A topic sentence is the easiest way to do paragraph transitions with sentences. A topic sentence is usually the first sentence in a paragraph. It can work as the transition as it introduces the new idea. Or such a sentence can be the last sentence in a paragraph that prepares the reader for the next paragraph.
Your reader might be a coworker, your boss or a customer, but one thing your reader is not is a mind reader. That’s why you need transitions to move readers along and keep them following your train of thought. Transitions between paragraphs can be words or sentences or even paragraphs, all of which I’ll demonstrate below.
Below are examples of words you can use for transitions: first, second, third, next, then, lastly, finally, earlier, before, recently, at the same time, meanwhile, during, after, later, in the end also, in the same way, similarly, but, however, in spite of, nevertheless, on the other hand
Paragraph transitions using sentences. When a word or two is not enough to help your reader along, you might need a sentence. A topic sentence is the easiest way to do paragraph transitions with sentences. A topic sentence is usually the first sentence in a paragraph. It can work as the transition as it introduces the new idea.
Below are examples of words you can use for transitions: Chronological words. first, second, third, next, then, lastly, finally, ...
Your reader might be a coworker, your boss or a customer, but one thing your reader is not is a mind reader. That’s why you need transitions to move readers along and keep them following your train of thought. Transitions between paragraphs can be words or sentences or even paragraphs, ...
Transitions are the signposts or stepping stones you use to keep them moving along with a clear understanding of what you’ve written.
A topic sentence is usually the first sentence in a paragraph. It can work as the transition as it introduces the new idea. Or such a sentence can be the last sentence in a paragraph that prepares the reader for the next paragraph. Let’s use the example from my last blog post to make this point.
Transition sentences are the sentences that show the relationship between two or more ideas. Think of them as bridges, tunnels, and merges that connect different sections of your work, with specific words and phrases acting as road signs. Take a look at this example:
A good transition sentence is one that makes the relationship between the ideas it’s linking absolutely clear.
So what actually turns regular sentences into transition sentences? Transition words.
Beyond writing strong sentences by using transition words and phrases, you can harness these valuable tools to write more effective paragraphs. Generally, the ideal place for a transition sentence is the beginning of a paragraph because this is where you explain new information’s relevance.
Just as transition sentences make the progress from one paragraph to the next more coherent, transition sentences also bridge larger sections of your writing. In some cases, you may need more than just a sentence to transition from one section to the next.
As we mentioned earlier, the transition sentences you’d use to introduce new paragraphs usually aren’t the ones you use to transition from sentence to sentence within a paragraph. These sentences have a much narrower scope and work best for tighter transitions, such as comparing details about ideas rather than comparing the ideas themselves.
Transition sentences are one of the keys to smooth, flowing writing. When you’re not sure if the transition sentence you’ve chosen is the right one for your work, Grammarly can help. Our writing suggestions catch spelling and syntax mistakes and grammatical errors and can even detect the tones present in your writing.