Writer's Guide to Transitional Words and Expressions

A Writer's Guide to Transitional Words and Expressions isn't some grandiose manual filled with jargon—it's a list of words. Pretty ordinary words at that, but words that are necessary to make your writing flow well and to connect sentences and paragraphs in a way that makes sense and is aesthetically pleasing.

The categories of transitions are listed below, and each one is tabbed for easy reference with the type listed on the edge. Don't try to use this as a thesaurus; it's specifically designed to make your rough, uneven writing graceful and elegant. The last section is helpful, but getting too creative with "500 substitutes for said" can backfire if you're not careful.

This book, one of Victor Pellegrino's invaluable helps for writers of all skill levels, is meant to be a companion toA Writer's Guide to Using 8 Methods of Transition, which provides actual instruction and some context for these lists. If you're going to do a lot of writing, or just want to improve what little you do, this reference is well worth having.

Table of Contents:

Introduction

To Indicate How or When Something Occurs in Time
To Indicate Sequence
To Repeat
To Provide an Example
To Concede
To Conclude or Summarize
To Add a Point
To Compare
To Contrast
To Indicate Cause and Effect
The Divide or Classify
To Indicate Spatial Arrangement
To Emphasize or Intensify
To Connect Clauses
Substitutes for Said

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.