Transitional Words(phrases).
DEFINITION: It is taken from the word transfer which means to take us from one idea to another idea. More clearly: The transition words/phrases connect ideas and also introduce contrast, agreement, purpose, result, conclusion, etc They are the words or words that transfer us from one idea to another idea.
check out conjunctions also:
Example:
- He is not only a doctor but also a pilot.
- He cooks delicious food. in fact. he is a professional chef.
These transitional words are used to show agreement, similarity, and addition.
| Transition words | Example | Transition words | Example |
| As well as | He performs as well as the others. | Too | He has a nice car, too. |
| As a matter of fact | He is not a good student, as a matter of fact, he does not want to join the school. | Then | You have to struggle hard then you will be able to compete. |
We use these transition words to show contrast, opposition, and limitation.
| Transition words | Example | Transition words | Example |
| Of course….but | Of course, I am intelligent but I can not do it. | Otherwise | 1. They should play the game well otherwise they’ll lose it. 2. we have to eat otherwise we will be weak. |
| On the other hand | 1. They should play the game well otherwise they’ll lose it. 2. We have to eat otherwise we will be weak. | Besides | Besides all the difficulties, we have to go to the party. |
The following transition words present specific conditions, intentions, and purposes.
| Transition words | Example | Transition words | Example |
| In order to | He went to the hall in order to find the man. He joined the club in order to learn to dance. | So that | He sleeps more so he is lazy. I will bring him so that I should do the work quickly. |
| In the event that | He seemed so good in the event that he made his century. | With this intention | They will find the thief; with this intention, they have complained. |
The following transition words are used to give examples, support, or emphasize the idea.
| Transition words | Example | Transition words | Example |
| For instance | I can teach many languages. For instance, English, Urdu, and Spanish. | With this in mind | He will win the game, with this in mind he took part in the competition. |
| Important to realize | It is important to realize that you have a healthy life. | In fact | She got the first position. In fact, she is working hard. |
Related articles: Simple Present tense.
Transition words that we use to express effect, consequence, and result:
Note: We use for and because before the consequence/result.
| Transition words | Example | Transition words | Example |
| For | They played well for the position. | Because | I let him go because he was ill. |
| Thus | I could not learn thus the teacher sent us out. | In that case | He smoked cigarettes; in that case, he was charged. |
we use these transitional words for the conclusion, summarizing, or restatement.
| Transition words | Example | Transition words | Example |
| Ultimately | After a lot of hard work, ultimately we could reach him. | In either case | Whether you do it or not, in either case, you will be at a loss. |
| To sum up | Pakistan played well, and India did better, to sum up, they all worked hard. | Overall | Their overall performances were good in all the matches of the tournament. |
when we talk about sequence, chronology, and time we use these transitional words.
| Transition words | Example | Transition words | Example |
| Sooner or later | Sooner or later we have to pay the fine. | As long as | As long as he plays well, won’t be out of the game. |
| As soon as | We have to go as soon as possible. | All of a sudden | Everything was going well, but all of a sudden something exploded. |
For mentioning the place and locations we use these transitional words.
| Transition words | Example | Transition words | Example |
| In the middle | They joined us in the middle of class. | Between | We offer ads between the two gaps |
| Next | she sits next to his sister. | Across | He came across the road after a lot of difficulties. |
Use transitional words according to the given command to fill in the blanks.
- He was standing ________________________ of the road. (Place)
- There is always a chance ___________________ he is there. (time)
- His ________________ points were a bit more than his rivals. (summary)
- Sacajawea worked hard ______________ he wanted to be in the tournament’s finals. (purpose)
- ______________________ he is a teacher ____________ he is not able to address the audience. (contrast)
- There will be a problem, _________________________ they did not play the game. (support)
- They will apply for the job _______________ they will be called for an interview. (addition)
- Germany has the highest rate of literacy _____________ they support their students. (reason)