The most basic transition words are conjunctions that join words, phrases or clauses together. For example, words like "and," "but" and "or" can connect two sentences together:
I ran home, and I got there just in time.
I ran home, but I was still late.
As you can see in the example above, even simple conjunctions serve different purposes. The first sentence uses "and" as a transition word that connects the two occurrences equally. The second sentence uses "but," which introduces a contrast. Knowing what different transition words mean will help you choose the ones that best get your point across.
Other transition words are adverbs that describe the way an action is performed or how it relates to another idea. For example:
I went to the mall after he gave me my paycheck.
Explanation:
-cause and effect: consequently, therefore, accordingly, as a result, because, for this reason, hence, thus
-sequence: furthermore, in addition, moreover, first, second, third, finally, again, also, and, besides, further, in the first place, last, likewise, next, then, too
-comparison or contrast: similarly, also, in the same way, likewise, although, at the same time, but, conversely, even so, however, in contrast, nevertheless, nonetheless, notwithstanding, on the contrary, otherwise, still, yet
-example: for example, for instance, in fact, indeed, of course, specifically, that is, to illustrate
-purpose: for this purpose, for this reason, to this end, with this object
time or location: nearby, above, adjacent to, below, beyond, farther on, here, opposite to, there, to the south, before, after, later, afterward, immediately, in the meantime, meanwhile, now, since, soon, then, while
