At the end of that final episode, you want everything to come together. You don’t want to be left waiting for something more. You don’t want to be left asking, “That’s it? That’s how it all ends?” And you most certainly do not want to see a cringe-worthy ending so upsetting that it leaves fans talking about it even decades later (like with Seinfeld).

Conclusions are important. And yes, they’re even important in essays. A poor essay conclusion in your history paper may not leave millions of people pondering your final thoughts. But it may leave your teacher questioning your writing style and choice of endings.

Don’t leave your readers asking, “Why on earth did they end the paper this way?” and don’t–please don’t–write “in conclusion.”

Wrap up your paper effectively by using one of these 15 (better) concluding transitions.

Why Concluding Transitions Matter

Have you ever read a classmate’s draft (maybe in a peer editing session in an English class, for instance) only to reach the end of the paper and wonder, “Wait. Did I miss something? Was that the end?”

If you’ve ever found yourself in this situation or if someone has said this about your draft, chances are the essay is missing a clear concluding transition.

Transitions are kinda like road signs. They let you know what to expect ahead.

You wouldn’t want to be humming along at 75 mph without warning of a hairpin turn ahead, would you? Of course not. And you don’t want readers to breeze through your paper only to reach an abrupt stop with no indication that your paper is about to end.

That’s where effective transitions come in.

Concluding transitions help readers prepare and let them know they’re reaching the end of the essay.

What’s Wrong With “In Conclusion”?

When you reach the end of your paper, it can be tempting to slap on “in conclusion” and call it good.

While these words do, in fact, let your audience know they’ve reached the end of your paper, “in conclusion” is basic and boring. It’s pretty much a “Dead End” sign. Readers have come to the end of your paper, but by you using such a bland transition, they’ll likely feel like your paper is a dead end too.

So how exactly do you smoothly transition from the body of your paper to the concluding paragraphs without writing “in conclusion”?

Here are 15 better concluding transitions to try out in your next paper.

15 (Better) Concluding Transitions

Keep in mind that specific transitions often work for any variety of papers and essays. But I’ve organized this list of 15 concluding transitions by four different essay types to help you see how various transitions work for different types of writing.

Concluding transitions for argumentative/persuasive essays

The goal of an argumentative essay or persuasive essay is to convince your readers. Thus, you’ll want to use a concluding transition that emphasizes your arguments and further attempts to sway readers into believing the validity of your claims.

Here are four examples:

On the whole

On the whole, the bookstore offers a suitable selection of used textbooks.

In essence

In essence, it is the lack of resources that has created such a dire situation at the shelter.

Ultimately

Ultimately, wind energy is the planet’s best hope for reducing dependency on fossil fuels and reducing climate change.

Thus

Thus, young teens who excessively use social media are at a greater risk of developing a poor self-image.

Notice how each of these transitional sentences signal the end of the essay by summarizing the focus of the paper.

This allows you to restate your thesis statement without merely rewriting the statement or changing a few words of your thesis.

Want to see an argumentative concluding transition in action? Check out The Worst of the Men’s Right Movement and Why We Still Need Feminism.

Concluding transitions for narrative essays

The narrative essay is all about telling a story. Your goal is to include plenty of description and keep readers interested in your tale.

In a narrative, the conclusion often expresses the moral or lesson you learned, so use the concluding transition to signal the end of the narrative and the summary of the lesson(s) learned.

Check out these four examples for inspiration:

Finally

Finally, I realized that my so-called friends were frenemies, rather than true friends.

In the long run

In the long run, having to retake chemistry helped me understand how crucial it is to study for exams.

All things considered

All things considered, the trip to Cancun turned out to be an amazing vacation.

In the end

In the end, it was my dog, Diesel, who helped me through the darkest days.

Again, notice how these concluding transitions both signal the end of the narrative portion of the story and transition to a brief discussion of the moral.

If you want to see an example of how a concluding transition works in a narrative essay, read My Experience of Dining in a Middle Eastern/Persian Restaurant.

Concluding transitions for analytical essays

When you write an analytical essay, you’re analyzing something, often an article or a piece of literature (think literary analysis).

To support your analysis, you’ll include specific evidence (like quotes or paraphrases) from the piece you’re analyzing. (Depending on your assignment, you might also include additional evidence from credible sources.)

The conclusion for an analytical essay generally sums up the key points of analysis. Thus, you’ll use a concluding transition to move from main ideas to the wrap up of the analysis.

Here are three examples:

In the final analysis

In the final analysis, John Proctor perfectly illustrates that appearances can be deceiving.

To summarize

To summarize, Amari’s use of interviews and statistical data creates a solid overview of people’s feelings about the presidential candidates.

In brief

In brief, the core thesis of The Great Gatsby is that the American Dream is actually unattainable for the average American.

Each of these concluding transitions marks the end of the analysis and the beginning of the conclusion, which summarizes the key points of analysis in the paper. (Remember, these types of concluding transitions are an excellent way to restate your thesis statement without repeating the exact words of your thesis.)

Take a look at A Visual Analysis of 12 Years a Slave to see how one writer effectively uses concluding transitions.

Concluding transitions for compare and contrast essays

It’s not hard to figure out that the goal of a compare and contrast essay is to compare and/or contrast people, places, things, and/or ideas.

It only makes sense that at the end of the essay you’ll want to remind readers not only about what it is that you’re comparing and contrasting, but also the conclusions you’ve reached based on your comparisons. (You might also use the concluding transition to emphasize the importance of your conclusions.)

Here are three concluding transition examples:

Given these points

Given these points, it is clear that the sushi at Hello Sushi is superior to the sushi at China Gardens.

In either case

In either case, students would benefit from relief from the burden of student loans.

Undoubtedly

Undoubtedly, though both Ofglen and Offred rebel against their oppressors, it is Ofglen who is the stronger character and ultimately more dedicated to her cause.

In the examples above, the concluding transitions highlight the two subjects being compared while also signaling the end of the paper and emphasizing the conclusions (or focus) of the paper.

Check out A Comparison of the Differences Between the 21st Century Hollywood Musical and the Classical Hollywood Musical to see a concluding transition example in the context of an essay.

To Conclude

I get it. It takes a lot of work (and time) to choose the right words and put the finishing touches on your paper, but trust me, the end result will be worth it.

If you’ve made it to the conclusion and have an awesome concluding transition to start the closing paragraph but are stumped as to what to include next, here are a few resources that can help:

• How to Write a Killer Essay Conclusion
• Loose Ends: How to End an Essay With Authority
• 20 Essay Conclusion Examples to Help You Finish Strong

Have a stellar conclusion but still feel like the rest of your paper could be better? Let us help. We’ve edited tens of thousands of papers and are available 24/7 to help you with yours.

Instead, let’s say a transition is “a passage from one state, stage, subject, place, or IDEA to another.” That’s what we do when we transition in our essays. We transition between ideas that are usually related to one subject.

A transition is a passage from one state, stage, subject, place, or IDEA to another.
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We do this from section to section, from paragraph to paragraph, from sentence to sentence, and often, within individual sentences.

On the macro level (sections and paragraphs), we often use whole paragraphs or sentences to transition from one idea to the next. However, on the micro level (between and within sentences), we use transition words.

Politicians use transitions all the time when they’re presented with an undesirable question and prefer to spin to another subject.

Well, some are better at it than others.

For better or worse, we’re focusing on these little gems today: transition words for essays. Why? Because they’re oh-so-important when it comes to moving from one idea to another and melding those ideas into one cohesive whole within your essay.

Without transition words, you can lose your direction. But their overuse, or misuse, can lead to a clunky, redundant mess of transitional madness.

So today, let’s tackle what you need to know about using transition words for essays.

What Exactly Are Transition Words, and Why Are They Important?

If you’re reading this, then you’re probably all too used to writing essays. I don’t need to explain to you the essay’s prevalence in just about every level of the education system.

You already understand the different types of essays that require you to analyze, interpret, compare and contrast, and break down any number of subjects.

When writing any essay, it’s important that all of your ideas progress in a clear and concise direction. It’s also important that you present them in a logical order. After all, we can only focus on one idea at a time.

Transition words allow us, as writers, to seamlessly move from one idea to the next.
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What makes transition words so important? They allow us, as writers, to seamlessly move from one idea to the next. They also let us do so in a way that’s almost imperceptible to the reader.

Let’s take this quote as an example:

“Times of transition are strenuous, but I love them. They are an opportunity to purge, rethink priorities, and be intentional about new habits.” —Kristin Armstrong

In this quote, we see the speaker uses the transition word “but” to shift from the difficulty related to life transitions to the positives that can come from them. It flows so well that you don’t even notice the word.

In contrast, imagine if she said, “Times of transition are strenuous. I love them.” This would give the reader pause as the connection isn’t clear. Instead, by using “but,” Armstrong effectively transitions you to the positive aspects of her thinking, which she then elaborates on.

As you can see, neglecting to use transition words entirely will result in writing that’s disconnected and difficult to read and understand. Transition words are vital to establishing flow and fluency in your paper. That flow and fluency allows your reader to seamlessly identify and connect to your ideas.

However, when transitions are overused or misused, they can be counter-productive.

What Are Some Common Transition Mistakes?

Learning to use transitions is easy, but learning to use them fluidly is more difficult. It’s kind of like dancing. Anyone can hold on to another person and move his feet. Doing it gracefully is another story.

So let’s take a look at some of the most common mistakes I see with the use of transition words for essays.

Transition by numbers

“Firstly, smoking is bad for your lungs. Second, smoking can discolor your teeth. Third, smoking is bad for the people around you. In the fourth place, smoking is very expensive.”

Often when writing an essay, we’re asked to present several arguments or pieces of evidence. So numbering each of the points as we present them seems logical. However, this isn’t a list. It’s an essay. Try to avoid using “first,” “second,” and “third” exclusively when transitioning to a new point.

The broken record

“Exercise can improve your cardiovascular function. In addition, it can increase your self-esteem. Additionally, exercise can be a great way to meet new people. Plus, exercise can extend your life and make you feel younger.”

Some transition words will be used more than others, and that’s fine. However, a big part of writing is finding the right balance. You may have a favorite transition word, but try to show some restraint in using it. Switch it up from time to time. Avoid overusing transitions that essentially all mean the same thing.

A big part of writing is finding the right balance, so switch up your transitions from time to time.
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Starting with ands and buts

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been taught that it’s a sin to start a sentence with “and” or “but.” And being the rebel writer I am, I love to break this rule (<– see?). But I have to admit, doing it continuously is less than ideal (<– see?).

Spelling it out

Transitions are meant to guide your reader through your essay from idea to idea and section to section. Consequently, there’s this tendency to spell everything out. I’ve read so many conclusion paragraphs that begin with “in conclusion.”

If you’re writing a strong conclusion, then there’s no reason to spell this out. Your reader will know. Trust me.

Now that you know why transition words are important and how to use them correctly, let’s take a look at 97 transition words for essays.

97 Transition Words for Essays You Need to Know

Transition words can be used to achieve various effects. Therefore, I’ve broken the following transition words into categories. This makes them a bit easier to digest—and refer back to later.

Addition

These transition words are used to provide additional information on a point.

• and
• as
• moreover
• as well as
• likewise
• additionally
• similarly
• furthermore
• of course
• then
• in addition
• not to mention
• equally
• besides
• also
• correspondingly

Example: “Developing strong reading habits will improve your grade in English class, as well as any other class that involves reading, which happens to be all of them.”

Contradiction

These transition words are used to show the flip side of a point. They can be incredibly useful when transitioning from one side of an issue to the other.

• but
• although
• instead
• nonetheless
• however
• conversely
• in contrast
• then again
• while
• albeit
• otherwise
• nevertheless
• rather
• even though

Example: “The loss of my mother was the most difficult moment of my life. Then again, it was also the point when I began truly living my own life.”

Cause

These transition words are often used at the beginning of a sentence to show the cause of an action.

• when
• if…then
• because
• in order to
• since
• whenever
• due to
• provided that
• with this in mind

Example: “I always think about having a drink when I’m feeling stressed about work.”

Effect

These are used in a similar way as the cause transitions, but later in the sentence to show the result of an action.

• thus
• as a result
• therefore
• consequently
• accordingly
• and so
• hence
• because of this

Example: “I was feeling stressed about work; thus, I thought about having a drink.”

Emphasis

These transition words are used to drive a point home by providing further information for the reader to think about in relation to it.

• in other words
• especially
• for instance
• for example
• such as
• indeed
• like
• notably
• particularly
• with this in mind
• explicitly
• namely
• chiefly
• including
• principally

Example: “Bullying in school can be detrimental to students, particularly when it occurs during the formative years of their education.”

Conclusion

These transitions are used to bring together various points that you’ve mentioned in your paper.

• overall
• altogether
• in short
• in fact
• after all
• ultimately
• all in all
• in any event
• as mentioned
• in general
• in other words
• in summary
• as you can see

Example: “As mentioned, smoking is harmful to your health and the health of those you love.”

Arrangement

These are extremely important when it comes to developing strong flow from idea to idea, especially when they relate to time.

• first
• last
• then
• after
• before
• once
• next
• during
• formerly
• as soon as
• at the same time
• finally
• now
• forthwith
• eventually
• meanwhile
• henceforth
• hereafter
• in the future
• in the past
• prior to
• following
• subsequently

Example: “Before we discuss the candidates’ platforms, let’s review their political histories.”

Putting Transition Words for Essays into Practice

This is by no means an exhaustive list. However, each of these transition words is common and valuable. They’re definitely transition words for essays you need to know. I encourage you to refer back to this list anytime you write an essay.

Need some inspiration? Check out these example essays where the writers did a good job of using transition words to connect ideas:

• Comparing the Diction and Syntax in the Works of Langston Hughes and Sandra Cisneros
• A Summary and Investigation of Green Buildings
• American High Schools Compared to the Swedish School System

If you find that your essay lacks smooth transitions, the list of 97 transition words for essays will help you to add some.

If your essay feels redundant upon second reading because you’ve used similar transition words repeatedly, use these categories to find some good replacements.

If it still doesn’t feel right, I suggest you send your essay to the editing team at Kibin. Not only will the professional editors review your use of transitions, but they’ll work with you to improve your use of transition words for essays going forward.

Good luck!

If you think of writing as being a type of journey, you can think of transition words as being like sign posts on this journey. They keep the traveler moving in the right direction and always aware of where she is headed.

Without transition words, your reader runs the risk of getting lost in a confusing jumble of disorganized thinking.

This post will teach you about the different transition words that are available and how to effectively use them in your writing.

Example Transition Words

There are dozens if not hundreds of possible transition words and phrases. To help you understand, I’ve divided them into different categories based on their purpose.  Here are the categories:

• Addition: transition words that build upon an idea, adding one thought to another.
• Comparison: transition words that show the similarities between two ideas.
• Conclusion: transition words that bring an idea to an end.
• Contrast: transition words that show the differences between two ideas.
• Reason: transition words that show the logical connection between two ideas.
• Result: transition words that show the consequences of an idea.
• Sequence: transition words that show the order of ideas in time and space.

As you can see, transition words serve a variety of purposes. For your convenience, I made a table of some of the more common transition words and separated them into categories.

Please note that this table serves as a good summary of transitions, but it isn’t comprehensive. If you want more examples, check out this extensive list of transition words.

Good Transition Words in Use

So, now you understand the different types of transition words that are available. Let me give you an example of how good transition words can help improve your writing.

First, I will write a paragraph using no transition words at all.

Sophie was bitten by a black widow when she was a child. Sophie spent several days in the hospital recovering. She still has a red scar on her leg where the spider bit her. Sophie is afraid of spiders. Every year she gets her house sprayed by an exterminator.

Now I will revise that same paragraph with a few well-placed transitions.  I will highlight my transition words in green so you can follow along.

Sophie was bitten by a black widow when she was a child. As a result, she spent several days recovering in the hospital. To this day, she has a red scar on her leg where the spider bit her, and she is still afraid of spiders. For this reason, every year Sophie gets her house sprayed by an exterminator.

Let’s break this down.

1. “As a result” shows the reason for Sophie’s hospital stay.
2. “To this day” shows that time has passed since Sophie was bitten and illustrates the sequence of events.
3. “And” allows us to include the additional effects of the spider bite, without the trouble of starting a new sentence.
4. “For this reason” shows the result of her past experience (getting bitten) on her present behavior (hiring an exterminator).

The transition words in the second paragraph helped to guide the reader through the time and space of Sophie’s story.

Transition Words Are Like Hot Sauce

As you choose transition words be aware that some transition words are spicier than others—a little goes a long way.

I’ve edited many papers where the author overuses spicy transitions such as “however,” “moreover,” and “therefore.” These words may sound impressive, but when they are overused, they turn your writing into a sticky mess. Consider the following example:

“Indeed, after a three month search, Roger landed a tree-trimming job. However, he wasn’t certain that it was the right job for him. Moreover, he was afraid that he wasn’t qualified for the work. In addition, the sophisticated power tools he would have to learn intimidated him. Therefore, he intended to decline the offer and keep searching for work.”

Can you see how the overuse of spicy transition words has made this paragraph more difficult to read than necessary?

Here’s a revision that cuts some of the spicy transitions and replaces others with milder versions.

“After a three month search, Roger landed a tree-trimming job. But, he wasn’t certain that it was the right job for him. He was afraid that he wasn’t qualified for the work, and the sophisticated power tools he would have to learn intimidated him. So, he intended to decline the offer and keep searching for work.”

As you can see, I cut a couple of the words (“indeed,” “moreover”). I also traded the strong, intrusive transition words for milder transitions that don’t interrupt the flow of the paragraph.

Milder transition words tend to be shorter and use more common language than the spicier ones.

Here’s another thing to note about spicy transitions. Transitions are stronger when they are the first word in the sentence and less powerful when they are a few words in. One great example of this comes with the word “however.” Consider the following sentence:

“It seems that the aliens have come in peace. However, life as we know it will be altered forever.”

In this example, “however” has been placed at the beginning of the second sentence, making it a more forceful transition. This is important if you really want to emphasize the transition.

But watch what happens if we move the transition word forward in the sentence.

“It seems that the aliens have come in peace. Life as we know it, however, will be altered forever.”

In this example, the emphasis of the transition word “however” is lessened.

Speaking of intrusive transition words, I want to make one other note. When listing out a sequence using numbers, you should write “first, second, third, fourth, fifth, etc.” Don’t write “firstly, secondly, thirdly, fourthly, fifthly…etc.” These words get pretty ridiculous the longer your list.

All that said, sometimes the spicy transition words are better word choices. This can be especially true in academic or scientific writing—although you should still use them intentionally. It all depends on the purpose and audience of your work.

Good Transition Words: A Summary

Good transition words help your reader get from point A to point B seamlessly and effortlessly. They serve their purpose without standing out as being intrusive or distracting.

Good transitions work best as background players, discretely guiding your readers through your ideas from one topic to the next.

For more great information about writing good transitions, read How Comedians Teach You to Write Good Transition Sentences.

Good luck!