Go With The Flow: Write With Transition Words and Phrases

One of the most common weaknesses I see in				transition words and phrases that will help make your
day-to-day				text more understandable and interesting to the
writing is poor logical flow from one idea or point to				reader.
the next. This usually takes the form of a bunch of				For each one, I have included a typical example of
seemingly unrelated phrases thrown together with little				how
or no sense of sequence, continuity, or				the word/phrase might be used in a typical
relativity.Although the overall subject may be obvious,				sentence.Note that I have capitalized the transition
the words				words/phrases
to describe it seem to be scattered on the page like				for emphasis and easy identification.CAUSE AND
an				EFFECT...THEN, he moved on to the next work
almost random set of unconnected thoughts. On a				station.AS A RESULT, the team lost the game.FOR
regular				THIS REASON, she always went home for the
basis, I see letters and reports in which each phrase				weekend.THE RESULT WAS always
seems to be independent of the one before and the				predictable.WHAT FOLLOWED was as painful as it
one				was inevitable.IN RESPONSE, he quickly upped the
after, when in reality, there is an actual sequential				ante.THEREFORE, the aircraft overshot the
and/or logical flow.Consider the following three				runway.THUS, it was just a matter of time.BECAUSE
sentence example:1. The entire building had to be				OF THIS, the results were always the
searched.2. They started the search on the third				same.CONSEQUENTLY, he was no longer friends
floor.3. It took three hours to complete the				with Frank.THE REACTION to this event was swift
search.Notice that the three separate statements are				and decisive.IN CONTRAST TO...UNLIKE last year, this
all valid				one was highly profitable.DIFFERENT from this, was
sentences. They convey the bare essential facts of				our approach to manufacturing.IN SPITE OF the dot
the				com bust, the company prospered.ON THE OTHER
situation, but nothing more. In fact, they raise almost				HAND, earnings per share have increased.ON THE
more questions than they answer. For example:- Was				CONTRARY, the impact was less than
it a serious incident?- Had it ever happened before?-				expected.OPPOSING that idea was the move to new
Why did they start on the third floor?- What about the				technologies.HOWEVER, that approach may actually
first two floors?- How big/high was the building?- Is				prove better.CONTRARY to his findings, the revenue
three hours a long time for that?- How long does it				picture is good.NEVERTHELESS, something still
usually take?These are all logical (and obvious)				appears to be missing.SEQUENCE AND
questions that the				RELATIVITY...THEN, each one followed in numerical
average person might ask when reading a paragraph				sequence.IN ADDITION, a fourth material was added
made				to the mix.TO ENUMERATE, first there was the car,
up of the three sentences above.Let's transform				second the boat,...NEXT in the series was the
these now, using transition phrases:"UNLIKE the				"outrigger" brand line.BESIDES THAT, there were two
previous minor incident, this time the entire				other possible sources.SIMILARITY AND
building had to be searched. BECAUSE the fire was				COMPARISON...LIKE always, he took the company on
still				a dangerous course.SAME as before, he managed to
smoking on the first two floors, they had to start on				meet all of the requirements.SIMILAR things were
the				known to happen at certain times.CLOSE to that was
third, working upwards to the tenth, covering the first				the result of the second round of voting.LIKEWISE,
two floors last. CONSEQUENTLY, it took them a full				they made similar changes in the factory.ALSO, there
three hours before they finally completed the typical				were the worker's families to consider.NEAR that one,
two-hour job."Notice the use of the transition words:				was where we found the faulty
UNLIKE, BECAUSE,				component.EXPLANATION AND EXAMPLE...FOR
and CONSEQUENTLY. Using these three words has				EXAMPLE, last year's model was underpowered.ONE
allowed us				SUCH occurrence was last week's power
to easily connect the three independent sentences				outage.FOR INSTANCE, earnings this year are higher
and				than last.TO ILLUSTRATE, he went to Chicago just to
give them a sense of chronological order and logical				make his point.ALSO, there is a new approach to
flow.				sheet-metal moulding.TO DEMONSTRATE, I will use
They also allow us to answer ALL of the obvious				the new model throughout.The above are just
questions,				examples, and there many other such
either with the transition word itself, or by adding a				transition words and phrases that are used in
couple more words.In short, transition words/phrases				everyday
have turned three dry				conversation and writing. In my opinion, appropriate
independent phrases into a little story that makes				use
sense				of these words/phrases is the number one technique
to the reader.These types of words/phrases are ideal				for
for allowing one				making any type of writing flow logically and
to easily connect thoughts, and create logical				clearly.Bottom line: Smooth, orderly and logical
sequences				transitions
between sentences and paragraphs. They are usually				from one thought to the other, one sentence to the
inserted				next,
at the beginning of a sentence and normally refer				and one paragraph to another -- are key to creating
directly				clear
back to the previous sentence and/or paragraph				meaning and flow in any document. Transition words
without				and
repeating the specific subject.The following				phrases will achieve this for you.
paragraphs list some of the more common

Gwyc

Go With The Flow: Write With Transition Words and Phrases