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Creative writers and journalists sometimes have the problem of smoothly transitioning from one paragraph to the other, especially when they are changing the subject. Transition sentences is a skill that is not hard to master. By reading this article, you will learn the tricks.
When we writers hop-skotch from one topic to another and don't use a transition sentence, we "jar" the readers. While sentence transitions can be in the last line of a paragraph, it is more common to put it in the first line of the following paragraph. They are like a bridge, connecting one idea to another.
A reader doesn't forget a character with warts. The warts help the reader identify the characters in their minds.
Huh? Were you wondering what happened to our discussion on transition sentences? Were you trying to figure that out? Well, that's how a "jarred reader" feels. Warts don't relate to transition sentences at all, but we can make them relate by connecting the topics like this: (repeat)
"While sentence transitions may be the last line in a paragraph, they are more commonly used as the first line in a new paragraph. Think of it as a bridge that connects one thought to another.
[transition sentence]
We could compare sentence transitions to 'warts' on characters. In the same way that a "wart" blends readers minds with character's identifications, transition sentences blend readers minds with a change of topic."
(Notice that we can use more than one transition sentence to help the reader follow our train of thought.)
Here is another example from a camping article. Now we are going to pick up near the end of the article. The subject was preparing for a vacation and using a credit card for gasoline purchases. The article then discusses not having to pay interest after the vacation. Try to find the transition words.
"And thus you will receive a $10 coupon for every $1,000 you charge on a Flying J credit card (per month), and you can use it to purchase things at Flying J.
By combining the above suggested methods with this plan, you will seldom, if ever, run out of vacation money or have to use an ATM machine; further you will never owe interest, never make a physical payment, and never carry a balance."
What were the transition words? So - "By combining... also the word "further". Those three words ended the discussion of financing a vacation and it carried into an after vacation recap.
Certain words are better for transitions than others. Some of them are: otherwise, therefore, formerly, so, subsequently, nevertheless, but, meanwhile, then, if, consequently, to compare, on the contrary, finally, to illustrate, during, as a result, accordingly, moreover, again, for instance, beyond, close, although, to sum up, specifically, instead of, in addition to, besides, further.
For your assignment, read something and pick out transition words. Always look for them in the first sentence of the following paragraph. After you have done this a few times, you will understand how to improve your own transitions.
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