Using Time-Order Transitions
By adding transition words or phrases between paragraphs and sentences, you can make your ideas easier to follow and understand.
Time-order transitions signal changes in time. You can include these words in your narrative or explanatory writing to show the order in which things happen. Anytime you are asked to describe an event or process in chronological (time) order, these words can help you.
Time-Order Transitions
about
after
all the while
as soon as
at
before
during
finally
first
just then
later
meanwhile
next
second
slowly
soon
suddenly
then
third
today
tomorrow
until
when
yesterday
Transitions also help your writing flow from one idea to the next. Notice how choppy a paragraph sounds without transitions and how much smoother it sounds when transitions are added.
Sample Paragraph Without Transitions
We had to build a frame for the floor of the house. We used a rope to raise all the wood up into the tree. We carefully nailed the board to the frame. We had a floor.
Sample Paragraph With Transitions