Transitions In Writing Powerpoint? 97 Most Correct Answers

There are two basic types of transitions, conjunctive adverbs and conjunctions. Another type of transition is called a referee. Transition words and phrases are used to clarify relationships between sentences. Transitions can be divided into groups according to their function.

Types of subjunctive adverbs

A conjunctive adverb modifies the action by creating logical connections of meaning between independent clauses. Unlike conjunctions, subjunctive adverbs are not always at the beginning of a sentence.

The addition

Examples: also, in addition, besides, etc.

The residential complex has tennis courts; it also has an indoor pool.

He must have been stopped at the border crossing; otherwise he would have arrived long ago.

The lecturer’s voice was monotonous; moreover, he jumped from one idea to the next, making it very difficult to follow the lecture. of contrast

Examples: however, nevertheless, vice versa, nevertheless, instead, etc.

The printers are on strike; Registered students will still receive course packages in good time.

We could only run four courses; Still, this compares well to other summer programs.

It’s really cold today; However, we can’t complain as it was mild overall. By comparison

Examples: similar, likewise

Paul attended Lakeland College; his daughter also studied there.

Kate is engrossed in her dogs; Martha is similarly obsessed with her horses. result

Examples: therefore, therefore, consequently, consequently, etc.

He seldom produced a day’s work; as a result he lost his job.

Caffeine is a stimulant; thus it can keep a person up at night.

We discovered that Ida’s activities duplicated Marla’s; we have therefore assigned other tasks to Ida. From time

Examples: next, then, meanwhile, finally, subsequently, etc.

The chairman is late for the meeting; In the meantime we are supposed to hand over the minutes of the last meeting to the members of the board.

The network crashed; Next, the power is turned off.

Boil the water first; Then pour it over the tea bag.

types of conjunctions

A conjunction is used to connect words or groups of words.

Coordinating conjunctions connect grammatically equivalent clauses. Examples: and, for, or, yet, but, nor, so

Edmonton and Calgary are the two largest cities in Alberta. (And joins two nouns.)

Look in the closet or in the drawer. (Or connects two sentences.)

You can’t do that kind of heavy work, and you shouldn’t be expected to. (Nor connects two clauses.) Correlative conjunctions Word pairs connecting words, phrases, and clauses with equivalent grammatical structure Examples: both . . . and

either . . . or

neither . . . still

Not . . . but

not only . . . but also)

if . . . or

either . . . or neither. . . not yet. . . but not only . . . but (also) whether . . . or Both Susan and Bill received their 10-year pins this year.

Either you get a job or you go back to school.

Whether you stay or go is entirely your decision. subordinating conjunctions

These join clauses are not equivalent grammatical structures. Subordinating conjunctions introduce subordinate clauses. These sentences cannot stand alone, but must be combined with a main or subordinate clause.

The following is a list of words that are most commonly used as subordinate conjunctions: Examples of subordinate conjunctions after even than where though if that ob as in order that though which as if in order to until while as if rather than until who because since when before at when also if so where Examples: In order to be able to create realistic forecasts, we need reliable data.

he is taller than you

He looks like he’s about to cry.

A referent is a noun or noun phrase that occurs earlier in the text and is then referred to with words like it or this.

Example: Traditionally, business simply meant exchange or trade in things that people wanted or needed. Today it has a more technical definition. (It refers to the business.)

Example: However, there is another important factor. This factor is the creation of profit or economic value. (This factor refers to the same concept—another important concept—in the previous sentence.)

* This speaker information is adapted from Business Concepts for English Practice by Marianne McDougal Arden and Barbara Tolley Dowling.

Note: There are other words and phrases that can be used as references.

Do your panelists lose flow by repeatedly saying “next slide” while moving through a shared deck of slides? With a little creativity and practice, you can use this solution to increase audience engagement and add some sparkle to your presentations.

Over the past few years, our producers at The WebiNerd have put in thousands of hours of virtual meetings with our clients. Although there are ways for presenters to control the slides that someone else is sharing, sometimes the situation requires one person to share media while presenters speak to what’s on the screen. Saying “next slide” interrupts the flow of an otherwise highly polished presentation by a key presenter. The good news is that we’ve got plenty of suggestions for how to master a slide presentation like a pro, and we’ve got plenty of phrases you can use to let your slide operator know you’re ready to move on without “next slide.” ” to say … again …

The goal in creating a smooth presentation coordinated with a slide deck is to establish what will appear on screen while keeping your audience engaged with your words. Any repeated sentence like this has the potential to disrupt a desirable, natural flow. Let’s incorporate that note into your delivery for the next slide. Here is an example:

“What we hear from our focus groups is that customers want to see colorful, photo-centric graphics to spark their interest in complicated subjects. What you’re about to see are some examples of Instagram posts…”

When our producers come up with slides for presenters, we ask them to consider other signal phrases that better fit the flow of the conversation, and we practice them during our rehearsal so we know our cues. Below we share our favorite alternatives to Next Slide.

“Keep it up…”

“And next we shall see…”

“If we look at the following info/slide…”

“Let’s take a look…”

“If we make progress…”

Now I would like to discuss…

“We saw _____, now let’s watch _____.”

A short silence is okay too, but it’s easy to overlook and should be practiced

By incorporating these phrases into your virtual event vocabulary, you can keep your dialogue flowing and cohesive. You want your audience to focus on the information you provide and its value, not the mechanics of moving from slide to slide.

Of course, there are ways to avoid asking someone to advance your slides by using either Zoom’s remote control feature or a shared online slide deck tool like SlidesClicker or Prezi, but our experience tells us that there are always events where one person controls a master deck and panelists must navigate to the next slide. It’s best to prepare and bring a fresh voice the next time you’re walking an audience through a slide deck.

As always, let us know if you are interested in learning more about our coaching and production services.

Language Transitions: Words and phrases to connect your ideas

June 28, 2018 – Gini Beqiri

When you’re giving presentations, it’s important to get your words and ideas flowing so your audience can understand how it all connects and why it’s all relevant.

This can be done through language transitions, as these act as signposts to the audience and signal the relationship between points and ideas. This article examines how to use speech transitions in presentations.

What are language transitions?

Speech transitions are words and phrases that allow you to move smoothly from one point to another so that your speech flows and your presentation is consistent.

This makes it easier for the audience to understand your reasoning, and without transitions, the audience may get confused as to how one point relates to another and may think you are jumping between points haphazardly.

types of transitions

Transitions can be a word, a phrase, or an entire sentence – there are many different types, here are a few:

introduction

Introduce your topic:

We will study/identify/study the impact…

Today I am discussing…

Outline of the presentation

Inform the audience about the structure of your presentation:

There are three important points I will discuss…

I want to start with… and then move on to…

We treat … from two perspectives …

This presentation is divided into four parts…

Go from the introduction to the first point

Assign the audience to now begin discussing the first main point:

Now that you’re aware of the overview, let’s start with…

First, let’s start with…

I cover myself first…

My first point concerns…

To start, let’s look at…

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Switch between similar points

Move from one point to a similar one:

In the same way…

Likewise…

Equally…

This is similar to…

Similar…

Switch between conflicting points

You may need to come up with conflicting ideas – bridge words and phrases work particularly well for this:

Vice versa…

Despite this…

However…

On the other hand…

Now let’s look at…

Even so…

Nonetheless…

We can’t ignore…

On the other hand…

Transition to an important topic

Basically …

A big problem is…

The catch is…

A major concern is…

Referring to previous points

You may need to refer to something you have already talked about, e.g. B. a pause or a fire alarm etc. may have occurred:

Let’s get back to…

We talked briefly about X earlier; let’s take a closer look now…

Let’s come back to that again…

Let’s go back to…

Do you remember when I mentioned…

This can also be useful to introduce a new point, as adults learn better when new information builds on previously learned information.

Introduction of an aside

You might want to introduce an excursus:

I just want to mention…

That reminds me…

By the way…

Physical movement

You can move your body and stance as you move to another point. The audience finds it easier to follow your presentation and movement increases their interest.

A common technique for incorporating movement into your presentation is:

Begin your introduction by standing in the center of the stage.

For your first point, stand on the left side of the stage.

You discuss your second point from the middle again.

You stand on the right side of the stage for your third point.

It finishes in the middle.

emphasize importance

You need to make sure the audience gets the message by letting them know why something matters:

More important…

This is important…

Primarily…

Mainly…

Internal Summaries

Summarizing internally consists of summarizing before moving on to the next item. You must inform the audience:

What part of the presentation did you cover – “In the first part of this speech we covered…”

What were the key points – “Just like…”

How this relates to the overall presentation – “So that’s the context…”

Which you continue with – “Now I want to move on to the second part of the presentation, which is about….”

cause and effect

You must transition to show relationships between factors:

Because of this…

Hence…

Consequently…

As a result…

This is significant because…

Consequently…

drafting

Likewise…

Next to…

What is more…

additionally/additionally…

Furthermore…

Besides that…

Point by point or steps of a process

Firstly/Firstly/The first is…

Second/Second/The second is…

Third/Third/The third is…

Last/Most recently/Finally/The Fourth is…

Introduce an example

That proves …

For example…

Take the case…

For example…

You may be wondering does this happen in X? The answer is yes…

To show/illustrate/emphasize this…

Let me illustrate this by…

Transition to a demonstration

Now that we’ve covered the theory, let’s put it into practice…

I’m going to run an experiment to show you this in action…

Let me demonstrate…

I’ll show you now…

Introduction of a quote

X was a proponent of this way of thinking because he said…

There is a lot of support for that, for example, said X…

Transition to another speaker

In a group presentation, you need to switch to other speakers:

Briefly summarize what you covered in your section: “So that was a quick introduction to what health anxiety is and how it can affect someone.” Introduce the next speaker on the team and explain what they will be discussing: “Now Gayle is going to talk about spreading health scares.” Then finish by looking at the next speaker, gesturing at them and saying their name, “Gayle.” The next speaker should respond with a short “Thank you Simon.”

From these examples, you can see how the different sections of the presentations are linked together, making it easier for the audience to follow and stay engaged.

anecdotes

You can tell personal stories or share the experiences of others to introduce a point. Anecdotes are especially valuable for your introduction and between different sections of the presentation because they engage the audience. Make sure you plan the stories thoroughly beforehand and that they aren’t too long.

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use questions

You can move through your speech by asking questions, and these questions also have the benefit of engaging your audience more. There are three different types of questions:

direct

Rhetorical

loaded

Direct questions require an answer: “What is the capital of Italy?” These are mentally stimulating for the audience.

Rhetorical questions do not require answers, they are often used to emphasize an idea or point: “Is the Pope Catholic?

Loaded questions contain an unwarranted assumption made to trick the audience into giving a specific answer, which you can then correct to support your point: You might ask, “Why does your wonderful company have such a low frequency of mental health problems?”.

The audience will generally respond that they are happy. After getting the answers, you could then say, “Actually, it’s because people are still unwilling and too embarrassed to seek help with mental health issues at work, etc.”

Transition to a visual aid

When introducing a visual aid you need to prepare the audience for what they will see, for example you could lead to a chart that supports your point. Also, before showing the visual aid, explain why you are going to show it, e.g. B. “This graph is significant evidence for X.”

Once the graphic is visible, get the audience to focus on it:

The table shows…

As you can see…

I would like to draw your attention to…

Explain what the picture shows:

You can see there has been a reduction…

The chart compares the…

Using a visual aid for the transition

Visual aids can also be used as transitions and they have the benefit of stimulating and breaking up vocal transitions.

You might have a slide with just one image on it to indicate to the audience that you’re moving to a new point – make sure that image is relevant to the point. Many speakers like to use cartoons for this purpose, but make sure it’s appropriate for your audience.

Conclusion

Always summarize your most important points first in the conclusion:

Let’s recap what we talked about today…

Let me briefly summarize the main points…

And then conclude:

If you’re giving a shorter speech, you can end your presentation with a statement:

In summary…

To sum up…

In short…

Summarize…

Finally…

However, using statements like “Conclusively” can cause the audience to stop listening. It’s better to say:

I want to leave you with this…

What you should take away from this is…

Finally I would like to say…

call to action

Prompt the audience to do something at the end of the presentation:

You may be thinking how can I help in this matter? Spring…

My goal is to encourage you to go further and…

What I ask of you is…

Common mistakes

When used poorly, transitions can annoy and confuse audiences. Avoid:

Use transitions that are too short – Transitions are an important part of making sure the audience understands your presentation. So give yourself enough time to link to your next idea.

Too many trivia – any digressions should still be relevant to the topic and help the audience understand, otherwise cut them out.

Incompatible transitions – For example, if you wanted to introduce an example that supports your statement, you wouldn’t introduce it with “but”. Use transitions that denote the relationship between points.

Overusing the same transition because it’s boring for the audience to hear this repeatedly. Make sure there is variety in your transitions, consider including visual transitions.

If you miscount your transitions — for example, don’t say “first dot”, “second dot”, “next dot” – refer to your dots consistently.

Speech transitions are useful for unifying and connecting your presentation. The audience is more likely to remain engaged as they can follow your points. However, remember that it’s important to practice your transitions beforehand and not just the content of your arguments, as you risk looking unprofessional and confusing the audience if the presentation doesn’t go smoothly.

In most cases, your writing follows a logical path from your introduction to your conclusion, stopping at various supporting points along the way. Transition sentences allow your writing to move down that path in a clear, logical way.

Transition clauses, as their name suggests, express the transitions between thoughts that connect them. They’re the sections that convey the how, when, where, why, and other relationships you explore in your writing as you move from introduction to conclusion, incorporating any relevant supporting points along the way.

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What are transition rates?

Transitional sentences are the sentences that show the relationship between two or more ideas. Think of them as bridges, tunnels, and junctions that connect different sections of your work, using specific words and phrases as road signs. Look at this example:

This company routinely touts efficiency as one of its core brand values. However, the current working time structure is inefficient and slows down employee productivity. The change to a primarily decentralized structure with flexible working hours would increase productivity by increasing efficiency.

In this example, the middle set is the transition set. Try to read the first and third sentences back-to-back and skip the transitional sentence. They make sense, but without that middle sentence, the message as a whole is significantly less impactful.

What Makes a Good Transition Set?

A good transitional sentence is one that makes absolutely clear the relationship between the ideas it connects. It’s one of the most important tools in your writing toolkit, because no matter what you’re writing—or whether you’re working on a short story, a blog post, a news article, or a lengthy academic paper—you can express your ideas in a clear way, that your reader understands is key.

The best transitional phrase for a specific situation depends on what you need to communicate. For example, if you need to communicate a point that contradicts your previous statement, an effective transitional sentence is a sentence that includes a word or phrase like but, nevertheless, in contrast to, or despite. Check out these examples:

I make it a priority to get up an hour before I have to leave the house every morning. Still, I manage to be late for work at least twice a week.

Most of the class said Friday was their favorite day of the week. However, a small group of college students reported that Wednesday is their favorite day of the week.

However, transitional sentences can buffer more than just contradictory statements. They also express similarities, orders, emphasis, positions, examples, and cause-effect relationships. Here are a few more examples of transitional sentences at work:

Employees who have returned to the office have reported increased productivity since switching to a four-day workweek. Similarly, remote workers have also reported being more productive with the new schedule.

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then begin combining your dry ingredients while the oven heats up.

He chose not to shop in this area because the walk to his office was too long. More importantly, the schools are not well ranked.

Her parties are our favorites because she always chooses unique activities. For example, her recent Halloween party included a midnight ghost hunt.

I stacked the bricks as high as I could stack them. Next to the stack I dropped all my extra stones.

You were fifteen minutes late. That’s why we couldn’t let them in to see the show.

My aunt and uncle love Disney World. In fact, they go there twice a year.

Useful words and phrases for transitional sentences

So what actually turns regular sentences into transitional sentences? transition words.

Transition words and phrases are the road signs mentioned earlier that direct the flow of your writing from one thought to the next. The transition word you choose for a sentence is critical to your reader’s ability to understand your text, since in many cases otherwise identical sentences can have very different meanings if they have different transition words. Here are brief examples of how word choice can transform an idea:

We love trying different local restaurants and discovering new cuisines. Recently we tried two new restaurants downtown.

We love trying different local restaurants and discovering new cuisines. So we tried two new downtown restaurants.

We love trying different local restaurants and discovering new cuisines. Overall, we tried two new downtown restaurants.

See how our example foodies’ point of view changed dramatically just by swapping out the transition words and phrases? Take a look at the most commonly used transition words and phrases for specific transitions:

Transitions of words and sentences to communicate similarities

similar

Also

the same

as well as

in the same way

Transitions of words and sentences to express emphasis

most importantly

indeed

because

Naturally

as a matter of fact

to emphasize this

Transitions of words and phrases to demonstrate cause and effect

for this reason

hence

through

Consequently

Transitions of words and phrases to denote position

Above

adjacent

under

Next

under

across from

nearby

far away

Transitions of words and phrases to illustrate a sequence

First

second

next

last

third

thereafter

before you start

at last

Transitions of words and sentences to show examples

for example

for example

special

to show

Transition sentences between paragraphs

Aside from writing strong sentences with transition words and phrases, you can use these valuable tools to write more effective paragraphs. In general, the ideal place for a transitional sentence is at the beginning of a paragraph, since this is where you explain the relevance of new information. Your transitional sentence should do two things: introduce the subject of its paragraph and give it context within your piece as a whole.

Check out this example of a strong transitional sentence between paragraphs:

We hiked all day. After a few hours, my friend, dog, and I were all feeling tired and taking breaks more often than when we started the hike. But once we were able to catch a glimpse of the top of the mountain, we felt rejuvenated and invigorated by the final leg of the climb. We had spent months planning this trip and now we were finally here.

After reaching the summit, it was time to find the best way to descend. Somehow it felt anticlimactic – months after months we planned this hike, imagining ourselves standing on the highest mountain we had climbed so far and now, standing in this position, all I felt was the exhaustion I knew would come if we maneuvered back down and out of the woods when the sun went down.

In the example above, using “after” to introduce the transition creates a contextual contrast between the general ideas in each paragraph. Keep in mind that the types of transitional words and phrases that work in paragraphs aren’t always the ones that work best for transitioning between paragraphs. For example, if you start a new paragraph with a word like “therefore” or “similar,” you usually can’t adequately introduce the following information.

Transition clauses between sections

Just as transitional sentences make the progression from one paragraph to the next more coherent, transitional sentences also bridge larger sections of your writing. In some cases, you may need more than one sentence to move from one section to the next. These broader transitional sentences and paragraphs serve a similar purpose as the transitions between paragraphs: they connect the concepts explored in successive sections of your writing.

Check out these transitional sentences and how they can be used to guide a reader through large sections of your work:

By 2018, it was evident that we were lagging behind our competitors in one key area: the provision of self-checkout. Every other reputable service center uses this type of system and after implementation have seen an increase in sales and efficiency in the store.

Now that we’ve upgraded each service center to the new, full self-service system, our company is evaluating which major project needs the most urgent completion over the next year. There are a few areas for significant improvement, each with their own unique challenges.

One area of ​​interest is employee retention. We currently have a similar turnover rate as our competitors, which costs the company millions each year in training and other onboarding costs. Lowering our turnover rate would reduce these costs, but how far we can realistically lower our turnover rate remains to be seen. Another key area where our team has identified room for improvement is our online presence. We have identified possible strategies to increase our online presence as well as potential hurdles, which we will detail in the following sections.

Transition sentences within paragraphs

As we mentioned earlier, the transitional sentences you would use to start new paragraphs aren’t typically the ones you use to move from sentence to sentence within a paragraph. These sets are much narrower in scope and are best suited for tighter transitions, e.g. B. to compare details about ideas instead of comparing the ideas themselves.

Transitional sentences are crucial within paragraphs. Take a look at what a paragraph without transition sentences would look like:

The best days of my childhood were the days in my grandparents’ hut by the lake. I learned to swim. My grandfather took me to a small, shallow cove where I practiced all the basics. I was a staunch swimmer.

Choppy and awkward, right? Now see how transitional sentences make sense:

The best days of my childhood were the days I spent up in my grandparents’ cabin by the lake. I learned to swim there. Every afternoon my grandfather would take me to a small, shallow cove where I would practice all the basics. By the time I was eight, I was a confident swimmer.

Effortlessly fit every word and sentence into your writing

Transition sentences are one of the keys to fluent, fluent writing. If you’re unsure whether the transitional phrase you’ve chosen is right for your work, Grammarly can help. Our writing suggestions detect spelling, syntax and grammatical errors, and can even identify the tones present in your writing. If the word you choose is not correct for the point you are making, Grammarly can suggest an appropriate one.

transitional words and phrases

Transition words and phrases show the relationships between parts of a sentence, between sentences in a paragraph, or between paragraphs in a longer text (eg, an essay, short story, novel, magazine article, etc.). Although transitional words and phrases mean little by themselves, they are very important in linking your ideas together smoothly and logically so that your paragraphs are coherent. Transition words and phrases can be categorized based on the type of relationship you, the author, are trying to portray. There are eight (8) basic categories that you must learn:

Show time. afterwards, afterwards, always, as soon as, finally, at once, shortly, finally, finally, immediately, meanwhile, in the past (or future), last, later, meanwhile, next, never, now, often, once, immediately, sometimes, soon. show place. above, below, around, at this point, behind, below, beside, beyond, below, forward, from, here, in front of, inside, near, beside, on, on the other side, opposite, over, through. To add an idea. again, also, and, as well, in addition, on the one hand, further, moreover, in addition to, last, likewise, more, moreover, besides, similarly too. To illustrate or explain an idea. for example, for example, in other words, in particular, namely, specifically, like, that is, thus illustrate. To compare or contrast ideas. but nevertheless, vice versa, differently, however, against, nevertheless, in the same way, nonetheless, on the contrary, on the other hand, still. How to display a result. accordingly, as a result, therefore, therefore, therefore, therefore. Emphasize an idea. above all, especially, even most important. Summarize an idea. as I said, concluding short, so short, by and large, to sum it up.

These are not all of the transitional words and phrases in the English language that we use, but they represent a good selection of the most commonly used in writing. Remember that transitions are like bridges – they connect one thing to another. They can be used to move forward (to the next sentence or paragraph) or backward (to refer to something just said). The following is a brief listing of commonly used transitional words and phrases found in everyday speech:

and before that accordingly or otherwise unfortunately but when but recently for later although for example so consistently finally at the end

The typist who masters the use of transitional words and phrases is well on his way to achieving coherence (a smooth flow of writing that is logical and easy to follow) in his writing. Remember that your paragraphs can be unified (stick to topic sentence and thesis statement) but still lack coherence (sounding mechanical and stiff).

Coherence is achieved when the sentences in your paragraphs are arranged in an order that makes your ideas clear and understandable to the reader; the relationship between the sentences and paragraphs is logical; and your ideas will flow smoothly from one sentence and paragraph to the next. As one of the means to achieve coherence, transition words and phrases are an extremely important writing tool. Regarding the effective use of transitions in writing (and also as a guide to understanding and critical reading), there are some authors (e.g. Langan, Donnelly, Neeld, etc.) who refer to transitions as signal words. Don’t be fooled by the terminology, the intent is the same – no matter what you call it, mastering transitions is absolutely necessary if you want to be a good writer.

Courtesy Paragraphen (Roloff & Brossey, 1979)

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Going through each transition takes time. Even if you’ve decided to make a change, parts of the process will still feel awkward.

Merriam (2005) speaks of 4 different life transitions: expected, unforeseen, non-event and sleeper. Each brings its own set of challenges, opportunities for growth, and implications for other areas of your life. Understanding what type of transition you are going through will help you through the process.

A few years ago I went through an expected transition – I decided to leave my secure, challenging job at a company I loved. It took a lot of courage to make that decision, and I spent many hours making sure it was what I wanted. Nonetheless, I was struck by the range of emotions that went with it once I started the transition.

Sometimes excitement at the new opportunities that lay ahead, often fear of the security I had left behind, sadness for an identity tied to my career, pride in my strength to follow my heart, fear of the unknown. There were dark days when I questioned my decision and berated myself for being stupid, and there were days when I felt so focused my heart sang.

Through this transition I have learned a lot about myself, my needs and values. But there were times when it was difficult and I couldn’t understand why I had chosen this path.

Transitions of any kind shape you, your relationships (personal and professional), and the roles you play in those relationships. Transitions also mean change, loss, end and beginning.

The four types of life transition

An expected transition is something you expect to happen in your adult life. Maybe you’ve decided to go to college, make a career change, get engaged, move house, or have a baby.

If these transitions happen when you expect (or plan) to do so, there is a lot to learn about how this meets and supports your needs. There will be times when it still feels uncomfortable — when relationships adjust, when you change your identity, or when your degrees of freedom change.

Learning (levels of satisfaction, frustration and stress) can also be quite different should these transitions happen when they are outside of your expectations.

Unforeseen transitions are those that you didn’t plan for and don’t consider as part of your life vision. Things like; Unemployment, illness or accident or perhaps a relationship crisis. This type of transition can be exceptionally stressful and painful, more so than an expected transition. However, the potential for personal growth and rewards can be much higher. These can come on suddenly, and along with managing this transition, it is likely that a wide range of other emotions and challenges will present themselves.

Non-event transitions are the absence of an expected event—when something you expect doesn’t happen or doesn’t happen when you want it to. That could be; not getting a promotion despite working hard, not being able to have a child, not being able to get the house you’ve set your heart on. Coping with grief and dealing with loss (often the expected loss of a life) can be very powerful in this transition.

Sleeper transitions are those that occur without much awareness around them. They sneak up on you. Gradual improvement in your competency at work, developing a skill as a parent, progress in learning a language, the speed of your 5k run. They can also appear negatively – such as the slipping away of a friendship or relationship, demotivation at work.

With each transition, the process takes time to transition to a new phase. They can travel back and forth through emotions and learning over time. Awareness of the nature of the transition and planning for the ups and downs will help you understand, learn, and grow.

Above all – be patient, stay curious and stay friendly.

Gemma Brown coaching

Most, if not all, presentation programs offer numerous slide transitions and animations. But which ones should you use for your business presentations? Should you go for the simple fade animation? Or would the fancy boomerang and bounce effects be better? Read on because you will find out in this article!

Animations vs Transitions: What’s the Difference?

You may think that animations and transitions refer to the same thing – they don’t. Transitions refer to slide transitions, or the animation that occurs when you move from one slide to the next. Transition effects are applied to the entire slide. So you can only select one transition effect to a slide. So if you have 15 slides in your slideshow, you can use 15 different transition effects.

Animations, on the other hand, refer to object or element animations. You can animate the text, any chart or table, picture, shape, icon, etc. on your slides. You can animate every single element on your slide and add various effects if you wish. But of course I don’t recommend that unless you want everyone to get migraines!

So now you know the difference between transitions and animations. It’s time to show you where to find them in 3 of today’s most popular presentation programs: PowerPoint, Keynote, and Google Slides.

Where can I find transition effects?

power point

Look for the Transitions tab on the toolbar. As you can see, transitions are classified into three categories: Subtle, Exciting, and Dynamic. Click on the effect you want to use and get a quick preview of how it will appear on your slide.

keynote speech

Keynote users can access the various transition options by clicking a slide in the navigation pane (Step 1 in the screenshot below). Then click the Animate button (Step 2). Finally, click the blue “Add Effect” button (Step 3). You can set the duration, direction, and start of the transition.

google slides

If you are a Google Slides user, you can find your transition effects by first clicking on a slide in the navigation panel (Step 1). Then look for the Transition button in the menu bar (Step 2). The Transitions panel appears on the right. Choose from the 7 different transition options (step 3) as you see below:

Where can I find animation effects?

power point

This is what the Animations tab looks like in PowerPoint. It is categorized into Entry, Emphasis, Exit (not shown), and Motion Paths (not shown). If you want to see the full list of animations, check out the additional options in the red box below.

keynote speech

You can access the different object animation options by first clicking on the object you want to animate (step 1). Then click the Animate button (Step 2). As you can see below there are three tabs: Build In, Action, Build Out (Step 3). These 3 are the Keynote equivalent of PowerPoint’s Entry, Emphasis, and Exit effects.

google slides

In Google Slides, you would also first have to click on the object you want to animate. Right-click and choose Animate to access the Transitions side panel. Then click Add Animation as you see below:

Just like with transition effects, Google Slides gives you a limited number of object animation options (13 to be exact).

Why use animations and transitions in your presentation?

Here are some good reasons why you should consider adding animations and transitions to your PowerPoint (and Keynote/Google Slides) presentations:

Improve the appearance of your presentation

You don’t need to add effects to your presentation. But I promise you, if you use the right animation and transition effects, you can transform the look and feel of your entire presentation. From boring to funny and even dramatic, everything is possible with animations and transitions.

Highlight important points

This is particularly easy to do with object animation. For example, if you are presenting a numbered list or some bullet points, you can set each point to appear sequentially. This means you have some time to discuss each item without your audience reading out the next items on your list.

Control the pace

If you show everything on the screen at once, it goes without saying that everyone knows what you want to say. However, animations allow you to control the pace of your presentation. You can build up some “drama”. When it comes time for the big “revelation,” use the right animation to get the effect you want!

Attract people’s attention

Animations and slide transitions are useful for grabbing people’s attention. Even if your audience isn’t looking directly at the screen, any slight movement on your slides can cause them to look at your slides again. However, use animations sparingly. You don’t want people to stop looking at your slides entirely just because they literally got sick watching your animations!

Best practices when adding transitions and animations to slides

You’ve probably heard of “death by PowerPoint.” Well, do you know his cousin “motion sickness from PowerPoint”? If you’ve ever sat through a presentation with tons of transitions and animations and felt a little dizzy afterwards, then you’ve experienced motion sickness.

You certainly don’t want to subject your audience to this uncomfortable feeling. For best results, follow these practices when adding various animations to your slides:

keep it simple

Yes, there are tons of fancy animation options in PowerPoint, but that doesn’t mean you have to use most or all of them in your presentation. Can you imagine how your audience will react when they see that you’ve added an animation effect to every single element on every slide? It would be a disaster, I can assure you.

Let’s say you have 10-20 elements (text, images, icons, shapes, etc.) on each slide. And you add entrance, highlight and exit animation effects to each element. That means at least 30 animations on just a single slide! If I were sitting in your presentation, I would walk past the first slide (yes, it’s that bad).

Ask yourself this question: Would this animation improve my presentation?

Try to be as objective as possible when answering this question. Sure, adding fancy effects can look “cool”. But not if it comes at the expense of your audience. If your answer is yes, then by all means add the animation. Otherwise, it’s best to forgo this particular effect.

Use the same transition effect for all slides

Following the principle of simplicity, it’s best to use a single transition effect for all your slides. It can get confusing for your audience if you mix them up. For example, if you decide to use a simple fade transition, you should use that for all your slides. Here’s how to do it in PowerPoint:

In the transition area, select the effect you want to use. Then click on the “Apply to all” button as you see below:

Unfortunately, Keynote doesn’t have the same keyboard shortcut for transitions. So if you want to apply the same transition effect to all slides, you need to manually select all slides in the slide navigator. You can use the keyboard shortcut: Command + a. Then click the Animate button and choose the transition effect you want to use for all slides. Here’s a screenshot of the different transition effects in Keynote:

For Google Slides users, you’re in luck. Because just like PowerPoint, you can apply the same transition effect to all your slides. Just click the Transition button to open the Transitions panel. Then select your favorite transition effect and click the magic Apply to all slides button. It looks like this:

Animation preview

Check out any animations you’ve added and try to look at your presentation slides objectively. As you practice your speech, adjust the animations to match what you’re saying. Or, for example, make an object appear or exit with your timed pauses.

It shouldn’t take more than a second or two to decide if an animation actually adds value to your presentation. If it distracts from the main point, you might want to replace it with a non-headache-inducing effect. Or better yet, remove it completely from the foil.

Adjust your animation if necessary. At the end of the day, it’s your audience that decides if your presentation is great or a total flop. Remember that nobody will complain if you don’t use animations on your slides. But believe me, you will hear something negative if you use one too many!

The top slide transitions and animations for business presentations

The saying “less is more” absolutely applies to all types of presentations. You don’t want to overload your slides with too much information. You don’t want it to seem like there’s a million things going on there.

Why? Because it distracts from your role as a speaker and moderator. You want people’s attention to be on you and what you’re saying—not on your slides. PowerPoint slides should only serve as visual aids. You are not the star of your presentation – YOU ARE!

Below are the main transitions and animations that are most commonly used in PowerPoint business presentations. For Keynote and Google Slides users, use animations similar to the effects described below:

Best transition animations in PowerPoint

Fade – this is an old favorite among business presenters. The previous slide disappears to show the next slide. You can choose to fade out the previous slide smoothly or fade out with black.

– This is an old favorite among business moderators. The previous slide disappears to show the next slide. You can choose to fade out the previous slide smoothly or fade out with black. Push – this effect causes the previous slide to push the new slide into view. You can use this effect to connect related slides. For example, if your timeline spans two slides, you can use this effect to let your audience know the slides are connected. You can choose from 4 different effect options: press down, left, right and up.

– This effect causes the previous slide to push the new slide into view. You can use this effect to connect related slides. For example, if your timeline spans two slides, you can use this effect to let your audience know the slides are connected. You can choose from 4 different effect options: press down, left, right and up. Cut – this actually works like a much faster fade effect. The previous slide disappears almost immediately and the current slide appears in its place.

– this actually works like a much faster fade effect. The previous slide disappears almost immediately and the current slide appears in its place. Cover – This is a relatively simple transition effect. The new slide essentially covers the previous slide. You can choose to have the new slide move from 8 different directions.

– This is a relatively simple transition effect. The new slide essentially covers the previous slide. You can choose to have the new slide move from 8 different directions. Uncover – this is the exact opposite of the cover effect. Instead of the new slide sliding in and covering the previous slide, the previous slide is pushed out of the way to quickly reveal the new slide.

Best animation effects in PowerPoint

As mentioned, there are several object animations in PowerPoint that you can choose from. These are divided into 4 categories: Entrance, Emphasis, Exit, and Motion Path animation.

When making business presentations, it’s important not to get caught up in the prospect of multiple options. I know this is easier said than done, but think how much time you can save by not rethinking your animation options.

That being said, I realize that presentations are not created equal and some fancy effects may be needed to get your point across. But in most cases, simple animation effects are enough for business presentations.

entrance animation effects

If you don’t want your slide elements to appear all at once, you can add an entrance animation to some objects. You can set it to start (1) on click, (2) with the previous animation, or (3) after the previous animation. You can also set how long the animation should last (duration) or even apply a delay to your animation.

Go to Animations > More Entrance Effects for a full list of effects in this category. Here is a screenshot of all available entrance effects in PowerPoint:

Basic, subtle and moderate entry effects in PowerPoint

Entrance animation effects Appearing, fading, and swiping are great (and easy) options when you want to animate something in your business slides.

Emphasis on animation effects

One of the best ways to draw attention to a specific object on your slide is to use a Emphasis animation effect. These effects can only be applied to objects that are already on the slide. So if you’ve applied an entrance animation to the same object, the highlight effect will occur AFTER it has made an entry and is already on the slide. Also, objects with highlight effect will not disappear from your slide (that’s what the exit animation effect is for).

Go to Animations > More Emphasis Effects for a full list of effects in this category. Here is a screenshot of all options:

Basic, Subtle, Moderate and Exciting Highlight Effects in PowerPoint

Note that not all highlight effects are available for all types of elements. For example, if you want to animate an image, options like Font Color, Bold Flash, Brush Color, etc. will be grayed out and unclickable. If you want to animate a specific shape, Shimmer, Underline, Grow With Color, etc. are not available and so on.

For most business presentations, go through the available Basic and Subtle highlight effects first (but skip the Grow/Shrink and Spin options). Remember, you want to add value to your presentation and not give your audience a headache!

Stop animation effects

Exit animations are used when you want an element to disappear from your slide. This is especially helpful when trying to convey a point where a particular element is no longer needed.

Go to Animations > More Exit Effects for a full list of available effects in PowerPoint. It looks like this:

Simple, Subtle, Moderate, and Exciting exit effects (not shown) in PowerPoint

For business presentations, the best exit animations are Disappear, Dissolve Out, Wipe, Fade, Float Down, and Float Up. The objects leave the slide but don’t cause visual anxiety in your audience.

Motion path animation effects

PowerPoint may not be known as animation software. But if you know how to use motion path animations, you can easily take your presentation to the next level. You can use it to tell effective stories and demonstrate specific points in your presentation. If you want to learn more about how motion path animation works and how you can use it to make your presentation stand out, then I recommend reading this article.

For a full list of motion path effects, see Animations > More Motion Paths. Here is a screenshot:

Basic, Lines & Curves, and special motion path effects (not shown) in PowerPoint

Adding sound effects to animations

Sound effects may not be necessary for most business presentations. But in cases where you absolutely must add sound effects to your slide animations, here’s how:

1. Click on the element you want to animate

2. Go to the Animations tab and select your animation

3. Click on the animation window (still on the Animations tab)

4. In the animation area, click the animation to which you want to add the sound effect. A small triangle appears on the right. Click this triangle to see more options. Then click Effect Options.

5. On the Effect tab, click Sound and choose from the available options. Then click OK.

The same steps apply to Mac PowerPoint users. However, the user interface looks different than in Windows. Here you will find the sound effects for your selected animation:

Just like all of the other animation effects I’ve discussed in this article, it’s best to use sound effects sparingly. If it doesn’t add value to your presentation, you shouldn’t use it at all.

Conclusion

Many business presentations should follow the “less is more” principle. Don’t rely on animation to impress your audience as it can quickly backfire. Instead, focus on getting them to listen and engage with you throughout your presentation.

You may also be interested in: How to make an image transparent in PowerPoint

transitional sets

Transition clauses emphasize the logical relationship between ideas. You want your essay to read like a continuous argument, facilitated by good transitions. Words such as “however”, “so”, “additionally” indicate a logical relationship between paragraphs, but are weak. A strong transition makes the relationship explicit.

No Transition: In some cultures, sympathy plays a role in moral decision-making. Weaker transition: However, conflicts between principles and emotions occur more frequently when there is a conflict between the moral values ​​of different cultures. Stronger Transition: While the conflict between morality and sympathy can occur in the context of a single cultural code, it occurs more frequently in cross-cultural conflicts.

You should also avoid using pronouns like “this” to refer to an entire idea, as it is not always clear which idea you are referring to. It’s always good to make things explicit.

Weaker Transition: While false, relativism does not necessarily promote human welfare and justice. Stronger Transition: Even when a society is able to collectively define its culture and establish its own moral code, relativism does not necessarily promote human well-being and justice.

Here’s an expanded example from an actual student essay:

And who are you asking me to pretend?

I didn’t know the face of that calm sea

and its silent waves? ask me to trust

this monster?

Virgil uses the sea as a metaphor to show the dual nature of the Roman Empire. The “face of calm” distrusted by Palinuro is the semblance of imperial courtesy and legality. The “monster” Palinuro warns against is the ugly nature of empirical rule and the brutal means by which it is established

The violent nature of the Empire is made painfully clear by the tragic death of Palinuro, who is in every way the epitome of a good Roman man. In composing The Aeneid, Virgil gave Palinuro the role of pilot to further affirm his role as a leader, not just as the helmsman of a ship, but as a guide in all aspects of life. Palinuro’s admirable qualities make him a respected and valued advisor to Aeneas. Throughout this narration, Palinuro trusts his instincts and knowledge from past experiences. Palinurus believes in his sophic wisdom: “Nay, even if high Jupiter himself should vouch for his promise, I could hope to reach the shores of Italy under such a sky” (Aeneid, V, 11:22-25). Although Palinuro can recognize the fate of Aeneas, he cannot leave his judgment entirely to the prophecies of the gods.

The purple sentence is an example of clarifying the meaning of a passage. When quoting from the text, you want to show what the passage illustrates and how it supports your claim.

The sentence in blue is an example of a good transitional sentence that emphasizes the logical relationship between these two paragraphs:

[1] The violent nature of the Empire is painfully demonstrated by the tragic death of [2] Palinuro, who is in every way the epitome of a good Roman man.

Here’s a good illustration of what I mean by transitions, which emphasize the relationship between paragraphs and thereby make the paper “flow” more smoothly.

[1] summarizes the point of the previous paragraph (i.e. that the empire is held together by force).

[2] summarizes the point of the current paragraph.

Transitions show how your paragraphs work together and build on each other. However, if you don’t use transitions, your essay might feel choppy and the reader might have trouble following your train of thought. For this reason, it is important to use paragraph transitions in every essay. Use these four tips to improve paragraph transitions in your writing.

1. Transition Words

Transition words alert the reader to relationships between your ideas, especially for a change in ideas. Some examples of transition words you can use are:

First

Additionally

In contrast

Next

then

However

Apparently

Because of this

Consequently

Finally

For example

Make sure you vary the transition words you use. Using “however” in your essay will sound repetitive and confuse the reader. So take the time to think about which transitions work best to implement your ideas and help your readers understand the point you want to make in your writing.

2. Subject Sentences

Start with a topic sentence at the beginning of each supporting paragraph. This way you can introduce the ideas that you will discuss in this paragraph. You can emphasize your topic sentence by using a transition word or phrase to show that you are moving to a new idea.

3. Organization

Organizing your work can also help improve paragraph transitions. As you ponder the supporting ideas in your paragraphs, determine the order in which you should present them. Think about how the ideas in each paragraph can build on each other. Is there a logical order you could use? Try rearranging the ideas to find the right order for your ideas.

4. Relationships

Besides organizing your essay, you can improve paragraph transitions by discussing the relationship between ideas. For example, at the end of your first supporting paragraph, you could discuss how that idea flows into the next main paragraph. Help your readers understand why you arranged the ideas the way you did. How does your first main paragraph relate to the second paragraph? Don’t let your reader guess what you’re thinking; State your ideas and let the reader know how those ideas relate.

Using Paragraph Transitions: Final Thoughts

In summary, it’s important to use paragraph transitions to guide your reader through your ideas. By using transition words, subject phrases, organization, and relationships, you can improve paragraph transitions and get your reader to follow your thought process from start to finish.

For more ways to improve your essay writing, enroll in our professional writing courses!

transitions

What this handout is about

In our crazy, messed up world, transitions glue our ideas and our essays together. This handout will introduce you to some useful transitional expressions and help you use them effectively.

The function and meaning of transitions

In both scholarly writing and professional writing, your goal is to convey information clearly and concisely, if not to engage the reader in your way of thinking. Transitions help you achieve these goals by creating logical connections between sentences, paragraphs, and sections of your work. In other words, transitions tell readers what to do with the information you present to them. Whether it’s single words, quick phrases, or full sentences, they act as cues that tell readers how to think about, organize, and act on ideas, old and new, while reading what you’ve written.

Transitions signal relationships between ideas—relationships like, “Another example follows—stay alert!” or “Here’s an exception to my previous statement,” or “Although this idea appears to be true, here’s the real story.” Basically, give Leaves instructions to the reader on how to assemble their ideas into a logically coherent argument. Transitions aren’t just verbal decorations that embellish your work by making it sound or read better. They are words with specific meanings that tell the reader to think and react to your ideas in a certain way. By giving the reader these important clues, transitions help readers understand the logic of how your ideas fit together.

Signs that you may need to work on your transitions

How can you tell if you need to work on your transitions? Here are some possible clues:

Your instructor wrote comments like “choppy,” “jerky,” “abrupt,” “flowing,” “need signposts,” or “how does this relate?” on your papers.

Your readers (teachers, friends, or classmates) tell you that they had trouble following your organization or train of thought.

You tend to write the way you think – and your brain often jumps from one idea to the next rather quickly.

You wrote your work in several separate “blocks” and then glued them together.

You are working on a group work; The design you are working on was created by stitching pieces of writing together from multiple people.

organization

Because the clarity and effectiveness of your transitions depend heavily on how well you’ve organized your work, you should evaluate the organization of your work before working on transitions. In the margin of your draft, summarize in a word or short sentence what each paragraph is about or how it fits into your analysis as a whole. This exercise is designed to help you see the order and connection between your ideas more clearly.

If after this exercise you find that you are still struggling to tie your ideas together in a coherent way, your problem may not be with transitions but with organization. For help in this area (and a more thorough explanation of the “reverse articulation” technique described in the previous paragraph), please read the Writing Center’s handout on organization.

How transitions work

The organization of your writing involves two elements: (1) the order in which you have chosen to present the different parts of your discussion or argument, and (2) the relationships you make between those parts. Transitions cannot replace good organization, but they can make your organization clearer and easier to understand. Look at the following example:

El País, a Latin American country, has a new democratic government after many years of dictatorship. Suppose you want to argue that El País is not as democratic as conventional wisdom would have us believe.

One way to effectively organize your argument would be to present the conventional view and then provide the reader with your critical response to that view. So in paragraph A you would enumerate all the reasons why someone might consider El Pais highly democratic, while in paragraph B you would refute those points. The transition that would provide the logical connection between these two key elements of your argument would indicate to the reader that the information in paragraph B contradicts the information in paragraph A. As a result, you could organize your reasoning, including the transition connecting paragraph A to paragraph B, like this:

Paragraph A: Points supporting the view that the new El País government is very democratic.

Reconciliation: Despite the previous arguments, there are many reasons to believe that the new El Pais government is not as democratic as is commonly believed.

Paragraph B: Points contradicting the view that the new El País government is very democratic.

In this case, the transitional words “despite the previous arguments” suggest that the reader should disbelieve paragraph A and instead consider the author’s reasons for viewing El Pais democracy as suspicious.

As the example suggests, transitions can help reinforce the underlying logic of how your work is organized by providing the reader with essential information about the relationship between your ideas. In this way, transitions act as the glue that binds the components of your argument or discussion into a unified, coherent, and compelling whole.

types of transitions

Now that you have a general idea of ​​how to develop effective transitions in your writing, let’s briefly discuss the types of transitions your writing will use.

The types of transitions available to you are as varied as the circumstances in which you must use them. A transition can be a single word, a phrase, a sentence, or an entire paragraph. Either way, it works the same way: First, the transition either directly summarizes the content of a preceding sentence, paragraph, or section, or implies such a summary (by reminding the reader of what went before). Then it helps the reader to anticipate or understand the new information you want to present.

Transitions Between Sections: Particularly in longer papers, it may be necessary to include transition paragraphs that summarize for the reader the information just covered and specify the relevance of that information to the discussion in the following section. Transitions between paragraphs: If you have arranged paragraphs well so that the content of one paragraph logically leads to the next, the transition highlights a pre-existing relationship by summarizing the previous paragraph and hinting at some of the content of the paragraph that follows. A transition between paragraphs can be a word or two (but similar, for example), a phrase, or a sentence. Transitions can appear at the end of the first paragraph, the beginning of the second paragraph, or both. Intra-paragraph transitions: Like transitions between sections and paragraphs, intra-paragraph transitions act as cues, helping readers anticipate what’s coming before they read it. Within paragraphs, transitions usually consist of single words or short sentences.

transition expressions

The effective construction of each transition often depends on your ability to identify words or phrases that indicate to the reader the type of logical relationships you wish to convey. The table below should make it easier for you to find these words or phrases. Whenever you’re having trouble finding a word, phrase, or phrase that serves as an effective transition, review the information in the table for help. Look in the left column of the table for the type of logical relationship you are trying to express. Then look in the right column of the table for example words or phrases that express this logical relationship.

Keep in mind that each of these words or phrases can have a slightly different meaning. Consult a dictionary or author’s guide if you are unsure of the exact meaning of a word or phrase.

LOGICAL RELATIONSHIP TRANSITIONAL EXPRESSION Similarity also, just as, just as, just as, just as, just as exception/contrast but, however, in spite of, on the one hand … on the other hand, nevertheless, nevertheless, in spite of, on the contrary, on the contrary, still, but order/order first, second, third, … next, then, finally time after, after, last, before, currently, during, earlier, immediately, later, meanwhile, now, recently, at the same time , subsequently, then example for example, namely, specifically, to illustrate emphasis even , yes, indeed, of course, really place/position above, next to, below, beyond, here, in front, behind, next door, there cause and effect accordingly, consequently, therefore, therefore, therefore additional support or evidence additionally, again, also, and also, also, just as important, further, moreover, in addition, moreover, then conclusion/summary finally, in a word, briefly, briefly, finally, in the end as a whole, i.e. conclude end, summing up, summing up, summing up, summing up

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 License.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial purposes provided you use the entire handout and credit: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Make a present

transitional words and phrases

Transition words and phrases show the relationships between parts of a sentence, between sentences in a paragraph, or between paragraphs in a longer text (eg, an essay, short story, novel, magazine article, etc.). Although transitional words and phrases mean little by themselves, they are very important in linking your ideas together smoothly and logically so that your paragraphs are coherent. Transition words and phrases can be categorized based on the type of relationship you, the author, are trying to portray. There are eight (8) basic categories that you must learn:

Show time. afterwards, afterwards, always, as soon as, finally, at once, shortly, finally, finally, immediately, meanwhile, in the past (or future), last, later, meanwhile, next, never, now, often, once, immediately, sometimes, soon. show place. above, below, around, at this point, behind, below, beside, beyond, below, forward, from, here, in front of, inside, near, beside, on, on the other side, opposite, over, through. To add an idea. again, also, and, as well, in addition, on the one hand, further, moreover, in addition to, last, likewise, more, moreover, besides, similarly too. To illustrate or explain an idea. for example, for example, in other words, in particular, namely, specifically, like, that is, thus illustrate. To compare or contrast ideas. but nevertheless, vice versa, differently, however, against, nevertheless, in the same way, nonetheless, on the contrary, on the other hand, still. How to display a result. accordingly, as a result, therefore, therefore, therefore, therefore. Emphasize an idea. above all, especially, even most important. Summarize an idea. as I said, concluding short, so short, by and large, to sum it up.

These are not all of the transitional words and phrases in the English language that we use, but they represent a good selection of the most commonly used in writing. Remember that transitions are like bridges – they connect one thing to another. They can be used to move forward (to the next sentence or paragraph) or backward (to refer to something just said). The following is a brief listing of commonly used transitional words and phrases found in everyday speech:

and before that accordingly or otherwise unfortunately but when but recently for later although for example so consistently finally at the end

The typist who masters the use of transitional words and phrases is well on his way to achieving coherence (a smooth flow of writing that is logical and easy to follow) in his writing. Remember that your paragraphs can be unified (stick to topic sentence and thesis statement) but still lack coherence (sounding mechanical and stiff).

Coherence is achieved when the sentences in your paragraphs are arranged in an order that makes your ideas clear and understandable to the reader; the relationship between the sentences and paragraphs is logical; and your ideas will flow smoothly from one sentence and paragraph to the next. As one of the means to achieve coherence, transition words and phrases are an extremely important writing tool. Regarding the effective use of transitions in writing (and also as a guide to understanding and critical reading), there are some authors (e.g. Langan, Donnelly, Neeld, etc.) who refer to transitions as signal words. Don’t be fooled by the terminology, the intent is the same – no matter what you call it, mastering transitions is absolutely necessary if you want to be a good writer.

Courtesy Paragraphen (Roloff & Brossey, 1979)

Return to the Summer Bridge main page or back to the top of this page.

transitional sets

Transition clauses emphasize the logical relationship between ideas. You want your essay to read like a continuous argument, facilitated by good transitions. Words such as “however”, “so”, “additionally” indicate a logical relationship between paragraphs, but are weak. A strong transition makes the relationship explicit.

No Transition: In some cultures, sympathy plays a role in moral decision-making. Weaker transition: However, conflicts between principles and emotions occur more frequently when there is a conflict between the moral values ​​of different cultures. Stronger Transition: While the conflict between morality and sympathy can occur in the context of a single cultural code, it occurs more frequently in cross-cultural conflicts.

You should also avoid using pronouns like “this” to refer to an entire idea, as it is not always clear which idea you are referring to. It’s always good to make things explicit.

Weaker Transition: While false, relativism does not necessarily promote human welfare and justice. Stronger Transition: Even when a society is able to collectively define its culture and establish its own moral code, relativism does not necessarily promote human well-being and justice.

Here’s an expanded example from an actual student essay:

And who are you asking me to pretend?

I didn’t know the face of that calm sea

and its silent waves? ask me to trust

this monster?

Virgil uses the sea as a metaphor to show the dual nature of the Roman Empire. The “face of calm” distrusted by Palinuro is the semblance of imperial courtesy and legality. The “monster” Palinuro warns against is the ugly nature of empirical rule and the brutal means by which it is established

The violent nature of the Empire is made painfully clear by the tragic death of Palinuro, who is in every way the epitome of a good Roman man. In composing The Aeneid, Virgil gave Palinuro the role of pilot to further affirm his role as a leader, not just as the helmsman of a ship, but as a guide in all aspects of life. Palinuro’s admirable qualities make him a respected and valued advisor to Aeneas. Throughout this narration, Palinuro trusts his instincts and knowledge from past experiences. Palinurus believes in his sophic wisdom: “Nay, even if high Jupiter himself should vouch for his promise, I could hope to reach the shores of Italy under such a sky” (Aeneid, V, 11:22-25). Although Palinuro can recognize the fate of Aeneas, he cannot leave his judgment entirely to the prophecies of the gods.

The purple sentence is an example of clarifying the meaning of a passage. When quoting from the text, you want to show what the passage illustrates and how it supports your claim.

The sentence in blue is an example of a good transitional sentence that emphasizes the logical relationship between these two paragraphs:

[1] The violent nature of the Empire is painfully demonstrated by the tragic death of [2] Palinuro, who is in every way the epitome of a good Roman man.

Here’s a good illustration of what I mean by transitions, which emphasize the relationship between paragraphs and thereby make the paper “flow” more smoothly.

[1] summarizes the point of the previous paragraph (i.e. that the empire is held together by force).

[2] summarizes the point of the current paragraph.

In most cases, your writing follows a logical path from your introduction to your conclusion, stopping at various supporting points along the way. Transition sentences allow your writing to move down that path in a clear, logical way.

Transition clauses, as their name suggests, express the transitions between thoughts that connect them. They’re the sections that convey the how, when, where, why, and other relationships you explore in your writing as you move from introduction to conclusion, incorporating any relevant supporting points along the way.

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What are transition rates?

Transitional sentences are the sentences that show the relationship between two or more ideas. Think of them as bridges, tunnels, and junctions that connect different sections of your work, using specific words and phrases as road signs. Look at this example:

This company routinely touts efficiency as one of its core brand values. However, the current working time structure is inefficient and slows down employee productivity. The change to a primarily decentralized structure with flexible working hours would increase productivity by increasing efficiency.

In this example, the middle set is the transition set. Try to read the first and third sentences back-to-back and skip the transitional sentence. They make sense, but without that middle sentence, the message as a whole is significantly less impactful.

What Makes a Good Transition Set?

A good transitional sentence is one that makes absolutely clear the relationship between the ideas it connects. It’s one of the most important tools in your writing toolkit, because no matter what you’re writing—or whether you’re working on a short story, a blog post, a news article, or a lengthy academic paper—you can express your ideas in a clear way, that your reader understands is key.

The best transitional phrase for a specific situation depends on what you need to communicate. For example, if you need to communicate a point that contradicts your previous statement, an effective transitional sentence is a sentence that includes a word or phrase like but, nevertheless, in contrast to, or despite. Check out these examples:

I make it a priority to get up an hour before I have to leave the house every morning. Still, I manage to be late for work at least twice a week.

Most of the class said Friday was their favorite day of the week. However, a small group of college students reported that Wednesday is their favorite day of the week.

However, transitional sentences can buffer more than just contradictory statements. They also express similarities, orders, emphasis, positions, examples, and cause-effect relationships. Here are a few more examples of transitional sentences at work:

Employees who have returned to the office have reported increased productivity since switching to a four-day workweek. Similarly, remote workers have also reported being more productive with the new schedule.

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then begin combining your dry ingredients while the oven heats up.

He chose not to shop in this area because the walk to his office was too long. More importantly, the schools are not well ranked.

Her parties are our favorites because she always chooses unique activities. For example, her recent Halloween party included a midnight ghost hunt.

I stacked the bricks as high as I could stack them. Next to the stack I dropped all my extra stones.

You were fifteen minutes late. That’s why we couldn’t let them in to see the show.

My aunt and uncle love Disney World. In fact, they go there twice a year.

Useful words and phrases for transitional sentences

So what actually turns regular sentences into transitional sentences? transition words.

Transition words and phrases are the road signs mentioned earlier that direct the flow of your writing from one thought to the next. The transition word you choose for a sentence is critical to your reader’s ability to understand your text, since in many cases otherwise identical sentences can have very different meanings if they have different transition words. Here are brief examples of how word choice can transform an idea:

We love trying different local restaurants and discovering new cuisines. Recently we tried two new restaurants downtown.

We love trying different local restaurants and discovering new cuisines. So we tried two new downtown restaurants.

We love trying different local restaurants and discovering new cuisines. Overall, we tried two new downtown restaurants.

See how our example foodies’ point of view changed dramatically just by swapping out the transition words and phrases? Take a look at the most commonly used transition words and phrases for specific transitions:

Transitions of words and sentences to communicate similarities

similar

Also

the same

as well as

in the same way

Transitions of words and sentences to express emphasis

most importantly

indeed

because

Naturally

as a matter of fact

to emphasize this

Transitions of words and phrases to demonstrate cause and effect

for this reason

hence

through

Consequently

Transitions of words and phrases to denote position

Above

adjacent

under

Next

under

across from

nearby

far away

Transitions of words and phrases to illustrate a sequence

First

second

next

last

third

thereafter

before you start

at last

Transitions of words and sentences to show examples

for example

for example

special

to show

Transition sentences between paragraphs

Aside from writing strong sentences with transition words and phrases, you can use these valuable tools to write more effective paragraphs. In general, the ideal place for a transitional sentence is at the beginning of a paragraph, since this is where you explain the relevance of new information. Your transitional sentence should do two things: introduce the subject of its paragraph and give it context within your piece as a whole.

Check out this example of a strong transitional sentence between paragraphs:

We hiked all day. After a few hours, my friend, dog, and I were all feeling tired and taking breaks more often than when we started the hike. But once we were able to catch a glimpse of the top of the mountain, we felt rejuvenated and invigorated by the final leg of the climb. We had spent months planning this trip and now we were finally here.

After reaching the summit, it was time to find the best way to descend. Somehow it felt anticlimactic – months after months we planned this hike, imagining ourselves standing on the highest mountain we had climbed so far and now, standing in this position, all I felt was the exhaustion I knew would come if we maneuvered back down and out of the woods when the sun went down.

In the example above, using “after” to introduce the transition creates a contextual contrast between the general ideas in each paragraph. Keep in mind that the types of transitional words and phrases that work in paragraphs aren’t always the ones that work best for transitioning between paragraphs. For example, if you start a new paragraph with a word like “therefore” or “similar,” you usually can’t adequately introduce the following information.

Transition clauses between sections

Just as transitional sentences make the progression from one paragraph to the next more coherent, transitional sentences also bridge larger sections of your writing. In some cases, you may need more than one sentence to move from one section to the next. These broader transitional sentences and paragraphs serve a similar purpose as the transitions between paragraphs: they connect the concepts explored in successive sections of your writing.

Check out these transitional sentences and how they can be used to guide a reader through large sections of your work:

By 2018, it was evident that we were lagging behind our competitors in one key area: the provision of self-checkout. Every other reputable service center uses this type of system and after implementation have seen an increase in sales and efficiency in the store.

Now that we’ve upgraded each service center to the new, full self-service system, our company is evaluating which major project needs the most urgent completion over the next year. There are a few areas for significant improvement, each with their own unique challenges.

One area of ​​interest is employee retention. We currently have a similar turnover rate as our competitors, which costs the company millions each year in training and other onboarding costs. Lowering our turnover rate would reduce these costs, but how far we can realistically lower our turnover rate remains to be seen. Another key area where our team has identified room for improvement is our online presence. We have identified possible strategies to increase our online presence as well as potential hurdles, which we will detail in the following sections.

Transition sentences within paragraphs

As we mentioned earlier, the transitional sentences you would use to start new paragraphs aren’t typically the ones you use to move from sentence to sentence within a paragraph. These sets are much narrower in scope and are best suited for tighter transitions, e.g. B. to compare details about ideas instead of comparing the ideas themselves.

Transitional sentences are crucial within paragraphs. Take a look at what a paragraph without transition sentences would look like:

The best days of my childhood were the days I spent up in my grandparents’ cabin by the lake. I learned to swim. My grandfather took me to a small, shallow cove where I practiced all the basics. I was a staunch swimmer.

Choppy and awkward, right? Now see how transitional sentences make sense:

The best days of my childhood were the days I spent up in my grandparents’ cabin by the lake. I learned to swim there. Every afternoon my grandfather would take me to a small, shallow cove where I would practice all the basics. By the time I was eight, I was a confident swimmer.

Effortlessly fit every word and sentence into your writing

Transition sentences are one of the keys to fluent, fluent writing. If you’re unsure whether the transitional phrase you’ve chosen is right for your work, Grammarly can help. Our writing suggestions detect spelling, syntax and grammatical errors, and can even identify the tones present in your writing. If the word you choose is not correct for the point you are making, Grammarly can suggest an appropriate one.