Transition Words and Phrases

Transitional expressions can help tie ideas together. They also help your narrative flow from one paragraph or idea to the other. Be sure that any transition you use makes sense. The goal is to make your writing flow smoothly from sentence to sentence.

Do not simply use “Then”… “Then”… “Then”!

After what seemed like eternity,

All of a sudden,

As soon as the teacher entered the classroom,

At long last,

At that very instant,

At that critical moment,

By the time Father arrived, ….

Earlier, I had…

Eventually/Finally,

Gradually,

However,

Instantaneously/Immediately/In an instant,

Initially, I wanted to…

Just before he was about to…, he…

Just then,

Luckily,

Meanwhile,

Nonetheless,

No sooner had I dialled 999 than the police arrived..

Shortly after that,

Soon after,

Thankfully,

The very next day,

Without delay/hesitation,

Without warning/prior notice,

Unexpectedly

Unfortunately/ Regrettably,

Unhesitatingly,

Until now, I …