Transition words
Also known as: transitional words and phrases, linking words
Transition words are words and phrases — like furthermore, however, and therefore — that show the logical relationship between sentences or ideas. They signal whether a writer is adding, contrasting, giving an example, or drawing a conclusion.
Transition words connect ideas and tell the reader how one sentence relates to the one before it. Without them, prose reads like a list of disconnected statements; with them, the logic of a passage becomes visible. The word however warns that a contrast is coming, furthermore promises more support for the same point, and therefore announces a conclusion.
Transitions fall into a handful of logical categories. Addition words continue or reinforce an idea: furthermore, moreover, in addition, also. Contrast words reverse direction: however, nevertheless, on the other hand, conversely. Cause-and-effect words draw conclusions: therefore, consequently, as a result, thus. Others introduce examples (for instance, for example), show sequence (first, next, finally), or concede a point (admittedly, granted).
Choosing the right transition is a logic problem, not a vocabulary problem. To pick between however and therefore, you must decide whether the second idea opposes the first or follows from it. That is exactly why standardized tests love transition questions: they test whether you understand the relationship between two ideas, using the transition word as the evidence.
Transition questions appear on nearly every major standardized test. The SAT Reading and Writing section and the ACT English section both ask you to select the transition that matches a passage's logic, and the Praxis Core reading test uses transitions to assess organization and vocabulary in context. The reliable strategy on all of them: read the sentences before and after the blank, determine the logical relationship, then match it to a category.
Key takeaways
- Transition words signal the logical relationship between ideas: addition, contrast, cause and effect, example, or sequence.
- Words like furthermore and moreover continue an idea; however and nevertheless reverse it; therefore and consequently conclude from it.
- Choosing a transition means identifying the relationship between the surrounding sentences — it is a logic question, not a style question.
- The SAT, ACT, and Praxis Core all test transitions heavily in their writing and reading sections.