how to write transitions in essay

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Writing Transitions

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Good transitions can connect paragraphs and turn disconnected writing into a unified whole. Instead of treating paragraphs as separate ideas, transitions can help readers understand how paragraphs work together, reference one another, and build to a larger point. The key to producing good transitions is highlighting connections between corresponding paragraphs. By referencing in one paragraph the relevant material from previous paragraphs, writers can develop important points for their readers.

It is a good idea to continue one paragraph where another leaves off. (Instances where this is especially challenging may suggest that the paragraphs don't belong together at all.) Picking up key phrases from the previous paragraph and highlighting them in the next can create an obvious progression for readers. Many times, it only takes a few words to draw these connections. Instead of writing transitions that could connect any paragraph to any other paragraph, write a transition that could only connect one specific paragraph to another specific paragraph.

Writing Studio

Common transition words and phrases.

In an effort to make our handouts more accessible, we have begun converting our PDF handouts to web pages. Download this page as a PDF: Transitions Return to Writing Studio Handouts

Transitions clarify the logic of your argument by orienting your reader as you develop ideas between sentences and paragraphs. These tools should alert readers to shifts in your argument while and also maintain the smoothness and clarity of your prose. Below, you’ll find some of the most commonly used transition categories and examples of each. Depending on the example, these suggestions may be within sentences or at the beginning of sentences.

Transitions by Category

1. addition.

Use when presenting multiple ideas that flow in the same direction, under the same heading/ idea also, another, finally, first, first of all, for one thing, furthermore, in addition, last of all, likewise, moreover, next, and, second, the third reason

2. Sequence/ Order

Use to suggest a temporal relationship between ideas; places evidence in sequence first, second (etc.), next, last, finally, first of all, concurrently, immediately, prior to, then, at that time, at this point, previously, subsequently, and then, at this time, thereafter, previously, soon, before, after, followed by, after that, next, before, after, meanwhile, formerly, finally, during

3. Contrast

Use to demonstrate differences between ideas or change in argument direction but, however, in contrast, on the other hand, on the contrary, yet, differ, difference, balanced against, differing from, variation, still, on the contrary, unlike, conversely, otherwise, on the other hand, however

4. Exception

Use to introduce an opposing idea however, whereas, on the other hand, while, instead, in spite of, yet, despite, still, nevertheless, even though, in contrast, but, but one could also say…

5. Comparison

Use to demonstrate similarities between ideas that may not be under the same subject heading or within the same paragraph like, likewise, just, in a different way / sense, whereas, like, equally, in like manner, by comparison, similar to, in the same way, alike, similarity, similarly, just as, as in a similar fashion, conversely

6. Illustration

Use to develop or clarify an idea, to introduce examples, or to show that the second idea is subordinate to the first for example, to illustrate, on this occasion, this can be seen, in this case, specifically, once, to illustrate, when/where, for instance, such as, to demonstrate, take the case of, in this case

7. Location

Use to show spatial relations next to, above, below, beneath, left, right, behind, in front, on top, within

8. Cause and Effect

Use to show that one idea causes, or results from, the idea that follows or precedes it because, therefore, so that, cause, reason, effect, thus, consequently, since, as a result, if…then, result in

9. Emphasis

Use to suggest that an idea is particularly important to your argument important to note, most of all, a significant factor, a primary concern, a key feature, remember that, pay particular attention to, a central issue, the most substantial issue, the main value, a major event, the chief factor, a distinctive quality, especially valuable, the chief outcome, a vital force, especially relevant, most noteworthy, the principal item, above all, should be noted

10. Summary or Conclusion

Use to signal that what follows is summarizing or concluding the previous ideas; in humanities papers, use these phrases sparingly. to summarize, in short, in brief, in sum, in summary, to sum up, in conclusion, to conclude, finally

Some material adapted from Cal Poly Pomona College Reading Skills Program and “ Power Tools for Technical Communication .” 

Writing Effective Sentence Transitions (Advanced)

Transitions are the rhetorical tools that clarify the logic of your argument by orienting your reader as you develop ideas between sentences and paragraphs. The ability to integrate sentence transitions into your prose, rather than simply throwing in overt transition signals like “in addition,” indicates your mastery of the material. (Note: The visibility of transitions may vary by discipline; consult with your professor to get a better sense of discipline or assignment specific expectations.)

Transition Signals

Transition signals are words or phrases that indicate the logic connecting sets of information or ideas. Signals like therefore, on the other hand, for example, because, then, and afterwards can be good transition tools at the sentence and paragraph level. When using these signals, be conscious of the real meaning of these terms; they should reflect the actual relationship between ideas.

Review Words

Review words are transition tools that link groups of sentences or whole paragraphs. They condense preceding discussion into a brief word or phrase. For example: You’ve just completed a detailed discussion about the greenhouse effect. To transition to the next topic, you could use review words like “this heat-trapping process” to refer back to the green house effect discussion. The relative ability to determine a cogent set of review words might signal your own understanding of your work; think of review words as super-short summaries of key ideas.

Preview words

Preview words condense an upcoming discussion into a brief word or phrase. For example: You’ve just explained how heat is trapped in the earth’s atmosphere. Transitioning to the theory that humans are adding to that effect, you could use preview words like “sources of additional CO2 in the atmosphere include” to point forward to that discussion.

Transition Sentences

The strongest and most sophisticated tools, transition sentences indicate the connection between the preceding and upcoming pieces of your argument. They often contain one or more of the above transition tools. For example: You’ve just discussed how much CO2 humans have added to the atmosphere. You need to transition to a discussion of the effects. A strong set of transition sentences between the two sections might sound like this:

“These large amounts of CO2 added to the atmosphere may lead to a number of disastrous consequences for residents of planet earth. The rise in global temperature that accompanies the extra CO2 can yield effects as varied as glacial melting and species extinction.”

In the first sentence, the review words are “These large amounts of CO2 added to the atmosphere”; the preview words are “number of disastrous consequences”; the transition signals are “may lead to.” The topic sentence of the next paragraph indicates the specific “disastrous consequences” you will discuss.

If you don’t see a way to write a logical, effective transition between sentences, ideas or paragraphs, this might indicate organizational problems in your essay; you might consider revising your work.

Some material adapted from Cal Poly Pomona College Reading Skills Program  and “ Power Tools for Technical Communication .”

Last revised: 07/2008 | Adapted for web delivery: 05/2021

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How to Write a Great Transition Sentence

I really like Thai food. Speaking of which, I just started an amazing documentary series on national parks. Speaking of which, the Pacific Ocean is beautiful in winter. Which makes me wonder how confused you feel right now.

You’re probably pretty confused. And if you thought we wrote the above seriously, you’d maybe not trust us a whole lot (as writers) heading forward.

Those two things (avoiding confusion, building trust) are great qualities to develop in your writing.

By building better transitions. 

In this post, we’ll cover: 

What good transitions look like

Why good transitions are important

Why building trust with your reader is important

Two ways to earn your reader’s trust

A quick diagnostic tool to determine if your transitions really are the issue

When’s the best time to start over/brainstorm new ideas

9 different transition techniques

What good transition sentences look like

To get a clear sense of why good transitions are important, read the body paragraphs in the “ Builder and Problem-Solver ” essay without reading the bolded parts .

Take a second to actually do this.

How lost do you feel?

Now read the transition sentences in the “ Builder and Problem-Solver ” essay (the ones in bold). 

Way clearer now, right? And do you see how, even if you only read those bolded sentences, you can kinda’ still see where the essay is going? That’s what good transitions can do.

Imagine your personal statement is a map that guides the reader—in the case of the admission reader, a stranger—through the territory of you. Think for a minute from that stranger’s perspective—out in the wilderness, trying to navigate the twists and turns of your heart and brain, with just this map. 

Part of your job as a writer is to metaphorically put your hand on the readers’ shoulder and say, “I got you.” To build trust.

Why do you want to build trust with your reader? Because if they don’t trust that your essay is going somewhere informative, or interesting, they might start skimming.

Two ways to build trust with your reader

Below are two ways—and neither is “better,” by the way; both work great.

Option A: Provide a clear map at the start.

Here’s an example intro from an essay that does this:

Lola the lamb. Diego the snake. Jack the Dog. Nutmeg the rabbit. And a Bearded Dragon named Zigzag. No, these aren’t weird titles for kids books. These are actually some of my greatest teachers. But why have I grown up with such a diverse cast? For many reasons, my connection and experiences with these animals have been a major part of shaping who I am today . 

Reading this, we can pretty much tell that this essay is going to be about how animals have shaped the author. We’ve bolded the “map” so it’s super clear.

But you don’t have to provide such a clear map at the start if you give clear signposts along the way. 

So here’s another possibility:

Option B: Draw us in with a creative opening, then provide clear signposts (i.e., transitions) to guide us along the way.

For a list of 9 creative ways to start your essay, click here . But if you choose a more creative opening, your transitions may be even more important. Why?

Check out the “Poop, Animals, and the Environment” essay at this link . The opening reads: 

I have been pooped on many times. I mean this in the most literal sense possible. I have been pooped on by pigeons and possums, house finches and hawks, egrets and eastern grays.

At the start, it’s not quite clear where we’re going. Check out the next sentences:

I don’t mind it, either. For that matter, I also don’t mind being pecked at, hissed at, scratched and bitten—and believe me, I have experienced them all.

Still not 100% clear. Is this an essay about working with animals? Sort of. For a while. But then it turns out to be about something else (environmentalism). But this essay works because the transitions—which we’ve highlighted in bold at this link —guide us through the twists and turns of the essay.

The takeaway for this section: Again, part of your job as a writer is to let the reader know they can trust you. You can do this by a) providing a clear map at the start, b) using clear signposts/transitions along the way, or c) both.

This guide will show you a few different options for setting up your signposts/transitions.

But before we show you different transition options, it’s first worth doing a quick diagnosis to make sure your transitions really are the issue.

The Flow Diagnostic: How to know if your transitions are really the issue

Why are we talking about this?

Because one of the most common mistakes students make is thinking that they only need to tweak the transitions (when they actually need to do more). 

To explain using that map analogy: Sometimes, the problem is that you forgot to tell your reader/stranger to take a left at the fork (with a clearer transition). Other times, the problem is that the territory of you that you’re discussing isn’t even on the same map, in which case you may want to consider either a larger restructuring or (honestly) a new topic.

So how do you diagnose if what you need to tweak is only (or mostly) your transitions?

The Flow Diagnostic: Can you outline your essay from memory?

This short exercise takes about 10 minutes, and you can do it either with another person or on your own.

How to do this with another person: 

Without looking at your essay, tell that person your essay. 

Have them take notes on what you're saying. 

When you’re done, have them tell it back to you. 

Is it clear? If so, maybe you just need to tweak the transitions. 

If one or both of you are confused, talk it out until a) each idea is clear, and b) the connection between the ideas are clear. Bullet point them. Then you should have your new transitions.

At that point, try writing a new outline using those bullet points and THEN writing a new draft.

Important: Write your new outline from scratch (based on the new flow) and write your new draft from scratch too. (It’s sometimes hard to let go of a previous draft, but trust me that it’ll likely be faster and lead to a better essay if you do this.)

Then come back to this post if you need to.

How to do this by yourself: 

Record yourself talking through your essay—again, without actually looking at it. (Tip: Use the voice memo feature on your phone, if you have one.)

Listen back to yourself, then create a bullet-point outline of the separate ideas/chunks/story “beats” of your essay.

You may be surprised at how just doing this can help clarify the flow of your ideas. 

Also notice: How much of what you said was actually in your previous essay draft? And how much was in your mind, but not yet in your essay?

Looking back at what you wrote down, see if you can split your story into 5-8 chunks. These will become the sections of your essay, and maybe even your paragraphs. (Note that if you have 8 or more “chunks,” your paragraphs will have to be pretty short.)

Here’s an example for the “ Poop, Animals, and the Environment ” essay above: 

When I’m working with animals, I know their health and welfare is completely in my hands

That’s why I worked at the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley over the summer

But when it was over, I felt there was more to do, and I had some responsibility to do it.

That’s what also pushes me toward environmental activism...

Sometimes I have mixed/complex feelings around that, but...

Ultimately, I feel I have to keep going. 

When’s the best time to start over/brainstorm new ideas?

If this works (or starts to work) for you, great! It could be that your transitions are the issue. Keep reading below for ideas on making those transitions work.

If this does not at all work for you, it may be worth brainstorming new topic ideas. Why?

The best time to try a new idea is right now. Because right now, you’ll have more time than you’ll ever have to make something new work.

Click here for some brainstorming exercises.

All that said, here are ...

9 transition techniques (and what they’re useful for)

1. the “what i did next” transition.

As its name implies, this approach uses language that directly sets up for the reader what you did next. It will generally use some phrasing that sets up the chronological relationship to where we’ve been so far, and frequently discusses how the focus of the previous paragraph played into your new focus.

A great example of this is the “ Builder and Problem-Solver ” essay referenced above. Notice how the transitions help us follow, in a chronological way, the author’s journey from problem-solver to lock-picker to art-maker to coder. The transitions provide signposts guiding us along the way.

For another good example of this, check out the “ Makeup ” essay. Again, notice how the author guides us through the body using clear transitions.

Slight Variation: “The Steps I Took to Solve a Problem” Approach

This variation takes a similar approach, but uses language that clarifies how each paragraph is the next step in pursuit of a particular solution (generally, to a problem that themes the essay).

For an example, check out the “ Does Every Life Matter? ” essay. Note that the twists and turns are mostly in pursuit of the author’s attempt to solve the problem/answer the question he raises at the start of the essay.

2. The “Steps I Took to Level Up” Transition

Like the “What I Did Next” transition, this approach will generally use language that indicates progress/relationship in time to what came prior (e.g., “I began to …”), but this one focuses on how what you did next helped you build on what you’d done previously, showing how you’ve grown, gained skills and insights … and leveled up.

Notice how in the “ Flying ” essay, for example, these three transition sentences help us see how the paragraphs act in a chain, with each presenting a way in which the author is expanding in complexity, skill, and insight: “I began to challenge myself academically” + “I also elected to participate in my school’s engineering pathway” + “Most of all, I sought to solve problems that impact the real world.”

3. The “Connecting Back to Your Topic” Transition

With this approach, you establish your central topic, then connect back to it in your transition sentences.

Notice in the “ Translating ” essay, for example, how each transition sentence connects back to the central theme: 

“Translation means reinterpreting my Calculus teacher’s description of L’hospital’s rule into a useful tool for solving the limits.”

“My talent for translating also applies to my role as a ‘therapist’ for my family and friends.”

“My knack for translating has led me to become a real-life Korean language translator.” 

4. The “That Last Thing Mattered in This Way ...” Transition

This transition is, essentially, the basic form of just about all the other transitions in this guide. For example, the “What I Did Next” or “Leveling Up” approaches are more specific versions of “That Last Thing Mattered in This Way,” but provide your reader with a more specific connection. We’re adding this “That Last Thing” technique as a catch-all: in the somewhat rare case that none of the other approaches here work for you, it’s virtually guaranteed this one has you covered.

To illustrate: in the “ 12 ” essay, for example, the author uses “That secret desire manifested itself in different ways” and “That view held sway until a conversation with my friend Alex, the fastest receiver on the team” to give us as readers an anchorpoint. And while what he gets into in the paragraphs contains elements of growth and what he did next, the focus and function of these are different. For example, the latter example is used to set up a pivotal shift in perception.

(Side note on usage: it’s useful to note that these transitions could probably have come at the ends of the previous paragraphs, or at the beginning, as they do.)

Want some guidance on your college applications?

Schedule a meeting to work with my team., 5. the “chapter heading/mission impossible/quentin tarantino” transition.

This approach essentially uses section headers to help a reader understand one piece in relation to another, whether that’s simple chronology (“Day 4,” “February 2020”), or something that puts a container around the text that follows (“Chapter 1: The Realization About My Family”), or something that plays off the thematic thread (see “This is me”).

There are many ways to do this, and one of our favorites examples is the “ This Is Me ” essay, which uses different identities—“I am Mexican,” “I am Chinese,” “I am American,” etc.—as transitions. Other examples include the “ Quattro Lingue ” essay (“Day 1,” “Day 3,” “Day 6,” etc.) and the “ Arab Spring in Bahrain ” essay (“February 2011,” “September 2013,” etc.). 

6. The Zoom-In Transition

With this approach, your next paragraph is a more in-depth exploration of something you just discussed in a broader way. You build a sentence that uses language clarifying what aspect you’ll be zooming in on (and maybe why).

For example, check out this excerpt from a student essay (we’ve bolded the Zoom-In):

Chapter 2: The Realization about My Father When I was 12 years old I began to explore a variety of new communities, including indie punk rock, existentialism, YouTube gaming, and Quotev storytelling.  One community in particular that impacted me was the LGBTQ community. I remember watching a number of “coming out” videos and listening to people’s experiences coming to terms with their identity. The more I listened, the more I grew to understand the discrimination they faced. Seeing their struggles, I became inspired to increase my online advocacy in small ways…

Notice how that transition sets her up nicely to shift into a more focused discussion of specific ways a community has shaped her values and understanding. That’s an added bonus of this transition: To use it well, you have to be getting more specific (which, as a general rule, is a great thing in essay writing).

Also notice that she uses the “Chapter Heading” approach as well to set up the wider map of the essay for the reader.

7. The “But That’s Not the Only Example of This Thing I Just Talked about ...” Transition  

We know that name sounds crazy specific, but that’s because this approach kinda’ is. It works particularly well at the start of your essay (say, after the opening paragraph) to transition from a) a specific example of a thing to b) another example of a thing. Often, you’ll state the theme of the essay explicitly, helping to build in the reader’s mind the “map” we mentioned earlier. 

A simple example of this might be a student who opens the essay showing an example of when listening was important in their life. The transition might be something like, “That’s not the only time listening led me to changing my mind about something,” signaling that we’re about to hear about other times that listening led to a shift in the author’s perspective.

You’ll find another example in the “ Happiness Spreadsheet ” essay, where the author begins with a few specific descriptions of how he tracks his happiness on a daily basis on a spreadsheet. He then transitions at the end of his first paragraph with, “But the practical aspect of the spreadsheet is only a piece of what it has represented in my life” and—boom—the words “only a piece” signals that this essay is likely to be about how the spreadsheet connects to other parts of his life.

8. Slightly More Advanced: The “Okay, Now I’m Gonna’ Switch Topics” Transition

This one works if you start with one topic but then want to either switch to something more interesting, expansive, or insightful, or honestly, just maybe don’t have enough to say about your first topic. (Heads up: this one is a little tricky to pull off, and takes a bit more time to craft well and make work.)

You’ll find an example of this in the “ Poop, Animals and the Environment ” essay mentioned above, which begins by describing the author’s engagement with animal welfare. But part way through, the author essentially switches to a whole different topic—environmentalism—with this transition: “I couldn’t just abandon them the same way I couldn’t let big oil companies completely devastate the Arctic, earth’s air conditioner.” taking us in a new direction. While this might be a bit jarring to some, the author works to justify it by linking through both their values and the link to animal welfare (“wiping out ocean life”).

Another example of this is the “ Entoptic Phenomenon ” essay.

9. Slightly More Advanced: The Thematic/Threaded Transition

A more advanced technique (as in, one that requires a little more time and energy to use effectively) involves using a single word to set up the thread between paragraphs. This has to be done in a way that makes it obvious for the reader what you’re doing, while still feeling subtle (which is why it sometimes takes longer to do well).

For example, in the “ Home ” essay, the first, second, and fourth paragraphs all end with the word “home.” The third doesn’t to avoid feeling repetitive. The author had to do this because she wanted to end with her intro (which is also an advanced technique; for more on that, see 10 Ways to End a Personal Statement ). She also spent several drafts experimenting.

What to do next

If you haven’t already, run through that diagnostic toward the beginning to figure out if it’s just the transitions that need to be fixed, or if there are bigger issues to address.

Once you’ve done that, and, assuming it’s just the transitions, once you’ve used some of the techniques above to help your reader orient on the map of you that is your essay, you’re hopefully getting pretty close to set. To check, take a look at the Great College Essay Test .

Looking for more tips for writing the personal statement? Head over to my Ultimate Guide to Writing a College Essay .

Another great read: College Application & Admissions Timeline (AKA What Should I be Doing Right Now?)

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How Do I Include Transition Words in My Essay?

• DESCRIPTION how to use transition words in an essay
• SOURCE Oatyco / iStock / Getty Images Plus
• PERMISSION Used under Getty Images license

English teachers often ask students to include transition words in their essays. Transition words connect ideas in sentences and paragraphs. Therefore, they're an important part of writing.

Using Transition Words

Have you ever talked to someone who jumped around a lot in their conversation? It can be difficult to follow their train of thought. Well, transition phrases prevent your writing from doing a similar thing.

Sequential words like "first," "second," "then," and "afterward" are great for organizational purposes. But you can also tie thoughts together with words like "nevertheless" or "however." Even simple words like "and" and "but" can tie sentences and paragraphs together in informal writing.

• The process of writing an essay is quite simple. First, you should start with a great idea and brainstorm some details for it.
• Some might argue that liberal arts education is unimportant in today’s economy. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
• Making a casserole is a multi-step process that can be confusing for some beginning cooks. But a good set of instructions can help.

Here are some tips on how to use transition words in an essay.

1. Keep Transition Words in Mind as You Plan

Transition words run the risk of being overused. The key to using them efficiently is to add enough to make the reader understand the points being made without using so many that the phrases become cumbersome. Let's look at the writing process, which will help you decide where to place them and how often to use them.

Transition Words in the Writing Process

The only way to get better at writing is to do more writing. As for transitions, try a few different ones on for size. Let's review the writing process:

• brainstorming

Noting Transitions in Your Outline

Planning an outline will help you see where you need to place transition words and tie your thoughts together. Then, as you enter into your first draft, you'll already have your needle threaded and can neatly sew your paragraphs together.

1. Introduction - Write a personal anecdote about being a new student. 2. Many students must make a school transition due to moves, etc. (Possible transition: “I was not alone in the experience of changing schools.”) 3. Social connections are important for student success. (Possible transition: “As a result of these transitions, social connections become very important.”) 4. Lunch groups and other programs help new students socialize and can make a difference. (Possible transition: “However, there are a number of ways schools can help.”) 5. Conclusion - Provide a summary and restate thesis. (Possible transition: “In short, schools have a responsibility …”)

Even after the draft is complete, transition words can still be added to the revision and editing stage. Having a list of transition words available may help you with word placement.

List of transition words

2. decide where to place transitions.

The versatility of transition words makes them easy to place. Knowing where to place these words or phrases will allow you to easily insert them.

Transition Word Placement in Sentences

Transition words can go almost anywhere in a sentence, including the beginning, middle and end. The key is that the transition word refers back to the previous thought or forward to the next thought.

For sentences, transition words can be placed:

• at the beginning of the sentence - Afterward, the doctor will decide the best course of treatment for you.
• in the middle of a sentence - The patient, however, was still in a lot of pain.
• at the end of a sentence - The treatment was quite effective by comparison.

Transition Word Placement in Paragraphs

Linking paragraphs is an important consideration when you’re choosing transition words for essays. Each paragraph needs to be linked to the one before it or the one after. As you’re writing, add on transition words to form these connections.

For paragraphs, transitions can be found:

• at the beginning the paragraph - Next, it's important to consider patient care.
• at the end of the paragraph - With patient care addressed, it's time to move on to charting.

3. Consider the Relationship of What You’re Connecting

When you’re connecting two things in your writing, those two things can have various relationships. Think about the things you’re connecting. How are they connected? These are some of the options.

Additional Information

One sentence or paragraph may add extra information that supports or further explains what you’ve already written.

There are many reasons to consider a standard poodle as a pet. Specifically , if you are allergic to dogs, this breed can be a good choice.

Disagreement

Sometimes, one point or paragraph disagrees with the previous one or adds a conflicting view.

Some schools use uniforms to help reduce the chance a student will be bullied for her clothing. However , there is little evidence uniforms help reduce bullying.

Cause and Effect

In some cases, one point is connected to another by cause and effect.

The emerald ash borer spreads quickly and silently through populations of ash trees. Because of this hidden spread, homeowners are often surprised to see their ash trees infested with the pest.

Sometimes, things happen in order, and your transition words can show this order.

When my mom got home from the grocery store, she looked anxious. After I had helped her put the groceries away, she told me what had happened.

One paragraph may offer a summary of the previously communicated information.

For all of these reasons , mobile banking is both a convenient and safe alternative to in-person transactions.

4. Choose the Right Transition Words

Since transitions show relationships among sentences and paragraphs, recognizing the types of transitions will help you choose the most appropriate one. The following chart can help you find the right transition word for a specific use.

Additive Transitions

These transitions add or introduce information. They can also be used to show similarities or to further clarify ideas. Some examples of additive transitions include:

Adversative Transitions

These transitions show readers' conflicts, contradictions, dismissals, or emphasis. Some examples of adversative transitions include:

Causal Transitions

These transitions show the relationship of cause and effect or consequence. Some example of causal transitions include:

Sequential Transitions

These transitions show the reader chronological sequences in time or provide a sequence to a logical argument . Some examples of sequential transitions include:

5. If in Doubt, Repeat a Word or Phrase

If you aren’t sure what transition word to use in your writing or what the relationship is between two paragraphs, you can create a transition by repeating a word or phrase. Look at the final sentence of one paragraph and use one or more of the words in the first sentence of the next paragraph. Here’s an example:

Taking a photograph is mostly about looking at the light and how it falls on a subject. Does it come from the front, enveloping the subject evenly? If so, it sometimes makes sense to take the photo from a different angle, giving shadows a bit more of a place in the image. Giving shadows a place is important because they help add dimension to your image …

The Power of Transitions

Think of transition words as the thread that stitches a piece of clothing together. They provide uniformity and cohesion to essays in particular. If you’re writing an essay, it might also be helpful to keep this transition word lists for students by your side for your next assignment.

Calculate for all schools

Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, how to write strong essay transitions.

I'm working on my college essays and I've noticed that my transitions between paragraphs aren't the best. Does anyone have any advice or tips on how to write strong transitions that make my essay flow better? Would really appreciate some help!

Great question! Having strong transitions in your college essays is important to ensure a smooth reading experience and maintain the flow of your ideas. Here are some tips to help you improve your essay transitions:

1. Use transition words and phrases: Such as "however," "on the other hand," "moreover," "in addition," "likewise," "conversely," and "similarly." These words help signal to the reader that you're switching topics or expanding on a point.

2. Repeat key words and phrases: Repeating a word or phrase from the previous paragraph in the opening sentence of the next paragraph connects the two ideas and helps guide the reader through your essay. Just be careful not to overdo it!

3. Parallel structure: Use parallel sentence structures to link two related ideas. For example, you can use a series of phrases or clauses that have the same grammatical structure.

4. Make sure your ideas have a logical order: Ensure that your paragraphs are organized in a way that allows thoughts to flow naturally from one to the next. This might involve rearranging some paragraphs or modifying your points slightly.

5. Start with a topic sentence: Each paragraph should start with a clear topic sentence that summarizes the main idea you'll be discussing in the paragraph. This helps guide the reader and sets the stage for the transition.

6. Focus on themes or ideas: Rather than just moving from one specific example to another, use broader themes or ideas to connect your paragraphs. This can help create a smooth transition between paragraphs that may be discussing different examples.

7. Use questions or statements to introduce new ideas: Sometimes, a rhetorical question or a short statement can be a powerful way to transition between paragraphs and provide a sense of anticipation for the upcoming argument.

8. Revise and edit: Writing is a process, and often our first drafts don't have the strongest transitions. Keep revising and editing your essay to spot areas where you could improve the flow between paragraphs.

9. Read your essay out loud: Sometimes, reading your work aloud can help you pick up on awkward transitions or areas where more clarity is needed. This can help you get a sense of how your arguments connect and how they might be improved.

It's essential to be mindful of the overall flow and cohesion of your essay. Transitions not only improve readability but also help your reader follow your train of thought. Paying close attention to these elements will ultimately strengthen your essay and make it more compelling. Good luck!

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Microsoft 365 Life Hacks > Writing > How to effectively write and use transitions in an essay

How to effectively write and use transitions in an essay

The key to an effective argumentative essay —and to any successful piece of writing—is the ability to transition between paragraphs and ideas smoothly. Bouncing between various ideas can confuse the reader. Learn how you can link your arguments together through effective paragraph transitions.

The importance of outlining your essay

Don’t go blind into your argument. Just like a building, a strong essay begins with a strong foundation and structure. A typical five-paragraph essay will have the following:

• Introduction: The introduction paragraph is where you should show the reader what you aim to write about. This is where you set the tone of your argument: are you writing formally or informally, taking a positive or negative stance, or refuting a specific issue or person? Your thesis statement will go at the end of your introduction paragraph.
• Argument 1: The next three paragraphs are where you expand on your argument. Begin with a topic sentence that serves as an overview of your intended position, before you introduce statistics, quotes, and other forms of research.
• Argument 2: A general rule is that you should introduce broader points to your argument before going into detail. Linking these paragraphs together will be vital to forming a cohesive argument.
• Argument 3: Bring your readers to your viewpoint with persuasion, based on your research: whether it’s through quotes from experts, or logical reasoning, this is where your passion in your argument can shine.
• Conclusion: Here, you summarize the points that you’ve just made. Remind the reader of your thesis statement from your introduction, and concisely sum up the arguments you’ve made in previous paragraphs. If you are asking the reader to act, here is where you bring up a call to action.

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The five-paragraph essay is a time-tested form of rhetoric. However, the way you link these paragraphs can make or break the effectiveness of your argument.

How to use paragraph transitions

Creating a transition between the paragraphs of your essay will bring out the relation between the points you’re making. Transitions can also provide your readers with a direction on where your argument is headed, so that they might better understand the rhetorical path that you are leading them on.

After you identify the subject and angle of your paragraphs, consider the relationships between these points: do they tell a narrative, or are they linked by chronological or another order? Both can be used to format your argument, as long as the path toward your thesis statement is clear.

What is the link between the points of research that you have found? Are the statistics connected, or do they contrast? Both can be effective points and counterpoints to form a transition. What are the central ideas of your points of argument?

Effective transition words to use

No matter if you’re comparing or contrasting your argumentative paragraphs, you can always begin a sentence with words or phrases that flow into each other.

These words can link arguments together:

Consequently, these words draw contrasts between ideas:

Microsoft’s thesaurus and grammar tools can help you expand your vocabulary with synonyms and grammatical checks that will lend credence to your writing. For more tips on forming an ideal essay, check out these tips from Microsoft 365 on how to improve your writing skills.

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How to Introduce New Topics and Transition Effectively in Essays

Last Updated: March 19, 2024 Fact Checked

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This article was co-authored by Jake Adams . Jake Adams is an academic tutor and the owner of Simplifi EDU, a Santa Monica, California based online tutoring business offering learning resources and online tutors for academic subjects K-College, SAT & ACT prep, and college admissions applications. With over 14 years of professional tutoring experience, Jake is dedicated to providing his clients the very best online tutoring experience and access to a network of excellent undergraduate and graduate-level tutors from top colleges all over the nation. Jake holds a BS in International Business and Marketing from Pepperdine University. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 87,115 times.

Most essays have multiple topics, and switching between them can get tricky. Without strong transitions and introductions to new points, your writing could seem choppy or unfocused. Luckily, making good topic introductions is easy! It just takes some planning, practice, and patience. Once you know the formula, you’ll be introducing new topics like a pro.

Effective Ways to Introduce New Essay Topics

• Introduce the topic with a transition word, like “Similarly” or “Likewise.”
• Use a contrasting transition word for clashing topics, like “However” or “Yet.”
• Give an overview of the topic you’re discussing after the introductory sentence.

• A strong outline includes your overall topic idea, planned thesis statement, essay structure, and the topics and themes you'll be covering in each section.
• Note on your outline when you're going to be introducing new topics. This helps you plan ahead and anticipate where you'll need transitions.

• If you've already started your paper, it never hurts to go back and write an outline anyway. This way, you can keep all your thoughts organized and give your essay more direction.

• For example, you may be writing a large paper about the Civil War, and the current section is about arguments over slavery. You can have one part on Southern arguments defending slavery, then transition to Northern arguments against slavery, since both topics are in the same section.
• Usually for a shorter paper, up to about 5-7 pages, you won’t need individual section headings. It’s fine to just transition from paragraph to paragraph in these cases.

• For example, if your paper is about the Civil War and you’re transitioning from arguments over slavery to the outbreak of the war, then it’s worthwhile to make a whole new section. These topics are related, but distinct and important enough to get their own sections.
• In another example, you might be writing a compare and contrast essay. It’s helpful to start a new section labeled “Differences” when you move from comparing to contrasting.
• Individual section headings are common in longer papers, around 15-20 pages or more. For long papers like this, it helps your reader stay focused.

• Similarly, in the same way, likewise, also, as well, and so too.
• For example, start a paragraph about slavery and the Civil War with, “In the same way that northern abolitionists were singularly focused on eliminating slavery, the Republican Party was concerned with stopping it from spreading into America's territories.”

• In contrast, however, nevertheless, yet, and still.
• For the Civil War example, arguments defending and criticizing slavery are completely different. To reflect that, you’d use a transition indicating disagreement. You could say “In sharp contrast to southern slave owners, northern abolitionists argued that enslaving a human being was evil in all circumstances.”

• If you’re showing contrast, you could say, “Yet King Arthur was destined to fail in his quest to find the Holy Grail.” This shows that the previous topic may have been about Arthur starting his quest, but now you’ll explain how he failed to accomplish it.
• You could also show similarity by saying “Similarly, Abraham Lincoln agreed that slavery was a moral evil.” This indicates that the new topic you’re introducing is related to and supports the previous one.

• You could also follow up on the King Arthur example with “In Arthurian stories, Arthur made numerous journeys to find the Grail, but never actually succeeded.” This tells the reader that the rest of the paragraph will include information on these failures.
• Using the Abraham Lincoln example, you could follow up your topic sentence with “Throughout his entire life, Lincoln saw the evils of slavery and spoke about stopping the practice.” This indicates that the paragraph will elaborate on this point and provide more details.

• For the King Arthur example, you can spend 2-4 sentences explaining Arthur's unsuccessful quests for the Grail. This supports your transition statement saying that Arthur failed to find the Grail.
• Make sure the details you fill in line up with your topic sentence. If your topic sentence said that Abraham Lincoln was anti-slavery, it wouldn’t be consistent to introduce examples of him supporting or praising slavery.

• A conclusion for your King Arthur paragraph could be “Hard as Arthur tried, he never found the Holy Grail.”
• Don’t introduce any new topics in the conclusion sentence. Save that for the topic sentence of the next paragraph if you want to add another topic.
• If you have a similar paragraph after this one, you can link them by giving a hint of where it's going. For example, you could conclude by saying "Abraham Lincoln's lifelong opposition to slavery naturally set him up for a career fighting the institution." Then make the next paragraph about Lincoln's political career. [12] X Research source

• You can use transitional language without a ton of detail. For example, “While Odysseus was glad to be home, there was trouble brewing in his kingdom.” This provides a strong transition, hints at the next topic, and gets the reader interested in continuing.

• For the Odysseus example, your previous section may have been about the events of The Odyssey . You could sum up the previous topic by saying “He had spent 20 years away from home—10 fighting the Trojan War and 10 on his journey back to Ithaca—and conquered every challenge that came his way.”
• Don’t spend too much time on this summary. Wrap it up within 2 sentences at most.

• You could give a quick introduction of how the suitors in the Odyssey had moved in to Odysseus’ home and would attack him when he arrived. This sets up the challenge and tension for this new topic, and sets the theme for this section of your essay.

• For the Odysseus example, a strong conclusion would be “Perhaps this was to be Odysseus’ greatest challenge yet.”
• In a more research-based paper, you can be less literary. For example, “In the end, the Constitutional Convention was a success, but only after the Framers overcame numerous challenges in the process.”

• It’s easier to plan your transitions if you outline your essay first. This way, you’ll know where you need to introduce new topics. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• If your professor or teacher mentions that your writing seems choppy, then you probably need to work on introducing new topics a bit more smoothly. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• If you still have trouble making strong transitions, take advantage of your school’s writing center if you have one. The tutors there can be a huge help. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/transitions/
• ↑ Jake Adams. Academic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist. Expert Interview. 24 July 2020.
• ↑ https://www.strose.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Transition-Sentences-Handout-2012B.pdf
• ↑ https://monroecollege.libguides.com/c.php?g=589208&p=4072926
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/mechanics/transitions_and_transitional_devices/index.html
• ↑ https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/ssid/301/study-skills/writing/academic-writing/paragraph-flow-connectivity
• ↑ https://www.delmar.edu/offices/swc/_resources/Composition/topic-sentence-transition-formula.pdf
• ↑ https://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/ending-essay-conclusions

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How to Write a Paragraph in an Essay

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The deadline for your essay is looming, but you're still not sure how to write your essay paragraphs or how to structure them. If that's you, then you're in good hands.

After the content of your essay, the structure is the most important part. How you arrange your thoughts in an essay can either support your argument or confuse the reader. The difference comes down to your knowledge of how to write a paragraph to create structure and flow in an essay. 

At its most basic level,  an essay paragraph comprises the following elements: (1) a topic sentence, (2) sentences that develop and support the topic sentence, and (3) a concluding sentence.

Also, when writing a paragraph or essay , keep in mind that most essays follow the five-paragraph model. This model involves writing an introductory paragraph, three paragraphs of supporting arguments, and a conclusion paragraph. 

In most cases, a paper of this length just won't cut it. However, remembering this formula can help you write key paragraphs in your essay, such as an introduction that states the main hypothesis, a body that supports this argument, and a conclusion that ties everything together.

Let's break down how to write a paragraph so you can get that essay written. 

Writing a paragraph means grouping together sentences that focus on the same topic so that the important points are easy to understand. In the body of an essay, each paragraph functions as its own point or argument that backs up the essay's main hypothesis. Each paragraph also includes evidence that supports each argument made. 

It helps to separate each paragraph idea in a quick essay outline before you start writing your paragraphs so you can organize your thoughts. It is also helpful to link each paragraph in a cohesive way that supports your hypothesis. For good paragraph writing to work, your readers will need to be able to clearly follow the ideas you're presenting throughout your essay.  

Essay paragraphs are important for organizing topics and thoughts and for creating readability and flow. Readers often skip large blocks of writing in blog posts, articles, or essays. It can be confusing when there are no breaks between different ideas or when thoughts flow one into the next without any discernible pauses. Knowing how to write a paragraph to help break up your content and ideas is essential for avoiding this.

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Writing a paragraph is easier when you follow a structure. An essay paragraph consists of around 250 words , with the sentence count varying from five to six or more, depending on the type of essay you're writing.

The structure of an essay paragraph includes the following: 

• A topic sentence at the beginning of the paragraph that clearly states one idea
• Supporting sentences that explain the idea in the topic sentence and provide evidence to back up that idea 
• A concluding sentence that links back to the original topic sentence idea and segues to the next paragraph

Following this basic structure will ensure that you never have to wonder how to write a paragraph and will keep your essay structure consistent. 

What Is a Topic Sentence?

All good paragraph writing starts with a topic sentence. The topic sentence provides a brief summary of the content. In an essay's body, each paragraph begins with a topic sentence.

The topic sentence gives structure to a paragraph the same way a thesis gives structure to an essay. Both a thesis and a topic sentence state the main idea that drives the rest of the content. In the case of a paragraph, the topic sentence drives the rest of the paragraph content, and in the case of an essay, the thesis drives the rest of the essay content.

When writing a topic sentence, keep in mind that it should be

• The first sentence of your paragraph
• Specific, focusing on a specific area of your thesis statement
• The focus of your paragraph

There are two parts to every topic sentence: the topic, which is what the paragraph will be about, and the controlling idea, which is the paragraph's direction. For example, if your paragraph was about hamsters being great pets, that would be your topic, but your controlling idea might be that there are many reasons why hamsters are great pets.

A paragraph example with a good topic sentence would start out something like this: 

Hamsters are great pets for many reasons. They don't require extensive training, so no time-consuming obedience courses are necessary. They are also relatively inexpensive to own when compared to dogs or cats because they're low-maintenance. 

Examples of Effective Hooks

A paragraph in an essay should always use an effective hook. If you're hoping to grab the attention of your reader, it helps to start your paragraph with a compelling statement or question that will be of interest. 

Here are a few examples to use for inspiration: 

Most people would rather work to live than live to work, and the gig economy makes this possible. 

How important is it for today's influencers to rely on Instagram? 

Daily sugar intake has reached a staggering average of 25 teaspoons per person in the United States.

Supporting Sentences

Writing an essay paragraph is like building an effective and functional house. In the same way that each room has a purpose, each paragraph in your essay should have its own separate topic with supporting sentences . Paragraph writing can be simple if you think of it this way! 

The goal of supporting sentences is to provide evidence validating each topic in your paragraph. Each sentence provides details to help your reader understand the paragraph's main idea. 

If you have trouble coming up with supporting sentences to develop the main idea in your paragraph, try rephrasing your topic sentence as a question. For example, if you're writing about how all babies have three basic needs, ask, what are the three basic needs of all babies? 

At the end of your supporting sentences, add a concluding sentence that ties everything to the main argument of your essay. Repeat this for each supporting argument, and you'll have mastered the concept of how to write a paragraph. Read on for a paragraph example with supporting sentences. 

Supporting Sentence Examples

To get a feel for how to use supporting sentences in a paragraph in an essay, check out this basic example: 

Babies have three basic needs. First, babies need food. Depending on their age, they'll drink formula for their first meals and graduate to soft baby food later. Second, they need shelter. Babies need a safe place to live. Third, they need support. They need someone loving to look out for them and take care of them.  

How to Use Transitions

Knowing how to write a paragraph involves knowing how to use transitions .

Good essay paragraphs have transitions that help ideas flow clearly from one to the next. Given that your essay will include many different ideas and subtopics, your transitions will ensure that your information and ideas are well connected. 

If you're not familiar with transitions, they are words or phrases that connect ideas. They signal a connection between your topic sentence and your supporting sentences, but they also help readers connect ideas between paragraphs. 

At the beginning of a sentence, use a transition to segue into a new idea. At the beginning of each paragraph, use a transition to signal a new concept or idea that you will discuss.

However, try to avoid one-word transitions at the beginning of a paragraph, like "Since" or "While," because they don't usually provide enough information. Instead, try using transitional phrases between paragraphs (instead of words), such as "On the other hand" or "In addition to."  

Examples of Transitions

Here are a few examples of transitions — both one-word transitions and transitional phrases — to use in the paragraphs of your essay:  

• As a result
• For example
• By the same token
• Consequently
• In the meantime
• To summarize
• To conclude
• Undoubtedly
• Subsequently

Writing a paragraph in an essay can be simple if you understand basic paragraph structure. Additionally, it's helpful to keep in mind the structure of an essay and how each essay paragraph links together to form a fully developed argument or idea.

Creating an outline before you start writing your essay—which can also be described as a blueprint (to return to the metaphor of building a house)—is a great way to effectively arrange your topics, support your argument, and guide your writing.

Knowing how to write a paragraph is essential to communicating your thoughts and research, no matter the topic, in a way that is readable and coherent.

How Long Is a Paragraph?

An essay paragraph can vary in length depending on a variety of factors, such as the essay's type, topic, or requirements. Generally, essay paragraphs are three to five or more sentences, since each paragraph should have a fully developed idea with a beginning, middle, and end. 

However, all essays are different, and there are no hard and fast rules that dictate paragraph length. So, here are some guidelines to follow while writing a paragraph:  

• Stick to one idea per paragraph. 
• Keep your paragraphs roughly the same length. 
• Ensure that each page of your essay has 2 – 3 paragraphs.
• Combine shorter paragraphs into a larger one if the smaller paragraphs work together to express a single idea.

Overall, it's the paragraph writing itself that dictates a paragraph's length. Don't get too caught up in trying to reach a specific word count or number of sentences. Understanding this concept is key to knowing how to write a paragraph that conveys a clear and fully developed idea. 

How Do I Know When to Start a New Paragraph?

A new essay paragraph will always signal a new point or idea. Before you think about starting a new paragraph, ask yourself whether you are about to discuss something new that you haven't brought up yet. If the answer is yes, it warrants a new paragraph. 

The end of a paragraph functions as a break for your reader. If you've successfully developed and concluded an idea, you'll know that it's time to begin a new paragraph, especially if the material is long or complex. 

Every essay should have an introductory paragraph and a conclusion paragraph. But as long as you keep in mind that good paragraph writing means starting off with a new idea each time, you're in a good position to know when a new paragraph should begin. 

How Many Paragraphs Do I Need in My Essay?

The number of paragraphs you write in an essay will largely depend on the requirements of the essay. These requirements are usually dictated by an instructor.

For a short, 1-page essay, your instructor might require only three paragraphs. For a longer, 2- to 3-page essay, you might need five paragraphs. For longer essays, there could be up to seven to nine paragraphs. Any essay with more paragraphs than that is usually deemed a thesis or a research paper. 

At a minimum, an essay will always have at least three paragraphs: an introductory paragraph, a body paragraph, and a conclusion paragraph. Depending on the required word or page count or the type of essay (argumentative, informative, etc.), your essay could have multiple paragraphs expanding on different points. An argumentative essay, for example, should have at least five paragraphs. 

Therefore, the most important question to ask when deciding on your number of essay paragraphs is this: What does my professor expect from me? 

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Narrative Essays

Narrative: The spoken or written account of connected events; a story

Narrative Introductions

The introduction of a narrative essay sets the scene for the story that follows. Interesting introductions—for any kind of writing—engage and draw readers in because they want to know more.

Since narratives tell a story and involve events, the introduction of a narrative quite often starts in the middle of the action in order to bring the reader into the story immediately, as shown in examples 1, 3, and 5 below. Other effective introductions briefly provide background for the point of the story—often the lesson learned—as in 4 below and the first example on the reverse side.

Below are some strategies for writing effective openings. Remember your introduction should be interesting and draw your reader in. It should make your audience want to read more. If it's a person , begin with a description of the person and then say why that person mattered. If it's an event , begin with the action or begin by reflecting back on why the event mattered, then go into the narrative.

• "Potter...take off!" my coach yelled as I was cracking yet another joke during practice.
• Why do such a small percentage of high school athletes play Division One sports?
• It was a cold, rainy night, under the lights on the field. I lined up the ball on the penalty line under the wet grass. After glancing up at the tied score, I stared into the goalkeeper's eyes.
• My heart pounds in my chest. My stomach full of nervous butterflies. I hear the crowd talking and names being cheered.
• Slipping the red and white uniform over my head for the first time is a feeling I will never forget.
• "No football." Those words rang in my head for hours as I thought about what a stupid decision I had made three nights before.
• "SNAP!" I heard the startling sound of my left knee before I ever felt the pain.
• According to the NCAA, there are over 400,000 student-athletes in the United States.

Narrative Story

• Unified: Ensure all actions in your story develop a central idea or argument.
• Interesting: Draw your readers into your scene(s), making them feel as if they're experiencing them first-hand.
• Coherent: Indicate changes in time, location, and characters clearly (even if your story is not chronological).
• Climactic: Include a moment (the climax) when your ending is revealed or the importance of events is made clear.
• Remember the 5 W's : Who? What? When? Where? Why?
• Write vividly : Include significant sensory information in the scene (sight, sound, touch, smell, taste) to make readers feel they are there
• Develop " Thick Descriptions "

Clifford Geertz describes thick descriptions as accounts that include not only facts but also commentary and interpretation . The goal is to vividly describe an action or scene, often through the use of metaphors, analogies, and other forms of interpretation that can emote strong feelings and images in your readers' minds.

"The flatness of the Delta made the shack, the quarters, and the railroad tracks nearby seem like some tabletop model train set. Like many Mississippi shacks, this one looked as if no one had lived there since the birth of the blues. Four sunflowers leaned alongside a sagging porch. When the front door creaked open, cockroaches bigger than pecans scurried for cover [...] walls wept with mildew."

—from Bruce Watson's Freedom Summer

Narrative Checklist

• Does the story have a clear and unifying idea? If not, what could that idea be?
• If the story doesn't include a thesis sentence, is the unifying idea of the story clear without it?
• Is the story unified, with all the details contributing to the central idea?
• Is the story arranged chronologically? If not, is the organization of ideas and events still effective and clear?
• Do the transitions show the movement from idea to idea and scene to scene?
• Are there enough details?
• Is there dialogue at important moments?
• Is there a climax to the story—moment at which the action is resolved or a key idea is revealed?

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How to Teach Paragraph Writing – Using Transitions in Paragraph Writing

This is the last of four in my series on Teaching Paragraph Writing.

If you’ve been following along, you know that we’ve discussed Topic Sentences, Supporting Ideas and Details , and even Conclusions …

And now we’re going to do a little more advanced work by adding transitions to our paragraph. These tiny words and phrases can make a big difference in paragraph writing. Transitions really make paragraphs flow. They also help readers understand the paragraph’s organization.

So, how exactly do I teach transitions for paragraph writing? Well, compared to teaching conclusions…it’s a breeze! 🙂

1. Brainstorm a Transition List

Some students have a pretty good foundation for basic transitions in writing by the time they enter my class for 4th/5th grade. Of course, I would like to expand their little brains with additional ones, but overall, I’d say many students in upper elementary are off to a good start.

Before I give examples and do any real modeling of transitions, I like to have students work in pairs to come up with a list of possible transitions on their whiteboards. Once they’ve worked on this for a while, we go over their answers and try to make a class list of as many new transitions as possible.

2. Go Over the Transitions Reference List

Next, (notice the transition?) I pass out a mega-list of transitions I have compiled. We discuss category types and appropriate times to use the general groups of transition categories.

When we’re finished discussing these, I ask students to keep this list and use it as a reference. I may either ask them to put it in their binders or glue it into their Writer’s Notebooks. The list below is the one I actually use and is included in the Transition packet.

3. Talk Through the Paragraph Using Transitions

I know that sometimes students see writing as a chore. I may love it and I try to get them excited about it too, but even if I do cartwheels about what we’re doing, it’s still about as fun as brushing teeth for some students.

One of the ways I try to keep their motivation high is to sometimes do writing lessons or “work”, without students actually lifting a pencil. I often make a deal with my students when we do certain practice or modeling activities that if they stay with me, stay tuned, stay on task, AND participate, that they won’t have to do the actual writing part…this time, for the modeling part that is.

There will come a time when it’s their turn to write, of course. So, how we “Talk Through” a paragraph is that I start a simple paragraph…like How to Take Care of a Dog or How to Succeed in School, and students help me by “feeding me” the sentences as we build the paragraph together.

When we get to the supporting ideas especially, we discuss which set of three transitions would work the best for where we want to take our paragraph. This oral practice (visual too, as I sometimes speed write it as they tell me ideas) is a great way to practice using transitions.

4. Independent Working Times

Before students actually write paragraphs with the correct use of transitions, I have them look at some paragraph examples to find as many transitions as they can find. They also do a number of worksheets that ask them to add a transition that makes sense or to circle the best transition for a particular sentence or paragraph.

All of this practice reinforces the concept of using transitions before asking students to write on their own. This process for each component of paragraph writing has made a huge difference for my students.

You can definitely make your own materials for this, but if you’d like a ready-to-use resource, I created a unit on transitions that will save you time.

Transitions in Writing

5. Time to Actually Write!

Now that my students have a really good foundation for transitions, it’s time to put all of this together and have them actually write their own paragraphs. I always have students make a t-chart ( see the post on topic sentences for an explanation ) on the back of their paper or on a separate sheet of paper before we start to organize their ideas and to pre-plan it out.

I make sure to choose my paragraph topics carefully, so they are familiar to ALL students. For example, writing one on Disneyland or Hawaii is not going to work for many students who haven’t been able to go there. Also, I try to make them fairly interesting, so they’ll enjoy the writing process a bit more.

A few of my favorite topics include My Favorite Place, My Favorite Sport/Hobby, and My Best Friend (or one of my best friends for those who have too many to choose just one!). I also make sure to give students a specific assignment of what to write in the beginning. I have found over the years that for many students, an open-ended assignment of “Write a paragraph about anything you’d like” means that they often spend MOST of their time trying to decide what to write. I try to avoid this by choosing the paragraph topic for them but once in a blue moon, I let students choose.

Once students learn a concept, we’re never really finished with it. I like to spiral whatever important skills we learn in order to strengthen them and build upon them throughout the year. So, we continue to practice paragraph writing as we go, and eventually, I teach students to write a five-paragraph essay…whew! 

My philosophy is that if we can get students to truly understand the parts of a paragraph and master the basic structure of a paragraph, we can help them create quality paragraphs. This leads to quality essays and reports.

If you are in need of a huge time-saver bundle of paragraph writing resources, I would encourage you to take a look at my Complete Paragraph Writing Bundle .

These are the materials i have created and used for many years and i cannot tell you how much they have helped my students grow as writers. this bundle comes with both print and digital formats to give you greater flexibility, here it is if you’d like to check it out:.

If you’d like to get more teaching ideas for paragraph writing, here are a few posts you might like:

Topic Sentences

Supporting Ideas and Details

Conclusions

5 Tips for More Effective Paragraph Writing

• Read more about: Writing & Grammar

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How to Write the Diversity Essay – With Examples

May 1, 2024

The diversity essay has newfound significance in college application packages following the 2023 SCOTUS ruling against race-conscious admissions. Affirmative action began as an attempt to redress unequal access to economic and social mobility associated with higher education. But before the 2023 ruling, colleges frequently defended the policy based on their “compelling interest” in fostering diverse campuses. The reasoning goes that there are certain educational benefits that come from heterogeneous learning environments. Now, the diversity essay has become key for admissions officials in achieving their compelling interest in campus diversity. Thus, unlocking how to write a diversity essay enhances an applicant’s ability to describe their fit with a campus environment. This article describes the genre and provides diversity essay examples to help any applicant express how they conceptualize and contribute to diversity.

How to Write a Diversity Essay – Defining the Genre

Diversity essays in many ways resemble the personal statement genre. Like personal statements, they help readers get to know applicants beyond their academic and extracurricular achievements. What makes an applicant unique? Precisely what motivates or inspires them? What is their demeanor like and how do they interact with others? All these questions are useful ways of thinking about the purpose and value of the diversity essay.

It’s important to realize that the essay does not need to focus on aspects like race, religion, or sexuality. Some applicants may choose to write about their relationship to these or other protected identity categories. But applicants shouldn’t feel obligated to ‘come out’ in a diversity essay. Conversely, they should not be anxious if they feel their background doesn’t qualify them as ‘diverse.’

Instead, the diversity essay helps demonstrate broader thinking about what makes applicants unique that admissions officials can’t glean elsewhere. Usually, it also directly or indirectly indicates how an applicant will enhance the campus community they hope to join. Diversity essays can explicitly connect past experiences with future plans. Or they can offer a more general sense of how one’s background will influence their actions in college.

Thus, the diversity essay conveys both aspects that make an applicant unique and arguments for how those aspects will contribute on campus. The somewhat daunting genre is, in fact, a great opportunity for applicants to articulate how their background, identity, or formative experiences will shape their academic, intellectual, social, and professional trajectories.

Diversity College Essay Examples of Prompts – Sharing a Story

All diversity essays ask applicants to share what makes them unique and convey how that equips them for university life. However, colleges will typically ask applicants to approach this broad topic from a variety of different angles. Since it’s likely applicants will encounter some version of the genre in either required or supplemental essay assignments, it’s a good idea to have a template diversity essay ready to adapt to each specific prompt.

One of the most standard prompts is the “share a story” prompt. For example, here’s the diversity-related Common App prompt:

“Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.”

This prompt is deliberately broad, inviting applicants to articulate their distinctive qualities in myriad ways. What is unsaid, but likely expected, is some statement about how the story evidences the ability to enhance campus diversity.

Diversity College Essay Examples of Prompts – Describing Contribution

Another common prompt explicitly asks students to reflect on diversity while centering what they will contribute in college. A good example of this prompt comes from the University of Miami’s supplemental essay:

Located within one of the most dynamic cities in the world, the University of Miami is a distinctive community with a variety of cultures, traditions, histories, languages, and backgrounds. The University of Miami is a values-based and purpose-driven postsecondary institution that embraces diversity and inclusivity in all its forms and strives to create a culture of belonging, where every person feels valued and has an opportunity to contribute.

Please describe how your unique experiences, challenges overcome, or skills acquired would contribute to our distinctive University community. (250 words)

In essays responding to these kinds of prompts, its smart to more deliberately tailor your essay to what you know about the institution and its values around diversity. You’ll need a substantial part of the essay to address not only your “story” but your anticipated institutional contribution.

Diversity College Essay Examples of Prompts – Navigating Difference

The last type of diversity essay prompt worth mentioning asks applicants to explain how they experience and navigate difference. It could be a prompt about dealing with “diverse perspectives.” Or it could ask the applicant to tell a story involving someone different than them. Regardless of the framing, these types of prompts ask you to unfold a theory of diversity stemming from social encounters. Applicants might still think of how they can use the essay to frame what makes them unique. However, here colleges are also hoping for insight into how applicants will deal with the immense diversity of college life beyond their unique experiences. In these cases, it’s especially important to use a story kernel to draw attention to fundamental beliefs and values around diversity.

  How to Write a Diversity Essay – Tips for Writing

Before we get to the diversity college essay examples, some general tips for writing the diversity essay:

• Be authentic: This is not the place to embellish, exaggerate, or overstate your experiences. Writing with humility and awareness of your own limitations can only help you with the diversity essay. So don’t write about who you think the admissions committee wants to see – write about yourself.
• Find dynamic intersections: One effective brainstorming strategy is to think of two or more aspects of your background, identity, and interests you might combine. For example, in one of the examples below, the writer talks about their speech impediment alongside their passion for poetry. By thinking of aspects of your experience to combine, you’ll likely generate more original material than focusing on just one.
• Include a thesis: Diversity essays follow more general conventions of personal statement writing. That means you should tell a story about yourself, but also make it double as an argumentative piece of writing. Including a thesis in the first paragraph can clearly signal the argumentative hook of the essay for your reader.
• Include your definition of diversity: Early in the essay you should define what diversity means to you. It’s important that this definition is as original as possible, preferably connecting to the story you are narrating. To avoid cliché, you might write out a bunch of definitions of diversity. Then, review them and get rid of any that seem like something you’d see in a dictionary or an inspirational poster. Get those clichéd definitions out of your system early, so you can wow your audience with your own carefully considered definition.

How to Write a Diversity Essay – Tips for Writing (Cont.)

• Zoom out to diversity more broadly: This tip is especially important you are not writing about protected minority identities like race, religion, and sexuality. Again, it’s fine to not focus on these aspects of diversity. But you’ll want to have some space in the essay where you connect your very specific understanding of diversity to a larger system of values that can include those identities.

Revision is another, evergreen tip for writing good diversity essays. You should also remember that you are writing in a personal and narrative-based genre. So, try to be as creative as possible! If you find enjoyment in writing it, chances are better your audience will find entertainment value in reading it.

How to Write a Diversity Essay – Diversity Essay Examples

The first example addresses the “share a story” prompt. It is written in the voice of Karim Amir, the main character of Hanif Kureishi’s novel The Buddha of Suburbia .

As a child of the suburbs, I have frequently navigated the labyrinthine alleys of identity. Born to an English mother and an Indian father, I inherited a rich blend of traditions, customs, and perspectives. From an early age, I found myself straddling two worlds, trying to reconcile the conflicting expectations of my dual heritage. Yet, it was only through the lens of acting that I began to understand the true fluidity of identity.

• A fairly typical table setting first paragraph, foregrounding themes of identity and performance
• Includes a “thesis” in the final sentence suggesting the essay’s narrative and argumentative arc

Diversity, to me, is more than just a buzzword describing a melting pot of ethnic backgrounds, genders, and sexual orientations. Instead, it evokes the unfathomable heterogeneity of human experience that I aim to help capture through performance. On the stage, I have often been slotted into Asian and other ethnic minority roles. I’ve had to deal with discriminatory directors who complain I am not Indian enough. Sometimes, it has even been tempting to play into established stereotypes attached to the parts I am playing. However, acting has ultimately helped me to see that the social types we imagine when we think of the word ‘diversity’ are ultimately fantastical constructions. Prescribed identities may help us to feel a sense of belonging, but they also distort what makes us radically unique.

• Includes an original definition of diversity, which the writer compellingly contrasts with clichéd definitions
• Good narrative dynamism, stressing how the writer has experienced growth over time

Diversity Essay Examples Continued – Example One

The main challenge for an actor is to dig beneath the “type” of character to find the real human being underneath. Rising to this challenge entails discarding with lazy stereotypes and scaling what can seem to be insurmountable differences. Bringing human drama to life, making it believable, requires us to realize a more fundamental meaning of diversity. It means locating each character at their own unique intersection of identity. My story, like all the stories I aspire to tell as an actor, can inspire others to search for and celebrate their specificity. 

• Focuses in on the kernel of wisdom acquired over the course of the narrative
• Indirectly suggests what the applicant can contribute to the admitted class

Acting has ultimately underlined an important takeaway of my dual heritage: all identities are, in a sense, performed. This doesn’t mean that heritage is not important, or that identities are not significant rallying points for community. Instead, it means recognizing that identity isn’t a prison, but a stage.

• Draws the reader back to where the essay began, locating them at the intersection of two aspects of writer’s background
• Sharply and deftly weaves a course between saying identities are fictions and saying that identities matter (rather than potentially alienating reader by picking one over the other)

Diversity Essay Examples Continued – Example Two

The second example addresses a prompt about what the applicant can contribute to a diverse campus. It is written from the perspective of Jason Taylor, David Mitchell’s protagonist in Black Swan Green .

Growing up with a stutter, each word was a hesitant step, every sentence a delicate balance between perseverance and frustration. I came to think of the written word as a sanctuary away from the staccato rhythm of my speech. In crafting melodically flowing poems, I discovered a language unfettered by the constraints of my impediment. However, diving deeper into poetry eventually made me realize how my stammer had a humanistic rhythm all its own.

• Situates us at the intersection of two themes – a speech impediment and poetry – and uses the thesis to gesture to their synthesis
• Nicely matches form and content. The writer uses this opportunity to demonstrate their facility with literary language.

Immersing myself in the genius of Langston Hughes, Walt Whitman, and Maya Angelou, I learned to embrace the beauty of diversity in language, rhythm, and life itself. Angelou wrote that “Everything in the universe has a rhythm, everything dances.” For me, this quote illuminates how diversity is not simply a static expression of discrete differences. Instead, diversity teaches us the beauty of a multitude of rhythms we can learn from and incorporate in a mutual dance. If “everything in the universe has a rhythm,” then it’s also possible that anything can be poetry. Even my stuttering speech can dance.

• Provides a unique definition of diversity
• Conveys growth over time
• Connects kernel of wisdom back to the essay’s narrative starting point

As I embark on this new chapter of my life, I bring with me the lessons learned from the interplay of rhythm and verse. I bring a perspective rooted in empathy, an unwavering commitment to inclusivity, and a belief in language as the ultimate tool of transformative social connection. I am prepared to enter your university community, adding a unique voice that refuses to be silent. 

• Directly addresses how background and experiences will contribute to campus life
• Conveys contributions in an analytic mode (second sentence) and more literary and personal mode (third sentence)

Additional Resources 

Diversity essays can seem intimidating because of the political baggage we bring to the word ‘diversity.’ But applicants should feel liberated by the opportunity to describe what makes them unique. It doesn’t matter if applicants choose to write about aspects of identity, life experiences, or personal challenges. What matters is telling a compelling story of personal growth. Also significant is relating that story to an original theory of the function and value of diversity in society. At the end of the day, committees want to know their applicants deeper and get a holistic sense of how they will improve the educational lives of those around them.

Additional Reading and Resources

• 10 Instructive Common App Essay Examples 
• How to Write the Overcoming Challenges Essay + Example
• Common App Essay Prompts
• Why This College Essay – Tips for Success
• How to Write a Body Paragraph for a College Essay
• UC Essay Examples 
• College Essay

Tyler Talbott

Tyler holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Missouri and two Master of Arts degrees in English, one from the University of Maryland and another from Northwestern University. Currently, he is a PhD candidate in English at Northwestern University, where he also works as a graduate writing fellow.

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