Studying Transition Sentences
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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. This is a learned skill that is not hard to master. This article will teach you the tricks.
So when we hop from topic to topic w/o a transition sentence, we “jar” the reader. 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 unlike things.
Readers form a bond with warted characters, thereby making the character memorable. The warts help the reader identify the characters in their minds.
Huh? Where did the discusson on transition sentences go? Did you wonder about that? 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 bridge that connects two things.
[transition sentence]
We could compare sentence transitions to ‘warts’ on characters. ‘Just as a ‘wart’ will blend readers minds with the character’s identification, transition sentences will blend readers minds to the change of topics.”
(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. We’re picking up toward the end of the article. The subject was how to prepare for a vacation by using a credit card to purchase gas. The article blends into a recap after the vacation, and discussnes never paying interest. See if you can pick out the transition words.
You will earn a $10 coupon (which you can spend at Flying J) for every $1,000 you charge on a Flying J credit card.
If you combine these methods with this system, you are not likely to run out of money or have to use an ATM machine; you won’t owe interest, you’ll never have to make a physical payment, and you will never have a balance.”
What were the transition words? I’ll tell you - “By combining… and also the word “further”. Those three little words exited a financial camping program and carried the subject to the after-vacation recap.
Certain words are better for transitions than others. Some of them are: further, besides, in addition to, instead of, specifically, to sum up, although, beyond, close, for instance, again, moreover, accordingly, as a result, during, to illustrate, finally, on the contrary, to compare, consequently, if, then, meanwhile, but, nevertheless, therefore, subsequently, otherwise, so, formerly.
Now you are equipped to go read a magazine and find all the transition words. Most usually, you’ll find them in the first sentence of a new paragraph. After you’ve done this a few times, look at some of your own work and see if you can improve your transitions.