This tutorial covers body paragraphs—what they’re made up of, how to transition between these various parts, and how to transition between whole body paragraphs. You will use this information to further develop your communication skill. Specifically, this lesson will focus on:
1. Transitions
Now that you’ve seen some body paragraphs in action, you can think about the connections within and between them. Transitions are words, word combinations, and even sentences that highlight connections between ideas.
Because transitions make these connections, they help readers understand the relationships between different ideas, which in turn helps readers understand the whole essay better.
When you move between paragraphs, transitions help connect one big idea with the next, making the progression of ideas flow more smoothly. Then when you move between sentences within paragraphs, transitions do the same thing, helping you link smaller ideas with the same effect.
In both cases, transitions operate like signposts, pointing the reader to where the essay has been and where it’s going. Therefore, an essay that doesn’t have clear or regular transitions, uses its transitions ineffectively or even incorrectly, or just repeats the same transitions in every sentence and paragraph is going to be a weak piece of writing.
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- Transition
- Words, word combinations, and even sentences that highlight connections between ideas.
2. Transitions in Action
Read this essay example to identify the transitions and consider how they are working within and between the paragraphs.
In many homes this morning, the alarm went off at the usual time. Someone reached over and picked up a phone and turned it off. As she got out of bed, she looked at the weather forecast on the app on her home screen to decide what to wear. She went into the kitchen, set the phone on the counter, and asked Siri to play some music as she made breakfast. As she walked out the door, she messaged her best friend and reminded her to bring that book to work today. All of these tasks were accomplished with technology: a small phone that fits into our hands. With technology, we have the world literally at our fingertips. Though it isn’t perfect, technology is ultimately helpful to society because of the extreme convenience it provides, instant communication around the world, and easy access to information.
One of the biggest benefits is that technology makes accomplishing many tasks easier and quicker. Those morning tasks were all completed with just one piece of equipment, as opposed to needing an alarm clock to wake me up, a television to check the weather, and a radio to listen to music. Technology can also help us with information that is tailored to our own needs, which increases efficiency and effectiveness. For example, in a school setting, programs are designed to give students questions based on their reading levels. This, and many, many other tasks, are all accomplished through technology.
Another benefit is that technology also makes communicating with anyone around the world possible. Not only can we speak to someone, but with programs like Skype, Zoom, and FaceTime, we can see someone in real-time. This feature has been priceless during the pandemic, where people are trying to avoid being in the same room, but still have to complete business. It is also a great benefit when families have to be apart: they can still receive photos and messages from loved ones. Technology brings us together.
Finally, technology allows people to have easy access to information. We can learn almost anything just by typing a few keys. For example, if someone needed to fix a part on the car, but wasn’t sure how, that person could look up a few articles and watch a YouTube video, and was able to take care of the problem. Technology also helps increase accountability. It is difficult for others to lie to us or give us false information when it is so simple to double-check that information. Technology leads to a more informed society, which is good for everyone.
However, some people use technology in a negative way. We have all receive scam emails trying to trick people out of their hard-earned money. In addition, many people use the internet as a venue for bullying. Cyberbullying has become a real concern. The relative anonymity of the internet as well as the ease of access to people all over the world creates a perfect venue for bullying. However, nothing is perfect, but the benefits of technology outweigh the disadvantages.
All things considered, technology has improved our lives. Yes, there are some negatives, such as cyberbullying or an increase in identity theft. It is also very frustrating when technology has issues or fails. However, the benefits far outweigh the negatives. Technology has allowed us to do more tasks more swiftly than ever before.
Notice how the author is transitioning between paragraphs here. Transitions in the above essay include:
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“One of the biggest benefits is that technology makes accomplishing many tasks easier and quicker. Those morning tasks...”
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“Another benefit is that technology also makes communicating with anyone around the world possible. Not only can...”
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“Finally, technology allows people to have easy access to information. We can learn almost anything just by typing a few keys. For example...”
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“Unfortunately, some people use technology in a negative way. We have all receive scam emails trying to trick people out of their hard-earned money. In addition...”
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“All things considered, technology has improved our lives. Yes, there are...”
The second paragraph starts with “one benefit” to show that this is going to be a discussion of the benefits of technology. This will be one of the arguments to support the thesis. Then the author follows up on that discussion in the next paragraph, beginning with “Another benefit.”
Transitions can also signal to the reader that the essay will change focus. Words like “however,” “on the other hand,” or “in contrast” can all signal to the reader that the writer is going to look at a counterargument. In this paragraph, the author has used the transition word “however” to signal to look at a counterargument and take a brief look at the negatives of technology.
In all of these ways, the paragraphs, their examples, and even these transitions help point the reader back to the thesis statement and thus to the main idea and purpose of this essay.
This chart may help you find good transitions for your own essay.
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Additional Information
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Examples
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Contrast
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Conclusions
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In addition
Also
Likewise
As well
Additionally
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As an example
For instance
For example
Namely
Specifically
To illustrate
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However
On the other hand
Critics may claim
Opponents say
In contrast
On the contrary
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To summarize
To reiterate
In summary
In conclusion
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Cause and effect
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Sequence
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Emphasis
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Time
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In effect
Due to this
Since
Thus
Therefore
As a result
Consequently
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First
Second
Third
Then
Next
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In fact
Indeed
Of course
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After
Before
Simultaneously
Meanwhile
During
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Transitions may not seem important, but they are crucial to a good essay. If you have valid information but weak transitions, the reader will likely be confused and may not be able to follow the message you’ve written. Practicing transitions make your essays flow coherently, making you an effective communicator.
In this tutorial, you learned that transitions, or words and phrases that highlight connections between ideas, are a useful way to show your reader the relationships between your ideas. Transitions can be used to connect separate paragraphs as well as individual sentences within a single paragraph. You looked at an example of transitions in action, and you learned how to improve your communication skills by writing effective transitions.
Best of luck in your learning!
