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    • Transition Words for College Essays | Editor World

    Transition Words for College Essays

    College essays, regardless of the topic at hand, are all about making connections. Whatever your main point, it must be seamlessly linked from one paragraph to the next to boost readability and provide cohesion. One of the best ways to accomplish this is with transition words. Sometimes called conjunctive adverbs, they can help a reader follow your arguments. Ignoring the proper use of transition words is to your detriment and can interfere with your college essay’s natural flow.

    Common transition words

    There are approximately 200 transition words in the English language. They are used to connect ideas, introduce a shift in thinking, contrast or oppose a viewpoint, provide emphasis or agreement, or signal a conclusion.

    Here are some examples of effective transition words: 

    Common Transition Words for College Essays


    FOR EMPHASIS

    FOR ADDITION

    FOR CONTRAST

    FOR ORDER

    FOR CONCLUSION

    Absolutely

    Additionally

    Alternatively

    Above all

    Briefly

    Clearly

    Along with

    Conversely

    At this time

    Consequently

    Definitely

    Apart from this

    Despite/In spite of

    Before

    In brief

    Especially

    As well as

    Differing from

    First/Firstly

    In conclusion

    Importantly

    Besides

    Even so

    First and foremost

    In the final analysis

    Indeed

    Furthermore

    In contrast (to)

    Finally

    In summary

    In particular

    In addition

    Nevertheless

    Following

    In the end

    Take into account

    In addition to

    Nonetheless

    Last but not least

    On the whole

    Obviously

    Moreover

    Unlike

    Previously

    To conclude

    Undoubtedly

    Again

    Whereas

    Second/Secondly

    To summarize


    When and how to use transition words

    Understanding the importance of transition words is not the same as knowing when and how to use them correctly. If you find yourself struggling to shift from one point to the next logically, chances are you are not using transition words effectively. It also is possible that the concepts in your outline do not build on each other naturally. Before you adjust your copy, create another outline with the main topics and sub-topics. Does the order flow smoothly? If one topic is not a logical transition to the next, try shifting the order of topics, so they also make sense in your outline. 

     

    Never use transition words alone and follow them with special punctuation. There are rules about which types of punctuation are most appropriate. In most cases, use semicolons and periods after the opening sentence. Never use a semicolon unless the group of words on either side of it are a complete sentence. Use a comma to denote how the clause relates to the previous phrase.

     

    Example

    In this sentence, we are using the transition word consequently to signal we are concluding our thought: 

    Single-use plastics pollute our environment and poison our wildlife. Large plastic pieces can break into smaller fragments, finding their way into the stomachs of more than 90 percent of the world’s sea birds. Consequently, they should be banned and replaced with an eco-friendly alternative.

     

    Same-Day Editing Services

    If you are struggling to use transition words effectively, consider working with a professional editor. At Editor World, we provide same-day editing services. 

     

    Our academic editing services include:

    • Grammar, spelling, punctuation errors, and typos corrected
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    • Tracked changes markup so you can review original content and suggested changes
    • Formatting citations and references as instructed

     

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