more accessible, we have begun converting our PDF handouts to web pages. We climbed five flights of stairs to the top. Afterward, compare your revision with a classmate's.Īndre and I headed straight for the tallest and fastest water slide in the park. Add time-order transitions to make the details in the paragraph easier to read and understand. Your Turn The following paragraph does not include transition words.


Afterward, we carefully nailed the board to the frame, and soon we had a floor. Then we used a rope to raise all the wood up into the tree. The first thing we had to do was build a frame for the floor of the house. We carefully nailed the board to the frame.

We used a rope to raise all the wood up into the tree. We had to build a frame for the floor of the house. Notice how choppy a paragraph sounds without transitions and how much smoother it sounds when transitions are added. Transitions also help your writing flow from one idea to the next.
