Using Transition Words in
Your Writing
Transitions
Look at the two groups of sentences
below. Which sentences read more
smoothly? Why?
•My friend, Marcos, loves to play sports and is very athletic.
He has won a scholarship to play football at a university next
year.
•My friend, Marcos, loves to play sports and is very athletic.
In fact, he has won a scholarship to play football at a
university next year.
Transitions
What are
transition words?
Transitions
Example:
John skipped meals regularly.
Therefore, he was always hungry.

Add the missing transition
It was an unusually cold spring. The
trees were leafing out.
It was an unusually cold spring.
However, the trees were leafing out.
What is wrong with this
transition?
Walt never cleaned out the inside of
his car. Nevertheless, it smelled and
looked horrible!
This transition makes no sense. It
suggests a contrast when no contrast
is asked for.
Revision
Walt never cleaned out the inside of
his car. Consequently, it smelled
and looked horrible!
Transition Words
A word or phrase that links two
ideas or sentences
 These show how ideas connect
 If there are no transitions, readers
must make the ‘connections’ on
their own
 This slows reading down and makes
it confusing

Transition Words
Can
 At
 In
 At
occur anywhere the beginning of a sentence
the middle of a sentence
the end of a sentence
Transition Words
A transition word directly tells the reader the
logical relationship between one idea and
another idea.
Transition
Idea
Idea
Transition Words
There are many transition words
 As you become a more experienced
writer you will use lots of types of
transition words
 Let’s look at a few of the basics
 These will help to improve your
writing right now!
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Words to show LOCATION
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Above
Across
Against
Along
Among
Around
Behind
Below
Beneath
Beside
Between
Beyond
By
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Down
In back of
In front of
Inside
Into
Near
Off
Onto
On top of
Outside
Over
Throughout
To the right
Under
Words to Show TIME
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While
After
At
Before
During
First
Second
Third
Now
Until
Meanwhile
Today
Tomorrow
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Next week
Yesterday
Soon
Later
Afterward
Immediately
Finally
Then
Next
As soon as
When
Suddenly
Words to COMPARE
(two things)
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Likewise
Like
As
Also
While
Similarly
In the same way
In contrast
Words to CONTRAST
(to show differences between things)
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But
However
Still
Yet
Although
Otherwise
On the other hand
Even though
Let’s practice….
Read the passage
 Highlight any transition words you
find
 Share with a partner

Ty’ree was all right after Mama died. But I was all wrong. The
year before, I’d seen this show about snakes. They showed this one
snake slipping out of its old skin and then leaving that old skin on the
ground behind him. That’s how I felt – like Mama’d been my skin. But I
hadn’t grown a new skin underneath, like that snake had. I was just
blood and bones spreading all over the place. Every night Ty’ree stayed
with me in my room till I cried myself to sleep. And the next morning
he’d find me sleeping curled up on the floor beside his bed.
After a few weeks of me ending up on the floor, he called Aunt
Cecile, and she came back to new York and asked around trying to find a
doctor I could go to – a psychologist. Some afternoons I’d come home
from school to find Aunt Cecile sitting at the dining room table writing
down and crossing out numbers as she talked on the phone. And some
evenings I’d catch her and Ty’ree whispering about different doctors, their
fees and social benefits.
Then, one afternoon Aunt Cecile announced that she’d found a
person I could talk to named Dr. Vernon. That Wednesday and for a whole
lot of Wednesdays after that, Aunt Cecile would take me to Dr. Vernon –
an old man with a nice office in Harlem.
-from Miracle Boys by Jacqueline Woodson
Ty’ree was all right after Mama died. But
I was all wrong. The year before, I’d seen
this show about snakes. They showed this one
snake slipping out of its old skin and then
leaving that old skin on the ground behind
him. That’s how I felt – like Mama’d been my
skin. But I hadn’t grown a new skin
underneath, like that snake had. I was just
blood and bones spreading all over the place.
Every night Ty’ree stayed with me in my
room till I cried myself to sleep. And the
next morning he’d find me sleeping curled up
on the floor beside his bed.
After a few weeks of me ending up
on the floor, he called Aunt Cecile, and she
came back to new York and asked around
trying to find a doctor I could go to – a
psychologist. Some afternoons I’d come
home from school to find Aunt Cecile
sitting at the dining room table writing
down and crossing out numbers as she
talked on the phone. And some
evenings I’d catch her and Ty’ree
whispering about different doctors, their
fees, and social benefits.
Then, one afternoon Aunt Cecile announced
that she’d found a person I could talk to named Dr.
Vernon. That Wednesday and for a whole lot of
Wednesdays after that, Aunt Cecile would take me
to Dr. Vernon – an old man with a nice office in
Harlem.
Homework
1. Complete sheet , ‘Connect the Links to Make a
Chain’
2. Highlight any transition words you have in your
writing piece
3. Rate your use of transition words using check
box ‘Rate Your Transitions’ (staple to writing)
4. Add transitions to make your writing flow more
smoothly. Highlight your new transitions in
another colour
5. Rewrite this draft of your writing, doublespaced for next day
6. Keep all prior drafts