Employ Effective Transitions Within and Between Paragraphs

1. Transitions Within Paragraphs: Sentences in a paragraph can be organized in many ways. Chronological order--the order in which events occur over time--is one way. Logical progression-in which one point is the logical result of what precedes it-is another. The paragraph on the Mono Basin is actually organized according to physical space: we begin near the lake, and move outward as the paragraph progresses.

The writer, furthermore, uses transition words (such as "however," "farther," etc.) to help guide us through the changes in meaning from one sentence to the next.

You can also guide your reader by referring to key parts of the previous sentence in the next. These techniques are extremely important in making sure your reader understands what you're saying. Beginning writers and ESL writers often have trouble with transitions, so it can be helpful to have a friend or teacher read your work to see what kinds of transitions you might need.

There are many transition words and phrases that you'll learn to use over time. Here are just a few:

    therefore

    for example

    also

    however

    moreover

    instead

    despite

    because

    within

    further

2. Transitions Between Paragraphs: We need the same kind of guidance in moving between paragraphs. Let's take a look at the paragraph that immediately follows the one on the Mono Basin:

    Compared to the generally severe conditions in the Mono Basin, the Owens Valley is a kinder landscape, which the vegetation reflects. Due to an abundance of groundwater at or near the surface, the vegetation of the valley itself is denser than that of the surrounding hills. Cattle graze in lush pastures; green fields of alfalfa grow with sprinkler irrigation, testimony to the region's vast water supply. Sage and rabbitbrush also grow in the valley, but even they are thicker and healthier than their counterparts in the Basin.

The first sentence (again, the topic sentence of the paragraph), takes us smoothly into the subject matter of this next paragraph. The writer moves from Mono Basin to the Owens Valley by setting up a contrast between the conditions in each region. The contrast is explicitly stated in the word "compared," so that readers know right away that our focus will be shifting. Notice, too, that this whole paragraph is structured by comparison: the last sentence, about sage and rabbitbrush, reminds us of what we learned in the previous paragraph, but builds on it with new information in a new context.

For another example, here is a paragraph that doesn't use enough transition words. It's from an essay in favor of teaching algebra to younger students:

The Third International Mathematics and Science Study showed US students scoring lower than the world average in math. Schools should start teaching algebra to middle school students, instead of waiting until high school. Students do not have time to advance to calculus courses by the 12th grade. US students are not sufficiently prepared to compete in the global market for high-tech careers.