By Virginia “Ginny” Gilroy, MA, Full-time Faculty and Lecturer, General Education
How can I transition smoothly between paragraphs?
Writers begin new paragraphs to introduce new ideas. Transitions indicate how those ideas are related. To write a smooth transition, tell the reader how the new idea relates to the previous idea.
Transitional words and phrases are helpful for the college writer. The Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin has compiled a list of helpful transitions. Notice how transitional words and phrases are grouped by their function. Some transitions add information to a previous idea, while others can contrast or clarify. If you’re stuck in your writing and need new ideas reviewing a list of transitions may even inspire new ideas.
University of Wisconsin: Transitional Words and Phrases: https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/style/transitions/
Another way to write a smooth transition is by using the known/new method—link what the reader already knows with new information using the keyword link. A keyword link echoes what the reader knows from the previous paragraph to the new idea or information being discussed in the next paragraph.
For an example of how to create transitions using the known/new method, see this video: https://youtu.be/6gku-vSf9Rk (start at 3:00)
For a concise summary of the known/new method, follow the link below to the George Mason University Writing Center: https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/guides/improving-cohesion-the-known-new-contract
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers students a thorough overall review of transitional expressions and techniques for writing transitions. https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/transitions/
