Transition Words and Paragraph Flow

Why Transitions Matter

Discursive writing is judged on clarity and flow. Good transitions guide the reader from one idea to the next, showing relationships like contrast, cause, or concession.

Transition Toolkit by Purpose

Addition/Support

furthermore, in addition, moreover, also, as well as

Contrast

however, on the other hand, in contrast, whereas, alternatively

Concession

although, even though, while it is true that, granted, despite

Cause/Effect

therefore, as a result, consequently, thus, because, leads to

Sequence

firstly, secondly, finally, then, afterwards, meanwhile

Examples

for example, for instance, such as, in particular, namely

Comparison

similarly, likewise, in the same way

Emphasis/Qualification

indeed, notably, in fact, to some extent, in many cases

Paragraph Openers That Flow

"Firstly, many pupils benefit from…"
"However, critics argue that…"
"Although this may be true, it depends on…"
"In addition, there is evidence that…"
"On the other hand, families point out…"

Cohesion Beyond Connectives

Pronoun reference: This/that/these/those to refer back ("This approach…")
Lexical ties: repeat key terms or use synonyms ("homework" → "tasks", "practice")
Echo words: repeat part of the previous sentence in the next topic sentence
Parallel structure: similar sentence shapes for paired points

Before → After (Flow Upgrade)

Before

Homework is tiring. Clubs are good. Phones are distracting. Teachers want focus. Exams matter.

After

Although homework can be tiring, clubs also take time; therefore, schools might reduce tasks on busy evenings. Phones can distract; however, clear rules help teachers keep lessons focused, which is crucial as exams approach.

Common Pitfalls

Overusing one connective ("however" every sentence)
Stacking two connectives that do the same job ("but however")
Fragments like "Because of this." without a main clause

Practice

Rewrite a short choppy paragraph by adding connectives and pronoun ties.
Write 3 different bridging sentences moving from a "for" point to a "counter" point.