Transitional Phrases
Transitional phrases are sets of words that bridge ideas in writing. No piece of writing is exclusively about one single topic, and even a short work needs to move between the ideas it contains. Transitions in writing help establish order and relationships between these different ideas to make the writing easier to understand. The purpose of most writing is to convey information, and if that information is not presented properly, the work will not meet its most basic requirement.
There are different kinds of transitions: between sections, between paragraphs, and within paragraphs.
Transitions between sections are usually for longer works such as dissertations or books. These are typically paragraphs that summarize a section to better explain new information in a new section in anticipation of new ideas being introduced or to refresh the reader's memory.
Transitions between paragraphs allow information to move smoothly between topics. These transitions can be found at the beginning of the paragraph, the end, or both. For example, a paragraph might end with a sentence describing the relationship between one idea and a second idea, leading to the following paragraph which would explain the second in detail. Such a transition would imply a clear connection between both ideas.
Transitions within paragraphs are the shortest and can be as short as one word. These transitions connect sentences within a single idea being explained. These transitions are typically at the beginning of sentences.
Transitional Sentences
Transitional sentences are sentences that connect ideas. They make two other sentences easier to read by clarifying their connection and helping ideas flow better.
For example, consider these two sentences:
"He took the online course to prepare for his driver's test. He failed with the lowest score."
The sentences follow an explanation of an event. They imply some sort of connection between taking the online course and not passing, but it's unclear. Information essential to understanding a thesis should never be left up to interpretation if there is a specific way that information needs to be presented in the context of a work. As the sentences are written, the result of failing the test could be in the course or on the test-taker. The addition of a transitional sentence would clarify the relationship between both statements. For example:
"He took the online course to prepare for his driver's test. However, he took the courses while watching television and didn't pay attention. He failed with the lowest score."
The second sentence now has a transition that clarifies the relationship between the first and second sentence. The transition clarifies that the course was not directly to blame, but rather that the subject failed to use it correctly.
Transition Words Between Paragraphs
Transition words between paragraphs can show how one idea leads to the next. They also help clarify where one idea ends and another begins. Transitions between paragraphs can also lead to greater coherence and make the writing easier to read. It's important to look for relationships and commonalities between the body paragraphs to link them together.
For example, consider a paragraph that praises a restaurant's menu. The following paragraph might be about a new topic like the service, so the transition between these two paragraphs might read as follows:
"These delectable dishes are all brought by a friendly and knowledgeable staff that makes every other part of the meal enjoyable."
Transitional phrases and sentences help create a smooth reading experience so people stay engaged with your content.
Transitional phrases and sentences
You’re reading an article online. After a few seconds, you can’t remember what you’re reading and why. You’ve lost track.
Sound familiar?
When we read someone else’s content, it’s easy to spot the friction.
We stumble across a phrase. We misinterpret a reference. We get confused and reread a sentence. Or worse, we have to go back a few paragraphs to pick up the flow.
Whenever that happens, the writer has failed to communicate with clarity.
But how do you prevent readers from losing track? How do you keep readers engaged?
Creating a smooth reading experience is like maintaining a bicycle chain
When your chain gets muddy, it starts to squeak and rattle. Pedaling becomes harder. And perhaps the chain might even drop off.
For a smooth riding experience, you first remove the dirt from your chain (my husband recommends the aptly named Muc Off), and then you apply lube to reduce friction and prevent rust.
When editing your content, you do exactly the same. First you remove the dirt from your content—you eliminate wordiness and replace weak phrases. And then you apply writer’s lube—the transitional tricks for a smooth reading experience.
Want to learn the 6 types of writer’s lube to reduce friction and keep readers engaged?
Transition trick #1: Transitional words and phrases
Just like drops of oil make your bicycle chain move without friction, transitional words make readers glide through your content.
Transitional words make the reading experience smoother because they explain the relation between two sentences. Examples of transitional words and phrases include:
- And
- But
- Or
- However
- In contrast
- Because
- For instance
- So
You can use transitional words at the beginning of a sentence to explain the relation with a previous sentence, or to connect two parts of one sentence. Here’s an example:
You have ideas to share, but nobody listens.
You’re asking for a sale, but you’re ignored.
You want to inspire people, but everybody continues doing their own thing.
Sometimes you want to shout HEY! YOU! LISTEN!!!!
But you’d look like an idiot. And you know it wouldn’t work.
How often you use transitional words, and whether you use them at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence, depends on the rhythm.
Let’s look at the previous example again, but chop up the first three sentences. Read the example below aloud and you’ll notice it becomes a little too abrupt.
You have ideas to share. But nobody listens.
You’re asking for a sale. But you’re ignored.
You want to inspire people. But everybody continues doing their own thing.
Sometimes you want to shout HEY! YOU! LISTEN!!!!
But you’d look like an idiot. And you know it wouldn’t work.
It’s a little monotonous, right?
Your writing requires a variation between long and short sentences.
Now, let’s remove all transitional words, and see how difficult it becomes to figure out the relation between sentences:
You have ideas to share. Nobody listens.
You’re asking for a sale. You’re ignored.
You want to inspire people. Everybody continues doing their own thing.
You want to shout HEY! YOU! LISTEN!!!!
You’d look like an idiot. You know it wouldn’t work.
If you’re finding it hard to decide how to chop up your sentences, read content of other writers aloud or copy it by hand. Over time, you’ll internalize the rhythm and your writing will improve.
Transition trick #2: Short transitional questions
Short questions can act like changing gears.
Changing gears?
Yep, just like in cycling, in writing you often move up or down a gear.
For instance, in your introductory paragraph, you’ve empathized with your reader, you’ve explained you understand his problem and you’ve promised to help him solve it. Now, you want to shift up a gear to share your tips. To indicate the start of the section with tips, use a short and engaging question:
- Ready to get started?
- Sound good?
- Shall we begin?
Addressing your readers with short questions makes your content conversational and engaging, and you encourage your reader to read on.
Transition trick #3: Short transitional sentences
A few years ago, I bought a new bicycle.
But each time I cycled uphill and changed gears, the chain fell off. Can you picture me? At the road side. Bike against a hedge. Hands black from muck and grease.
To sort out this chain frustration, I now have a rubber dog fang. The dog fang prevents the chain from falling off.
Your reader requires a similar dog fang to prevent him from losing track and clicking away. That’s what short transitional sentences are for. They often end with an ellipsis (three dots).
Here are some examples of transitional sentences:
- Let me explain why …
- And now comes the best part …
- Not only that …
- What’s more …
- Even more importantly …
Legendary copywriter Joe Sugarman calls these transitional phrases seeds of curiosity. These phrases are especially effective at the end of a paragraph to encourage readers to start the next paragraph.
Transition trick #4: Word connectors
Have you ever watched a comedian and wondered how he moved from jokes about his first love to politics and then on to Christmas dinners?
The secret to moving from topic to topic without losing your readers or listeners are word connectors. Word connectors are words that are repeated in subsequent sentences.
You see what I just did?
I repeated the phrase “word connectors” to connect the two sentences together. This trick can be used anywhere in your writing, but is particularly useful for metaphors.
Here’s an example from an article comparing cooking skills and writing skills:
A chef needs to learn chopping, sautéing, roasting, and grilling. She needs to understand what makes a meal nutritious and how to select dishes that taste well together. She needs to practice separating eggs, making roti, and cutting a perfect carrot flower.
Cooking mini-skills are pretty clear.
But writing mini-skills seem fuzzier.
Note how the repetition of the word “mini-skills” helps transition the reader from cooking to writing.
Here’s another example from an article about eliminating weak phrases to spice up bland content:
A coke quenches your thirst and appears to give energy, but its nutritional value is low. A fruit smoothie sounds healthy, but may have a ton of added sweeteners.
Words with low nutritional value are similar. They seem to have a meaning, but their meaning is weak.
Repeating a variation of the phrase “low nutritional value” helps readers move to the next topic.
Transition trick #5: Pronouns
Pronouns (words like they, it, he, her) play a similar role as word connectors, but you have to be careful what or whom the pronoun refers to. In the example below, the reader doesn’t know whose ice cream I’m referring to.
The kid was angry with her mother because of her ice cream.
Try instead:
The kid was angry because she had only one scoop of ice cream, and her mother took three scoops.
Ambiguity confuses readers and makes them stop to consider your message. And as soon as readers stop, they consider clicking away, too.
Take away ambiguity, and readers glide through your text. Effortlessly.
Transition trick #6: Subheads
Bicyclists can argue for hours about the best way to keep your bike chain free from rust. Use WD-40. Use Tri-flow. Use light oil. Re-lube more often.
But your content requires a mix of tricks for the smoothest reading experience. And you know the strongest lube to keep your readers hooked? That’s the use of seductive subheads.
Make sure your subheads arouse curiosity or promise a benefit for reading on. And if you’re explaining a series of tips or tricks, then number your subheads to provide a cue to readers where they are in your content.
When your reader’s mind starts to wander off, a seductive subhead entices him back. It encourages people to keep reading, and helps them move to the next topic without friction.
The truth about your task as a writer
Creating a smooth reading experience requires a singular and obsessive focus.
On your readers.
Empathize with your readers, and understand which squeaks and rattles are slowing them down. Take away ambiguity, and eliminate confusion.
Read your content through your reader’s eyes, and spend more time editing your content.
Make the flow of your words as smooth as a brand-new bicycle chain.