How did you learn to write great transitional sentences in your essays?
January 27, 2021 4:06 PM Subscribe
Despite writing quite a lot, I feel like I have never become great at writing transitional sentences in essays. My writing can thus seem choppy. If you have mastered transitions, how did you do it? Is there a great writing manual that helped you? Did you study the transitional sentences of a specific writer? Did you discover a magical formula? Any tips would be most appreciated.
I think it all comes down to thinking about the relationship between the different idea you're conveying. Are you trying to link 2 ideas that stand in contrast to each other? Or do you think both ideas point in the same direction? The language you use should follow from that relationship.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 5:18 PM on January 27, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 5:18 PM on January 27, 2021 [3 favorites]
I teach college composition, and I explain that transitions are there to help the reader understand the relationships between the ideas you're communicating (much like what Artifice_Eternity said).
When you are putting ideas down in writing, they make sense to you, because you know the context and you know how the ideas relate to each other. However, in order to communicate effectively with your reader, you need to not only make clear what your ideas are, but also how they relate to each other. To do that, you need to use transitions.
In my experience, the most common relationships demonstrated by transitions are contrast (however, although), cause and effect (therefore, as a result), additional evidence/support (moreover, also), and sequence (first, next, finally). This explainer from a university writing centre is pretty good.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 5:31 PM on January 27, 2021 [8 favorites]
When you are putting ideas down in writing, they make sense to you, because you know the context and you know how the ideas relate to each other. However, in order to communicate effectively with your reader, you need to not only make clear what your ideas are, but also how they relate to each other. To do that, you need to use transitions.
In my experience, the most common relationships demonstrated by transitions are contrast (however, although), cause and effect (therefore, as a result), additional evidence/support (moreover, also), and sequence (first, next, finally). This explainer from a university writing centre is pretty good.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 5:31 PM on January 27, 2021 [8 favorites]
Yeah, actually, that ^^^ is pretty much what I came to say. I say "moreover" more than anyone else I've ever met, and I say "therefore" quite a bit as well.
One other thing I do a lot, which I'm actually doing right now, is to start a new paragraph/idea by referring to what was or was not in the previous paragraph/idea. For example, I'll list a bunch of stuff, and then say "you'll notice I didn't mention ____" or "the last thing on that list is the most important". Add something to the previous idea, or emphasize something. Somehow call back to the previous idea, even if it's just like what I did in this paragraph, which was to say "one other thing".
I generally think transitions are easier in speech than in writing, because it's less formal. I used to lead a lot of training classes for work, and when I was in front of the class I would literally say "segue alert!" when I had a particularly good transition coming up. You can use the lack of formality to your advantage and say stuff like "speaking of..." that you probably wouldn't ever actually write. Get used to using awkward transitions in speech, and you'll get into the habit of writing them, and then over time they'll become less awkward.
posted by kevinbelt at 5:48 PM on January 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
One other thing I do a lot, which I'm actually doing right now, is to start a new paragraph/idea by referring to what was or was not in the previous paragraph/idea. For example, I'll list a bunch of stuff, and then say "you'll notice I didn't mention ____" or "the last thing on that list is the most important". Add something to the previous idea, or emphasize something. Somehow call back to the previous idea, even if it's just like what I did in this paragraph, which was to say "one other thing".
I generally think transitions are easier in speech than in writing, because it's less formal. I used to lead a lot of training classes for work, and when I was in front of the class I would literally say "segue alert!" when I had a particularly good transition coming up. You can use the lack of formality to your advantage and say stuff like "speaking of..." that you probably wouldn't ever actually write. Get used to using awkward transitions in speech, and you'll get into the habit of writing them, and then over time they'll become less awkward.
posted by kevinbelt at 5:48 PM on January 27, 2021 [1 favorite]
Rather than transitions specifically, I frequently ask writers to guide the reader more, to hold their hand, to help them across a gap, to offer more handholds... you get the idea, a lot of metaphors about getting from place to place. A transition-less essay is like a bunch of spotlighted areas with uncertain, dark terrain in between them. You have a map, because you designed this playground, but the reader can only see what's there and not how to move between point A and point B. So look at your map, which only you have, and then put down some lights on the path.
I think people often think of transitions in writing as something intended to mark the move from A to B, like fading from scene to scene in a film instead of cutting. But you're not just marking the move—you have to move the whole reader, or else they'll be left behind. And moving them involves either showing them the path, guiding them down it, or if all else fails teleporting them (that's when you just put a section break and three asterisks, a real flex if used sparingly).
posted by babelfish at 6:10 PM on January 27, 2021 [4 favorites]
I think people often think of transitions in writing as something intended to mark the move from A to B, like fading from scene to scene in a film instead of cutting. But you're not just marking the move—you have to move the whole reader, or else they'll be left behind. And moving them involves either showing them the path, guiding them down it, or if all else fails teleporting them (that's when you just put a section break and three asterisks, a real flex if used sparingly).
posted by babelfish at 6:10 PM on January 27, 2021 [4 favorites]
The UNC guide hurdy gurdy girl pointed you to is what I also use with my college students. Purdue's writing center also has pretty good resources.
Even as an academic who has had to write a lot, this has been something that I've struggled with - it's hard! Often, transitions are about revealing to the reader how you understand different ideas connecting, rather than assuming they'll know how you got from A-->B. But it can be hard to intuit which sentences need that connecting work, when all of the connections are clear to you.
I will say, nothing has improved my writing more than editing other people's writing. Do you have a writing group? For most people, it's way easier to figure out where someone else is missing transitions - eventually, this will help you edit your own writing.
posted by coffeecat at 6:32 PM on January 27, 2021 [2 favorites]
Even as an academic who has had to write a lot, this has been something that I've struggled with - it's hard! Often, transitions are about revealing to the reader how you understand different ideas connecting, rather than assuming they'll know how you got from A-->B. But it can be hard to intuit which sentences need that connecting work, when all of the connections are clear to you.
I will say, nothing has improved my writing more than editing other people's writing. Do you have a writing group? For most people, it's way easier to figure out where someone else is missing transitions - eventually, this will help you edit your own writing.
posted by coffeecat at 6:32 PM on January 27, 2021 [2 favorites]
Another way to think about transitions: they help the reader understand how what's coming is related to what just passed. (And it often doesn't take a whole sentence to do that.)
Meanwhile...
Otherwise...
My own opinion is...
But... (yes, a simple conjunction can make a fine transition)
posted by Short Attention Sp at 8:10 AM on January 28, 2021
Meanwhile...
Otherwise...
My own opinion is...
But... (yes, a simple conjunction can make a fine transition)
posted by Short Attention Sp at 8:10 AM on January 28, 2021
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Reading and rereading work, or listening, til I've noticed I can or have subtly adopted the behavior as my own.
It helps to consider discussion points on a gradient, where thoughts intensify, resonating deeply on a single sentence (or very small group), then dilute and/or transition into new thoughts as the writing moves forward.
posted by firstdaffodils at 4:17 PM on January 27, 2021