what's a transition word in an essay

33 Transition Words and Phrases

Transitional terms give writers the opportunity to prepare readers for a new idea, connecting the previous sentence to the next one.

Many transitional words are nearly synonymous: words that broadly indicate that “this follows logically from the preceding” include accordingly, therefore, and consequently . Words that mean “in addition to” include moreover, besides, and further . Words that mean “contrary to what was just stated” include however, nevertheless , and nonetheless .

as a result : THEREFORE : CONSEQUENTLY

The executive’s flight was delayed and they accordingly arrived late.

in or by way of addition : FURTHERMORE

The mountain has many marked hiking trails; additionally, there are several unmarked trails that lead to the summit.

at a later or succeeding time : SUBSEQUENTLY, THEREAFTER

Afterward, she got a promotion.

even though : ALTHOUGH

She appeared as a guest star on the show, albeit briefly.

in spite of the fact that : even though —used when making a statement that differs from or contrasts with a statement you have just made

They are good friends, although they don't see each other very often.

in addition to what has been said : MOREOVER, FURTHERMORE

I can't go, and besides, I wouldn't go if I could.

as a result : in view of the foregoing : ACCORDINGLY

The words are often confused and are consequently misused.

in a contrasting or opposite way —used to introduce a statement that contrasts with a previous statement or presents a differing interpretation or possibility

Large objects appear to be closer. Conversely, small objects seem farther away.

used to introduce a statement that is somehow different from what has just been said

These problems are not as bad as they were. Even so, there is much more work to be done.

used as a stronger way to say "though" or "although"

I'm planning to go even though it may rain.

in addition : MOREOVER

I had some money to invest, and, further, I realized that the risk was small.

in addition to what precedes : BESIDES —used to introduce a statement that supports or adds to a previous statement

These findings seem plausible. Furthermore, several studies have confirmed them.

because of a preceding fact or premise : for this reason : THEREFORE

He was a newcomer and hence had no close friends here.

from this point on : starting now

She announced that henceforth she would be running the company.

in spite of that : on the other hand —used when you are saying something that is different from or contrasts with a previous statement

I'd like to go; however, I'd better not.

as something more : BESIDES —used for adding information to a statement

The city has the largest population in the country and in addition is a major shipping port.

all things considered : as a matter of fact —used when making a statement that adds to or strengthens a previous statement

He likes to have things his own way; indeed, he can be very stubborn.

for fear that —often used after an expression denoting fear or apprehension

He was concerned lest anyone think that he was guilty.

in addition : ALSO —often used to introduce a statement that adds to and is related to a previous statement

She is an acclaimed painter who is likewise a sculptor.

at or during the same time : in the meantime

You can set the table. Meanwhile, I'll start making dinner.

BESIDES, FURTHER : in addition to what has been said —used to introduce a statement that supports or adds to a previous statement

It probably wouldn't work. Moreover, it would be very expensive to try it.

in spite of that : HOWEVER

It was a predictable, but nevertheless funny, story.

in spite of what has just been said : NEVERTHELESS

The hike was difficult, but fun nonetheless.

without being prevented by (something) : despite—used to say that something happens or is true even though there is something that might prevent it from happening or being true

Notwithstanding their youth and inexperience, the team won the championship.

if not : or else

Finish your dinner. Otherwise, you won't get any dessert.

more correctly speaking —used to introduce a statement that corrects what you have just said

We can take the car, or rather, the van.

in spite of that —used to say that something happens or is true even though there is something that might prevent it from happening or being true

I tried again and still I failed.

by that : by that means

He signed the contract, thereby forfeiting his right to the property.

for that reason : because of that

This tablet is thin and light and therefore very convenient to carry around.

immediately after that

The committee reviewed the documents and thereupon decided to accept the proposal.

because of this or that : HENCE, CONSEQUENTLY

This detergent is highly concentrated and thus you will need to dilute it.

while on the contrary —used to make a statement that describes how two people, groups, etc., are different

Some of these species have flourished, whereas others have struggled.

NEVERTHELESS, HOWEVER —used to introduce a statement that adds something to a previous statement and usually contrasts with it in some way

It was pouring rain out, yet his clothes didn’t seem very wet.

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Transitional Words and Phrases

One of your primary goals as a writer is to present ideas in a clear and understandable way. To help readers move through your complex ideas, you want to be intentional about how you structure your paper as a whole as well as how you form the individual paragraphs that comprise it. In order to think through the challenges of presenting your ideas articulately, logically, and in ways that seem natural to your readers, check out some of these resources: Developing a Thesis Statement , Paragraphing , and Developing Strategic Transitions: Writing that Establishes Relationships and Connections Between Ideas.

While clear writing is mostly achieved through the deliberate sequencing of your ideas across your entire paper, you can guide readers through the connections you’re making by using transitional words in individual sentences. Transitional words and phrases can create powerful links between your ideas and can help your reader understand your paper’s logic.

In what follows, we’ve included a list of frequently used transitional words and phrases that can help you establish how your various ideas relate to each other. We’ve divided these words and phrases into categories based on the common kinds of relationships writers establish between ideas.

Two recommendations: Use these transitions strategically by making sure that the word or phrase you’re choosing matches the logic of the relationship you’re emphasizing or the connection you’re making. All of these words and phrases have different meanings, nuances, and connotations, so before using a particular transitional word in your paper, be sure you understand its meaning and usage completely, and be sure that it’s the right match for your paper’s logic. Use these transitional words and phrases sparingly because if you use too many of them, your readers might feel like you are overexplaining connections that are already clear.

Categories of Transition Words and Phrases

Causation Chronology Combinations Contrast Example

Importance Location Similarity Clarification Concession

Conclusion Intensification Purpose Summary

Transitions to help establish some of the most common kinds of relationships

Causation– Connecting instigator(s) to consequence(s).

accordingly as a result and so because

consequently for that reason hence on account of

since therefore thus

Chronology– Connecting what issues in regard to when they occur.

after afterwards always at length during earlier following immediately in the meantime

later never next now once simultaneously so far sometimes

soon subsequently then this time until now when whenever while

Combinations Lists– Connecting numerous events. Part/Whole– Connecting numerous elements that make up something bigger.

additionally again also and, or, not as a result besides even more

finally first, firstly further furthermore in addition in the first place in the second place

last, lastly moreover next second, secondly, etc. too

Contrast– Connecting two things by focusing on their differences.

after all although and yet at the same time but

despite however in contrast nevertheless nonetheless notwithstanding

on the contrary on the other hand otherwise though yet

Example– Connecting a general idea to a particular instance of this idea.

as an illustration e.g., (from a Latin abbreviation for “for example”)

for example for instance specifically that is

to demonstrate to illustrate

Importance– Connecting what is critical to what is more inconsequential.

chiefly critically

foundationally most importantly

of less importance primarily

Location– Connecting elements according to where they are placed in relationship to each other.

above adjacent to below beyond

centrally here nearby neighboring on

opposite to peripherally there wherever

Similarity– Connecting to things by suggesting that they are in some way alike.

by the same token in like manner

in similar fashion here in the same way

likewise wherever

Other kinds of transitional words and phrases Clarification

i.e., (from a Latin abbreviation for “that is”) in other words

that is that is to say to clarify to explain

to put it another way to rephrase it

granted it is true

naturally of course

finally lastly

in conclusion in the end

to conclude

Intensification

in fact indeed no

of course surely to repeat

undoubtedly without doubt yes

for this purpose in order that

so that to that end

to this end

in brief in sum

in summary in short

to sum up to summarize

Improving Your Writing Style

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Clear, Concise Sentences

Use the active voice

Put the action in the verb

Tidy up wordy phrases

Reduce wordy verbs

Reduce prepositional phrases

Reduce expletive constructions

Avoid using vague nouns

Avoid unneccessarily inflated words

Avoid noun strings

Connecting Ideas Through Transitions

Using Transitional Words and Phrases

Some experts argue that focusing on individual actions to combat climate change takes the focus away from the collective action required to keep carbon levels from rising. Change will not be effected, say some others, unless individual actions raise the necessary awareness.

While a reader can see the connection between the sentences above, it’s not immediately clear that the second sentence is providing a counterargument to the first. In the example below, key “old information” is repeated in the second sentence to help readers quickly see the connection. This makes the sequence of ideas easier to follow.  

Sentence pair #2: Effective Transition

Some experts argue that focusing on individual actions to combat climate change takes the focus away from the collective action required to keep carbon levels from rising. Other experts argue that individual actions are key to raising the awareness necessary to effect change.

You can use this same technique to create clear transitions between paragraphs. Here’s an example:

Some experts argue that focusing on individual actions to combat climate change takes the focus away from the collective action required to keep carbon levels from rising. Other experts argue that individual actions are key to raising the awareness necessary to effect change. According to Annie Lowery, individual actions are important to making social change because when individuals take action, they can change values, which can lead to more people becoming invested in fighting climate change. She writes, “Researchers believe that these kinds of household-led trends can help avert climate catastrophe, even if government and corporate actions are far more important” (Lowery).

So, what’s an individual household supposed to do?

The repetition of the word “household” in the new paragraph helps readers see the connection between what has come before (a discussion of whether household actions matter) and what is about to come (a proposal for what types of actions households can take to combat climate change).

Sometimes, transitional words can help readers see how ideas are connected. But it’s not enough to just include a “therefore,” “moreover,” “also,” or “in addition.” You should choose these words carefully to show your readers what kind of connection you are making between your ideas.

To decide which transitional word to use, start by identifying the relationship between your ideas. For example, you might be

• making a comparison or showing a contrast Transitional words that compare and contrast include also, in the same way, similarly, in contrast, yet, on the one hand, on the other hand. But before you signal comparison, ask these questions: Do your readers need another example of the same thing? Is there a new nuance in this next point that distinguishes it from the previous example? For those relationships between ideas, you might try this type of transition: While x may appear the same, it actually raises a new question in a slightly different way. 
• expressing agreement or disagreement When you are making an argument, you need to signal to readers where you stand in relation to other scholars and critics. You may agree with another person’s claim, you may want to concede some part of the argument even if you don’t agree with everything, or you may disagree. Transitional words that signal agreement, concession, and disagreement include however, nevertheless, actually, still, despite, admittedly, still, on the contrary, nonetheless .
• showing cause and effect Transitional phrases that show cause and effect include therefore, hence, consequently, thus, so. Before you choose one of these words, make sure that what you are about to illustrate is really a causal link. Novice writers tend to add therefore and hence when they aren’t sure how to transition; you should reserve these words for when they accurately signal the progression of your ideas.
• explaining or elaborating Transitions can signal to readers that you are going to expand on a point that you have just made or explain something further. Transitional words that signal explanation or elaboration include in other words, for example, for instance, in particular, that is, to illustrate, moreover .
• drawing conclusions You can use transitions to signal to readers that you are moving from the body of your argument to your conclusions. Before you use transitional words to signal conclusions, consider whether you can write a stronger conclusion by creating a transition that shows the relationship between your ideas rather than by flagging the paragraph simply as a conclusion. Transitional words that signal a conclusion include in conclusion , as a result, ultimately, overall— but strong conclusions do not necessarily have to include those phrases.

If you’re not sure which transitional words to use—or whether to use one at all—see if you can explain the connection between your paragraphs or sentence either out loud or in the margins of your draft.

For example, if you write a paragraph in which you summarize physician Atul Gawande’s argument about the value of incremental care, and then you move on to a paragraph that challenges those ideas, you might write down something like this next to the first paragraph: “In this paragraph I summarize Gawande’s main claim.” Then, next to the second paragraph, you might write, “In this paragraph I present a challenge to Gawande’s main claim.” Now that you have identified the relationship between those two paragraphs, you can choose the most effective transition between them. Since the second paragraph in this example challenges the ideas in the first, you might begin with something like “but,” or “however,” to signal that shift for your readers.  

• picture_as_pdf Transitions

Transitions

What this handout is about.

In this crazy, mixed-up world of ours, transitions glue our ideas and our essays together. This handout will introduce you to some useful transitional expressions and help you employ them effectively.

The function and importance of transitions

In both academic writing and professional writing, your goal is to convey information clearly and concisely, if not to convert the reader to your way of thinking. Transitions help you to achieve these goals by establishing logical connections between sentences, paragraphs, and sections of your papers. In other words, transitions tell readers what to do with the information you present to them. Whether single words, quick phrases, or full sentences, they function as signs that tell readers how to think about, organize, and react to old and new ideas as they read through what you have written.

Transitions signal relationships between ideas—relationships such as: “Another example coming up—stay alert!” or “Here’s an exception to my previous statement” or “Although this idea appears to be true, here’s the real story.” Basically, transitions provide the reader with directions for how to piece together your ideas into a logically coherent argument. Transitions are not just verbal decorations that embellish your paper by making it sound or read better. They are words with particular meanings that tell the reader to think and react in a particular way to your ideas. In providing the reader with these important cues, transitions help readers understand the logic of how your ideas fit together.

Signs that you might need to work on your transitions

How can you tell whether you need to work on your transitions? Here are some possible clues:

• Your instructor has written comments like “choppy,” “jumpy,” “abrupt,” “flow,” “need signposts,” or “how is this related?” on your papers.
• Your readers (instructors, friends, or classmates) tell you that they had trouble following your organization or train of thought.
• You tend to write the way you think—and your brain often jumps from one idea to another pretty quickly.
• You wrote your paper in several discrete “chunks” and then pasted them together.
• You are working on a group paper; the draft you are working on was created by pasting pieces of several people’s writing together.

Organization

Since the clarity and effectiveness of your transitions will depend greatly on how well you have organized your paper, you may want to evaluate your paper’s organization before you work on transitions. In the margins of your draft, summarize in a word or short phrase what each paragraph is about or how it fits into your analysis as a whole. This exercise should help you to see the order of and connection between your ideas more clearly.

If after doing this exercise you find that you still have difficulty linking your ideas together in a coherent fashion, your problem may not be with transitions but with organization. For help in this area (and a more thorough explanation of the “reverse outlining” technique described in the previous paragraph), please see the Writing Center’s handout on organization .

How transitions work

The organization of your written work includes two elements: (1) the order in which you have chosen to present the different parts of your discussion or argument, and (2) the relationships you construct between these parts. Transitions cannot substitute for good organization, but they can make your organization clearer and easier to follow. Take a look at the following example:

El Pais , a Latin American country, has a new democratic government after having been a dictatorship for many years. Assume that you want to argue that El Pais is not as democratic as the conventional view would have us believe.

One way to effectively organize your argument would be to present the conventional view and then to provide the reader with your critical response to this view. So, in Paragraph A you would enumerate all the reasons that someone might consider El Pais highly democratic, while in Paragraph B you would refute these points. The transition that would establish the logical connection between these two key elements of your argument would indicate to the reader that the information in paragraph B contradicts the information in paragraph A. As a result, you might organize your argument, including the transition that links paragraph A with paragraph B, in the following manner:

Paragraph A: points that support the view that El Pais’s new government is very democratic.

Transition: Despite the previous arguments, there are many reasons to think that El Pais’s new government is not as democratic as typically believed.

Paragraph B: points that contradict the view that El Pais’s new government is very democratic.

In this case, the transition words “Despite the previous arguments,” suggest that the reader should not believe paragraph A and instead should consider the writer’s reasons for viewing El Pais’s democracy as suspect.

As the example suggests, transitions can help reinforce the underlying logic of your paper’s organization by providing the reader with essential information regarding the relationship between your ideas. In this way, transitions act as the glue that binds the components of your argument or discussion into a unified, coherent, and persuasive whole.

Types of transitions

Now that you have a general idea of how to go about developing effective transitions in your writing, let us briefly discuss the types of transitions your writing will use.

The types of transitions available to you are as diverse as the circumstances in which you need to use them. A transition can be a single word, a phrase, a sentence, or an entire paragraph. In each case, it functions the same way: First, the transition either directly summarizes the content of a preceding sentence, paragraph, or section or implies such a summary (by reminding the reader of what has come before). Then, it helps the reader anticipate or comprehend the new information that you wish to present.

• Transitions between sections: Particularly in longer works, it may be necessary to include transitional paragraphs that summarize for the reader the information just covered and specify the relevance of this information to the discussion in the following section.
• Transitions between paragraphs: If you have done a good job of arranging paragraphs so that the content of one leads logically to the next, the transition will highlight a relationship that already exists by summarizing the previous paragraph and suggesting something of the content of the paragraph that follows. A transition between paragraphs can be a word or two (however, for example, similarly), a phrase, or a sentence. Transitions can be at the end of the first paragraph, at the beginning of the second paragraph, or in both places.
• Transitions within paragraphs: As with transitions between sections and paragraphs, transitions within paragraphs act as cues by helping readers to anticipate what is coming before they read it. Within paragraphs, transitions tend to be single words or short phrases.

Transitional expressions

Effectively constructing each transition often depends upon your ability to identify words or phrases that will indicate for the reader the kind of logical relationships you want to convey. The table below should make it easier for you to find these words or phrases. Whenever you have trouble finding a word, phrase, or sentence to serve as an effective transition, refer to the information in the table for assistance. Look in the left column of the table for the kind of logical relationship you are trying to express. Then look in the right column of the table for examples of words or phrases that express this logical relationship.

Keep in mind that each of these words or phrases may have a slightly different meaning. Consult a dictionary or writer’s handbook if you are unsure of the exact meaning of a word or phrase.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Common transition words and phrases.

In an effort to make our handouts more accessible, we have begun converting our PDF handouts to web pages. Download this page as a PDF: Transitions Return to Writing Studio Handouts

Transitions clarify the logic of your argument by orienting your reader as you develop ideas between sentences and paragraphs. These tools should alert readers to shifts in your argument while and also maintain the smoothness and clarity of your prose. Below, you’ll find some of the most commonly used transition categories and examples of each. Depending on the example, these suggestions may be within sentences or at the beginning of sentences.

Transitions by Category

1. addition.

Use when presenting multiple ideas that flow in the same direction, under the same heading/ idea also, another, finally, first, first of all, for one thing, furthermore, in addition, last of all, likewise, moreover, next, and, second, the third reason

2. Sequence/ Order

Use to suggest a temporal relationship between ideas; places evidence in sequence first, second (etc.), next, last, finally, first of all, concurrently, immediately, prior to, then, at that time, at this point, previously, subsequently, and then, at this time, thereafter, previously, soon, before, after, followed by, after that, next, before, after, meanwhile, formerly, finally, during

3. Contrast

Use to demonstrate differences between ideas or change in argument direction but, however, in contrast, on the other hand, on the contrary, yet, differ, difference, balanced against, differing from, variation, still, on the contrary, unlike, conversely, otherwise, on the other hand, however

4. Exception

Use to introduce an opposing idea however, whereas, on the other hand, while, instead, in spite of, yet, despite, still, nevertheless, even though, in contrast, but, but one could also say…

5. Comparison

Use to demonstrate similarities between ideas that may not be under the same subject heading or within the same paragraph like, likewise, just, in a different way / sense, whereas, like, equally, in like manner, by comparison, similar to, in the same way, alike, similarity, similarly, just as, as in a similar fashion, conversely

6. Illustration

Use to develop or clarify an idea, to introduce examples, or to show that the second idea is subordinate to the first for example, to illustrate, on this occasion, this can be seen, in this case, specifically, once, to illustrate, when/where, for instance, such as, to demonstrate, take the case of, in this case

7. Location

Use to show spatial relations next to, above, below, beneath, left, right, behind, in front, on top, within

8. Cause and Effect

Use to show that one idea causes, or results from, the idea that follows or precedes it because, therefore, so that, cause, reason, effect, thus, consequently, since, as a result, if…then, result in

9. Emphasis

Use to suggest that an idea is particularly important to your argument important to note, most of all, a significant factor, a primary concern, a key feature, remember that, pay particular attention to, a central issue, the most substantial issue, the main value, a major event, the chief factor, a distinctive quality, especially valuable, the chief outcome, a vital force, especially relevant, most noteworthy, the principal item, above all, should be noted

10. Summary or Conclusion

Use to signal that what follows is summarizing or concluding the previous ideas; in humanities papers, use these phrases sparingly. to summarize, in short, in brief, in sum, in summary, to sum up, in conclusion, to conclude, finally

Some material adapted from Cal Poly Pomona College Reading Skills Program and “ Power Tools for Technical Communication .” 

Writing Effective Sentence Transitions (Advanced)

Transitions are the rhetorical tools that clarify the logic of your argument by orienting your reader as you develop ideas between sentences and paragraphs. The ability to integrate sentence transitions into your prose, rather than simply throwing in overt transition signals like “in addition,” indicates your mastery of the material. (Note: The visibility of transitions may vary by discipline; consult with your professor to get a better sense of discipline or assignment specific expectations.)

Transition Signals

Transition signals are words or phrases that indicate the logic connecting sets of information or ideas. Signals like therefore, on the other hand, for example, because, then, and afterwards can be good transition tools at the sentence and paragraph level. When using these signals, be conscious of the real meaning of these terms; they should reflect the actual relationship between ideas.

Review Words

Review words are transition tools that link groups of sentences or whole paragraphs. They condense preceding discussion into a brief word or phrase. For example: You’ve just completed a detailed discussion about the greenhouse effect. To transition to the next topic, you could use review words like “this heat-trapping process” to refer back to the green house effect discussion. The relative ability to determine a cogent set of review words might signal your own understanding of your work; think of review words as super-short summaries of key ideas.

Preview words

Preview words condense an upcoming discussion into a brief word or phrase. For example: You’ve just explained how heat is trapped in the earth’s atmosphere. Transitioning to the theory that humans are adding to that effect, you could use preview words like “sources of additional CO2 in the atmosphere include” to point forward to that discussion.

Transition Sentences

The strongest and most sophisticated tools, transition sentences indicate the connection between the preceding and upcoming pieces of your argument. They often contain one or more of the above transition tools. For example: You’ve just discussed how much CO2 humans have added to the atmosphere. You need to transition to a discussion of the effects. A strong set of transition sentences between the two sections might sound like this:

“These large amounts of CO2 added to the atmosphere may lead to a number of disastrous consequences for residents of planet earth. The rise in global temperature that accompanies the extra CO2 can yield effects as varied as glacial melting and species extinction.”

In the first sentence, the review words are “These large amounts of CO2 added to the atmosphere”; the preview words are “number of disastrous consequences”; the transition signals are “may lead to.” The topic sentence of the next paragraph indicates the specific “disastrous consequences” you will discuss.

If you don’t see a way to write a logical, effective transition between sentences, ideas or paragraphs, this might indicate organizational problems in your essay; you might consider revising your work.

Some material adapted from Cal Poly Pomona College Reading Skills Program  and “ Power Tools for Technical Communication .”

Last revised: 07/2008 | Adapted for web delivery: 05/2021

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Transition Words (List for Essays, Paragraphs, and Writing)

In grammar , transition words play a very important role. If used correctly, they can link your ideas, make your paragraphs more coherent, and enhance your writing.

But first – what exactly are transition words and how should you use them ?

What exactly are transition words?

Simply put, transition words are words that basically act as the powerful link that holds your sentences together. They are used to show the relationship between two (or more) phrases, sentences, and even paragraphs.

Transition words improve the flow of your writing, and make it more sensible and easier to read . Words like “and,” “additionally,” “because,” “therefore,” etc. are all transition words. Along with transition words, we also have transition phrases like “as well as,” “for example,” “after all,” etc.

Why are transition words used in a sentence?

1. they are link builders.

Using transition words helps you connect your ideas and thoughts clearly. It helps the reader understand how different ideas logically are related and not get confused. In addition, these words also prepare the readers for what they should expect next.

Let’s consider the following example:

• Shannon couldn’t sleep well last night. Therefore , she drank two cups of coffee before starting her day.

Now, using the transition word “therefore” helped you achieve two things here:

• It told the reader the cause-and-effect relationship between two things
• It described how these sentences are connected and are a part of one process.

From the above example, the reader will understand that Shannon requires two cups of coffee because she couldn’t sleep well last night. These are two different sentences, but they are glued together with the transition word. Remove the transition word and both of these sentences will lose coherency.

2. Transition words help you put your thoughts in a logical order

Organized thoughts are essential elements of clear and concise writing. Writers should ensure that all the points mentioned in a sentence have a logical flow and there should not be any abrupt pauses between them.

Transition words help in introducing sequence or order to your writing. Here’s how:

• First , we will go shopping. Then , we will go to a movie.

Here, we have used two transition words (“first” and “then”) at the beginning of two different sentences. They are used to denote a particular order in which two actions are to be performed.

3. Transition words make your work logical and easy to read

High-quality writing is always clear and easy to understand. It has a logical structure and helps the reader move from one thought to another effortlessly. The simpler the writing, the better the readability!

Transition words are the magic connectors that help you write in clear and plain English.

In both the above-mentioned examples, we have used the transition word at the beginning of the sentences. However, these words can also be used in the middle or at the end of a sense or phrase.

Consider the following sentence, for example:

• I love watching the TV show F.R.I.E.N.D.S because it makes me laugh.

Here, the transition word “because” helps in joining two clauses . It helps the reader understand two things clearly:

• Which TV show does the writer loves watching
• Why do they love watching that particular show

Different categories of transition words

Depending upon their usage and the types of transition a writer wishes to make, transition words are usually divided into multiple categories. There are transition words to show contrast, similarity, examples, and whatnot!

Generally, we have more than one transition word for a particular situation/ transition and so writers can pick the ones according to their liking.

Most of the time, these words mean the same things. However, sometimes they have slightly different meanings. Thus, it is important to understand the meaning and use-case of these words before making your final choice.

Here are some transition word examples according to different categories:

When it comes to displaying contrast “but” is the most common transition word. However, it is not the only word. There are several other transition words that you can use to display contrast in your sentences. Some of the common words include:

• On the contrary
• On the other hand
• Despite this
• Nevertheless

More on in contrast transition words .

The following transition words should be used for showing examples:

• For example
• For instance
• To illustrate
• Specifically

Cause and effect

These transition words are used for denoting the cause-and-effect relationship between two sentences. The common transition words you can use for this are as follows:

• Accordingly

Another common use of transition words is to show the similarity between sentences and phrases. Here are some commonly used transition words for denoting the similarity between two sentences:

• In the same way

For showing different periods, the following transition words should be used:

• Immediately
• Subsequently

These transition words also define sequence or time. Here are some common sequence-based transition words that writers can include in their work:

These transition words are used to connect things based on their location or where they are placed to each other. Here are some of them:

• Adjacent to

As the name suggests, emphasis transition words help you in stressing an important point and accentuate your argument. Here are some common emphasis transition words:

These transition words offer huge help when you are drafting the conclusion of your work . Whether you are working on a school essay, summing up an idea, or working on your blog, conclusion transition words are an integral part of all kinds of writing.

Here are some common conclusion transition words that writers can use to simplify their writing:

• In conclusion
• To sum it up
• On the whole

More on conclusion transition words .

Do transition words actually make a difference?

The main purpose of transition words is to make clunky, confusing, and disjointed sentences smooth , logical, and coherent. These words must be used to improve the flow of sentences and make your paper more engaging.

When trying to write in plain English, using appropriate transition words wherever possible can make a significant positive impact.

Writers must avoid making abrupt pauses or jumping from one sentence to another illogically. Instead, it is recommended to use transition words to establish an organizational flow in your work.

But the question is – do transition words actually work?

Let’s consider the following sentences – with and without the transition word – and see the difference:

• Jess is going back home for three months. He needs two big bags to carry all his belongings.

While there is nothing wrong with these two sentences, they lack a logical flow. Here’s how using a transition word can improve it.

• Jess is going back home for three months therefore he needs two big bags to carry all his belongings.
• Robin decided to stop studying. She failed high school .

Again, while both of these sentences are grammatically correct, they neither sound good nor logical, There’s an abrupt pause between them. Let’s see how they’ll sound after adding a transition word.

• Robin decided to stop studying. Consequently , she failed high school.
• I could go home. I could stay at the office and finish my work.

Now, these two sentences don’t sound coherent at all. There is something off about them, they lack flow, and they don’t make any logical sense, right? However, once we add a simple transition word between them, they will become so much better. Here’s how:

• I could go home, or I could stay at the office and finish my work.

By adding “or” (a contrast transition word), we linked the sentences. No need to rely on two awkward sentences that are better off as one.

How to use transition words correctly

In order to make a positive difference in your writing, the transition words must be used in a grammatically correct way.

When including transition words in their sentences, writers must remember the following important points:

1. The correct placement: When writing an essay, a blog, or an academic paper, the placement of the transition words plays a crucial role. Writers must plan where they want to place the transition words beforehand and then proceed with writing the sentences.

Generally, transition words can be placed –

• At the beginning of the sentences
• At the end of the sentences
• In the middle of a sentence

2. Use a comma : When using a transition word in the middle of the sentence, it is important to always use a comma (,) before it. Doing so will separate the transition word from the rest of the sentence and give more clarity to your writing.

3. Consider the relationship between two sentences: It is another important tip that every writer must use while including transition words in their writing. Two sentences can have different kinds of relationships. They can be in agreement or disagreement with each other, there can be a cause-and-effect relationship, they can be in chronological order, etc.

Thus, it is crucial to have a clear idea about their relationship before deciding on a transition word.

Key takeaways

In English, using transition words can do wonders for your writing. It can make it more appealing, logical, and clear for the readers. Today, we have learned a lot about transition words and how writers should use them in their work.

Here is a quick summary of everything that we have learned in this article:

• Transition words are words that are used when a writer is transitioning from one point to another.
• They are commonly used as “linking words” that join two or more sentences, phrases, and paragraphs.
• Some common and widely used transition words in English include “also,” “or,” “therefore,” and “thus.”
• There are various categories of transition words and writers can use them depending on the relationship between sentences. Common categories of transition words include – cause-and-effect transition, similarity transition, emphasis transition, contrast transition, and more.

The 10 most commonly used transitional words include the following:

• Furthermore
• Consequently

When using transition words, it is important to strike the correct balance. Overusing transition words can make your work hard to read and reduce its quality.

While you can use multiple transition words in a paragraph, it is recommended to use just one transition word in a sentence.

With SEO becoming more and more important, using the right amount of transition words in your content has become all the more important. Following the best SEO practices and including the ideal amount of transition words in blogs and articles can help in increasing their Google ranking.

Ideally, a writer must ensure that at least 30% of their sentences include transition words. This will go a long way in improving the readability of their content and making it more engaging and simple.

There are several ways to write effective transition sentences . Here are some writing tips that can help writers write effective transition sentences:

• Generally, it is advisable to use transition words at the beginning of your sentences. It helps you introduce the paragraph topic and logically connect the new sentence with the previous one.
• As much as possible, it is advisable to avoid using the transition word “this.” It is because it can make your sentences confusing as it is not always clear what or who “this” refers to. Moreover, many people use pronouns like “this” or “that” as filler words.

The five most common types of transitions include the following:

• Comparison – For example, “similarly”, “likewise,” “in the same way,” etc.
• Contrast – For example, “on the contrary,” “or,” “otherwise,” “however,” etc.
• Emphasis – For example, “in fact,” “above all,” etc.
• Sequence – For example, “first,” “next,” “eventually,” etc.
• Consequence – For example, “accordingly,” “as a result,” “consequently,” etc.
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Dalia Y.: Dalia is an English Major and linguistics expert with an additional degree in Psychology. Dalia has featured articles on Forbes, Inc, Fast Company, Grammarly, and many more. She covers English, ESL, and all things grammar on GrammarBrain.

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Essay Writing Guide

Transition Words For Essays

Last updated on: Dec 19, 2023

220 Best Transition Words for Essays

By: Nova A.

15 min read

Reviewed By: Jacklyn H.

Published on: Jul 9, 2019

Writing essays can be hard, and making sure your transitions are smooth is even harder. 

You've probably heard that good essays need good transitions, but what are they? How do you use them in your writing? Also, your essays are assessed according to particular criteria and it is your responsibility to ensure that it is being met.

But don't worry, we are here to help. This blog will give you transition words for essays, including how to choose the right ones and where to place them for maximum impact. Essay writing is a technical process that requires much more effort than simply pouring your thoughts on paper.

If you are new to the concept of transition words and phrases, deep dive into this article in order to find out the secret to improving your essays.

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What Are Transition Words 

Transition words are essential elements in essay writing that create smooth transitions between ideas. 

Think of a transition as a conjunction or a joining word. It helps create strong relationships between ideas, paragraphs, or sentences and assists the readers to understand the word phrases and sentences easily.

As writers, our goal is to communicate our thoughts and ideas in the most clear and logical manner. Especially when presenting complex ideas, we must ensure that they are being conveyed in the most understandable way.

To ensure that your paper is easy to understand, you can work on the sequencing of ideas. Break down your ideas into different sentences and paragraphs then use a transition word or phrase to guide them through these ideas.

Why Should You Use Transitions

The purpose of transition words goes beyond just connectivity. They create a cohesive narrative , allowing your ideas to flow seamlessly from one point to another. These words and phrases act as signposts and indicate relationships. 

These relations could include:

• Cause and Effect
• Comparison and Contrast
• Addition and Emphasis
• Sequence and Order
• Illustration and Example
• Concession and Contradiction
• Summary and Conclusion

They form a bridge and tie sentences together, creating a logical connection. In addition to tying the entire paper together, they help demonstrate the writer’s agreement, disagreement, conclusion, or contrast.

However, keep in mind that just using or including transitional words isn’t enough to highlight relationships between ideas. The content of your paragraphs must support the relationship as well. So, you should avoid overusing them in a paper.

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Types of Transitions

Transitions in essays can be classified into different types based on the relationships they indicate between ideas. Each type serves a specific purpose in guiding readers through your arguments. 

Let's explore some common types of transitions and their examples:

Additive Transitions 

These transitions are used to add information or ideas. They help you expand on your points or provide additional supporting evidence. Examples:

• In addition
• Furthermore
• Additionally
• Not only... but also
• Coupled with

Adversative Transitions

Adversative transitions show contrast or contradiction between ideas. They are used to present opposing viewpoints or highlight differences. Examples:

• Nevertheless
• On the other hand
• In contrast

Causal Transitions

Causal transitions explain cause-and-effect relationships. They help you establish the reasons behind certain outcomes or actions. Examples:

• As a result
• Consequently
• Resulting in
• For this reason

Sequential Transitions

Sequential transitions indicate the order or sequence of events or ideas. They help you present your thoughts in a logical and organized manner. Examples: 

• Subsequently
• In the meantime
• Simultaneously

Comparative Transitions

Comparative transitions highlight similarities or comparisons between ideas. They help you draw connections and illustrate relationships. Here are some transition words for essays examples: 

• In the same way
• Compared to
• In comparison
• Correspondingly
• By the same token
• Equally important
• Analogous to

Getting started on your essay? Check out this insightful read on essay writing to make sure you ace it!

List of Good Transition Words for Essays

As mentioned above, there are different categories of transitions that serve a unique purpose. Understanding these different types will help you pick the most suitable word or phrase to communicate your message.

Here we have categorized the best transition words for essays so you can use them appropriately!

Transition Words for Argumentative Essays

In argumentative essays , the effective use of transition words is essential for presenting a well-structured and coherent argument. 

Transition Words for Compare and Contrast Essays

In compare and contrast essays , transition words play a crucial role in highlighting the similarities and differences between the subjects being compared. 

Here are a few transition words that are particularly useful in compare and contrast essays:

Transition Words for Cause and Effect Essays

In cause and effect essays , transition words help illustrate the relationships between causes and their corresponding effects. 

Here are a few transition words that are particularly useful in cause-and-effect essays:

Transition Words for Different Parts of Essays

Transition words are valuable tools that can be used throughout different parts of an essay to create a smooth and coherent flow. By understanding the appropriate transition words for each section, you can logically connect your ideas. 

Introduction Transition Words for Essays

Introductions are one of the most impactful parts of the essay. It's important that it connects logically with the rest of the essay. To do this, you can utilize different transition words for essays to start. Here are some starting transition words for essays:

Transition Words for Essays Body Paragraph

In an essay, body paragraphs play a crucial role in presenting and developing your ideas. To ensure a logical flow within each body paragraph, the strategic use of transition words is essential.

Here are lists of transitions for essays for different body paragraphs:

Transition Words for Essays for First Body Paragraph

Here is a list of transition words that you can use for the first body paragraph of an essay:

Transition Words for Essays Second Body Paragraph

Here is a list of transition words for the second body paragraph of an essay:

Transition Words for Essays Third Body Paragraph

Transition words for essays last body paragraph, transition words for essays conclusion .

Here is a list of ending transition words for essays:

Do’s and Don’ts of Using Essay Transitions

When it comes to using transitions in your essay, there are certain do's and don'ts that can help you effectively enhance the flow of your writing. Here are some key guidelines to keep in mind:

• Add transitions only when introducing new ideas.
• Go through the paper to make sure they make sense.
• Start by creating an outline, so you know what ideas to share and how.
• Use different transitions for each idea.
• Don’t overuse them.
• Don’t keep adding transitions in the same paragraph.
• Don’t completely rely on transitions to signal relationships.
• Don’t incorporate it into your content without understanding its usage.

By now, you have probably understood how transition words can save you from disjointed and directionless paragraphs. They are the missing piece that indicates how ideas are related to one another. You can also generate more essays with our AI powered essay writer to learn the art of transitioning smoothly from one paragraph to another. 

If you are still unable to distinguish transitions to open or conclude your essays, don’t be upset - these things require time and practice.

If you are looking for the perfect essay-writing service, get in touch with the expert writers at 5StarEssays.com. We will include the right transitions according to the type of paper, ensuring a coherent flow of ideas.

Just say ‘ write my essay ’ now and let our essay writer create quality content at the most pocket-friendly rates available.

As a Digital Content Strategist, Nova Allison has eight years of experience in writing both technical and scientific content. With a focus on developing online content plans that engage audiences, Nova strives to write pieces that are not only informative but captivating as well.

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Transition words for essays

The right transition words can transform a mediocre essay into a great paper. In this post, we discuss why effective transitions can substantially improve the quality and readability of your essay and provide examples of commonly used transition words.

What are transitions?

Transitions are the places in your paper where you move on to a new idea or paragraph. They may also be points at which you want to add to, expand upon, or conclude a previous statement.

The best transitions are signaled clearly by keywords and phrases that let the reader know that you’re moving on. Transition words typically occur at the beginning of a sentence.

How do transition words improve your essay?

Quality transitions are often the difference between a decent essay and a strong one. Transition words give clear signals to the reader that you are moving on to a new idea and this enables them to more easily follow your argument.

When a reader can efficiently follow the main threads of your paper, then they are more likely to be persuaded by your argument, which is the point of papers like argumentative essays .

Types of transition words

The transition words that you use in your paper will naturally depend on what kind of transition you’re making. In this section, we break down the main types of transitions that you might use in your essay and provide examples of common transition words.

Adding a point

There may be multiple times throughout a paper where you want to add to a point that you made or that came from one of your sources. To signal this, you might use one of the following phrases:

• additionally
• furthermore
• in addition

Elaborating on a point

At other times, you may need to expand, or elaborate upon, a previously stated idea. In that case, you may utilize one of these keywords:

• by extension
• in other words
• put differently

Introducing examples

Sometimes you may want to introduce an example that illustrates a previous point. To introduce examples, you can use one of the following phrases:

• for example
• for instance
• specifically
• to take a case in point

Indicating comparisons and contrasts

Some types of essays, like position papers, require you to introduce contrasting points of view. In order to transition from one perspective to another, you may want to use a transition word or phrase that signals a comparison or contrast:

Comparison :

• along the same lines
• in the same way
• in the same vein
• by contrast
• even though
• in contrast
• nevertheless
• nonetheless
• on the contrary
• on the other hand

Showing cause and effect

If you’re building an argument and you want to indicate that one point is dependent on another, you might want to employ one of these phrases to signal that transition:

• accordingly
• as a result
• consequently

When you are ready to conclude a point or prepare your reader for your paper’s conclusion, it’s important to signal that you’re at that stage. Consider using one of these transition words to do so:

• in conclusion
• to summarize

If you are transitioning between your own words and borrowed material from secondary sources, be sure to properly cite any ideas that aren’t your own. You can use the BibGuru citation generator to create instant, accurate citations for a range of source types, including books , articles , and websites .

Frequently Asked Questions about transition words for essays

Commonly used transition words include: additionally, although, as a result, for example, for instance, however, moreover, therefore, thus, and ultimately.

To link two points together, or to add to a previous point, you might use transition words like:

The most popular types of transitions are those that introduce examples or that add to, elaborate upon, compare or contrast, or conclude a previous point.

To signal a transition in an essay, use a transition word or phrase. Choose a phrase based on the kind of transition that you’re making.

Transition words give clear signals to the reader that you are moving on to a new idea and or that you want to add to, expand, or conclude a previous point. Transition words can also be used to introduce examples and to indicate a comparison or contrast.

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What is a Transition? Definition, Examples of Transitions in Writing

Home » The Writer’s Dictionary » What is a Transition? Definition, Examples of Transitions in Writing

Transition definition: Transitions are words or phrases that are used to connect one idea to the next when writing.

What is a Transition?

Transitions are words or phrases that are inserted into writing in order to connect thoughts and ideas. These allow for the reader to easily follow the progression of the writing by adding flow.

Example of a Transition

When writing a step-by-step guide to how to do something, people often used numerical transitions such as first, second, and third in order to help the audience understand the separate steps involved.

Where Are Transitions Used?

Between sections : In lengthy writing, transitions are used between sections in order to summarize what has been already explained as well as introduce future material. For example, in history textbooks, the writers may include transitions between chapters in order to provide connections between the historical events.

Between ideas : Transitions are important to use between ideas in order to separate the individual thoughts. An example could be when giving people options to choose between, a person would want to add a transition in order to identify they have moved on to a new choice.

Between paragraphs : When including transitions between paragraphs, it is important to identify the connection between the two in order to effectively move from one paragraph to the next. Often times, a good way to this is to read the last sentence of the first paragraph and the first sentence of the second in order to find a connection. For example, when offering two sides to a situation, the transition word however could be a good connector between two paragraphs.

Within paragraphs : It is also important to include transitions within paragraphs so the thoughts within the section flow from one to the next in an organized manner. If the writer is talking about an idea and then wants to provide an example to illustrate, the transition for example will help the reader transition.

The Function of Transitions in Literature

Transitions are important in literature in order to help the reader understand the writing. They allow for the story to flow from one thought to the next allowing for the reader to build upon the ideas without having to think too hard in order to put them together.

Without effective transitions, writing may become ineffective and confusing.

In James Hurst’s “The Scarlet Ibis” the power of transitions is evident in order to show a character’s change of thought. First, let’s take a look at an example in which the transition word has been removed:

• “It was bad enough having an invalid brother, but having one who possibly was not all there was unbearable, so I began to make plans to kill him by smothering him with a pillow…one afternoon as I watched him, my head poked between the iron posts of the foot of the bed, he looked straight at me and grinned.”

Second, let’s look at the line with the transition word in order to compare the difference:

• “It was bad enough having an invalid brother, but having one who possibly was not all there was unbearable, so I began to make plans to kill him by smothering him with a pillow. However , one afternoon as I watched him, my head poked between the iron posts of the foot of the bed, he looked straight at me and grinned.”

By adding the transition word however , it signals to the reader that the narrator’s attitude toward his brother changed. Without the transition word, the change would be ambiguous.

Transition Examples in Literature

In John Boyne’s The Boy in the Striped Pajamas , he uses the transition phrase “ some days later” in order to denote a change in time between chapters.

• “Some days later Bruno was lying on the bed in his room, staring at the ceiling above his head”

Carrie Brownstein includes the transition “nevertheless” in her memoir Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl in order to show that she is adding to a previous point that she made:

• “I really didn’t want to go to Western Washington University. I had no plan, and I left for the northern part of the state knowing only that I would not be there long. Departing for a departure. Nevertheless , I went through the motions.”

Summary: What are Transitions?

Define transition in literature: In summation, transitions are words are phrases that are used to connect thoughts or ideas together in a manner that helps the writing flow for the reader to limit confused or misunderstanding.

Final Example:

In Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City , he uses the transition word however in order to show contrast between two ideas:

• “Yes, he said, he was sure of it: The man in the photograph had come to his hotel…It was the children, however , that he remembered the most clearly, and now he told the detectives why.

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Transitional Words

Transitional words are like bridges between parts of your essay. They are cues that help the reader interpret your ideas. Transitional words or phrases help carry your thoughts forward from one sentence to another and one paragraph to another. Finally, transitional words link sentences and paragraphs together smoothly so that there are no abrupt jumps or breaks between ideas.

Here is a list of common transitional words and the categories to which they belong.

and, again, and then, besides, equally important, finally, further, furthermore, nor, too, next, lastly, what's more, moreover, in addition, first (second, etc.)

To Compare:

whereas, but, yet, on the other hand, however, nevertheless, on the contrary, by comparison, where, compared to, up against, balanced against, vis a vis, but, although, conversely, meanwhile, after all, in contrast, although this may be true

because, for, since, for the same reason, obviously, evidently, furthermore, moreover, besides, indeed, in fact, in addition, in any case, that is

To Show Exception:

yet, still, however, nevertheless, in spite of, despite, of course, once in a while, sometimes

To Show Time:

immediately, thereafter, soon, after a few hours, finally, then, later, previously, formerly, first (second, etc.), next, and then

in brief, as I have said, as I have noted, as has been noted

To Emphasize:

definitely, extremely, obviously, in fact, indeed, in any case, absolutely, positively, naturally, surprisingly, always, forever, perennially, eternally, never, emphatically, unquestionably, without a doubt, certainly, undeniably, without reservation

To Show Sequence:

first, second, third, and so forth, next, then, following this, at this time, now, at this point, after, afterward, subsequently, finally, consequently, previously, before this, simultaneously, concurrently, thus, therefore, hence, next, and then, soon

To Give an Example:

for example, for instance, in this case, in another case, on this occasion, in this situation, take the case of, to demonstrate, to illustrate, as an illustration

To Summarize or Conclude:

in brief, on the whole, summing up, to conclude, in conclusion, as I have shown, as I have said, hence, therefore, accordingly, thus, as a result, consequently

Most Used Transitional Words in Essay Writing

While you are in college, you will write tons of essays. I am sure you will agree that writing a good essay is nothing but an art. It requires coherence, clarity, and a seamless flow of ideas and arguments. Meanwhile, one of the key factors that contribute to the seamless flow of your ideas is the effective use of transitional words. Basically, these words act as a bridge between sentences and paragraphs. They guide your readers through your ideas and arguments and enhance the overall structure and meaning of your essay. Therefore, using the right and enough number of transitional words is essential to write a good essay. In this article, we will look at some of the most used transitional words in Essay writing. We will categorize these transitional words based on their use and purpose in essay writing. Besides that, we will also see what they are and why we need them in essay writing.

What are Transitional Words?

The transitional words or transition words are words, phrases, or expressions that we use to connect ideas, arguments, sentences, and paragraphs in an essay or other types of papers. These words are very similar to conjunctions. In essay writing, add the transition words at the beginning of each paragraph. This helps the reader to instantly transition from one idea or argument to the next.

Moreover, transitional words can be as long as a few words long phrases or even a single word. They are always followed by a comma or a semicolon to separate them from the rest of the sentence. For instance, Sara did not go to school on Thursday, therefore, she missed the science quiz.

Transitional words play a vital role in building the structure of your essay. Besides, they also enhance the logical progression of your ideas and create a seamless and coherent flow in your essays. Otherwise, it would be very complicated to read choppy sentences.

Why Do You Need Transition Words?

While writing an essay, you might have thought that your sentences look fine even without adding any transitional words. However, you will realize how much of a big difference they create once you add transitional words to your writing. Transition words, as I have mentioned earlier, make your sentences flow seamlessly, connect your ideas and arguments, and help your reader transition from one idea to the next smoothly. However, if you still wonder why you need to add them to your writing, here are a few reasons that we believe are enough to convince you.

• Coherence and Flow: One of the most obvious benefits of adding transitional words in your writing is to add coherence and flow to your essays and other types of writing. Basically, you can consider that the transitional words function as linguistic signposts. They lead your reader through your ideas and arguments logically. Meanwhile, your essays without transitional words would feel like a never-ending long road without any stops.
• Clarity: Transitional words also clarify the relationship between different parts of your essay. They guide the reader on how one idea connects to the next one which makes it very easy for the reader to understand the overall structure and purpose of your essay.
• Logical Structure: Transitional words are good at building a logical structure in your papers, including essays. As I have already mentioned they guide your reader through different parts of your essay or help them transition from one idea to the next smoothly. Besides that, they also illustrate whether you are presenting a sequence of events, giving examples, or contrasting any idea. This helps you as the writer and your readers to comprehend the content of your essay.
• Engagement: While reading quality essays, you might have observed how well the writers incorporate transitional words into their writing. Meanwhile, the transitional words maintain a seamless and natural flow of ideas, arguments, and information. As a result, the essay becomes much more interesting to read. On the other hand, if you read an essay that hardly has any connecting words or phrases, you might become frustrated or disoriented while trying to understand the structure of the essay. So, you will soon lose interest.
• Argumentative Strength: You should remember that while writing an argumentative essay, it is a must to use transitional words.Because they help you present evidence, give examples, and oppose any idea or argument more clearly. Consequently, your arguments become more compelling and persuasive.
• Conciseness: Since transitional words help you connect ideas and arguments more logically, you will not need to repeat them. Hence, you can convey information in your essay more concisely.
• Variety and Style: Reusing the same words and phrases can sometimes make your writing become dull and boring. Instead, if you use a variety of vocabulary and transitional words, they improve the stylistic aspect of your overall writing. Hence, you prevent your essays from following a monotonous rhythm or structure.
• Reader’s Experience: Above all, you enhance the reading experience by using transitional words in essay writing. Because they make it easier for readers to navigate to different parts of your essay, stay engaged, and comprehend the overall meaning and purpose of your essays.

To sum up, transitional words are an excellent tool for writing a strong essay. They help writers enhance the clarity, coherence, structure of the essay and overall quality of their essays. Besides, incorporating transitional words makes essays more persuasive and reader-friendly. Therefore, learning how to use these words is an essential skill for a college student or a writer.

Types of Transition Words

We believe that it is essential to learn about all the background knowledge before one dives in the pool. Similarly, you should first understand what are transitional words, why you need them in your essays and the different types of transitional words. Then, learning and using the most used transitional words in essay writing will be as easy as ABC. So, here are the different types of transitional words that you need to know about:

• Addition Transitional Words: We use these transitional words to add information, arguments, or ideas to what has already been discussed earlier. Additionally, moreover, furthermore, moreover, in addition, are a few of the most commonly used transitional words.
• Contrast Transitional Words: These are used to show a contrast between ideas, arguments, and points. Common examples of contrast transitional words are nonetheless, nevertheless, however, on the other hand, and more.
• Emphasis Transitional Words: When you need to emphasize any specific idea or point in your essay, you can use transitional words such as indeed, in fact, of course, undoubtedly, and more.
• Sequence or Order Transitional Words: When there is more than one idea or example in your essays, you can use sequence or order transitional words to organize them chronologically. A few common examples are firstly, secondly, thirdly, next, finally, and more.
• Summarizing and Concluding Transitional Words: Transitional words such as in conclusion, to sum up, in summary, thus, therefore, and hence are used to summarize or introduce the conclusion.
• Example Transitional Words: In essay writing, we back up arguments with examples and stats. So, to give an example, we use for instance, for example, such as, to illustrate, in particular, and more.
• Comparing or Contrasting Transitional Words: We use transitional words such as in contrast, similarly, likewise, in comparison, and more to show similarity or contrast between ideas in essay writing.
• Cause and Effect Transitional Words: These transitional words are used to show the cause and effect in essay writing and a few common examples are because, therefore, since, thus, consequently, and more.
• Purpose Transitional Words: In order to, with the aim of, for the purpose of, and to this end are a few common examples of purpose transition words to show the intention behind a statement or action.
• Time Transition Words: Transitional words such as meanwhile, simultaneously, previously, afterward, and subsequently are time transitional words and they are used to show the sequence or the time of an event.
• Illustration Transition Words: These transition words help the writer provide further explanation for a previous argument or statement. A few common examples are in other words, namely, to clarify, and that is to say,
• Condition Transitional Words: If you need to set up a hypothetical situation in your essay writing, you can use condition transitional words, such as provided that, if, unless, in the event that, and more.

The effective use of transitional words depends on factors such as the purpose and context of your writing. Besides, using transitional words effectively enhances the overall quality of your essay writing.

Although essay writing is a complex skill, it is essential to learn to write an effective essay for college students. Similarly, it is equally important for professionals to know how to write a good essay. Meanwhile, an integral aspect of writing an effective essay is the use of transitional words and phrases. We have already discussed what these are, why they are important in essay writing, and their different types. Let us now see what are the most used transitional words in essay writing.

Adding Information

It is extremely obvious that you need to add more information to expand upon your ideas and make your arguments more compelling. So, the transitional words and phrases that add information are like the building blocks of your essay. They enable you as the writer to expand upon your ideas, provide details, support your arguments, and engage your readers. A few of the most common transitional words that are used to add information, provide similarity, and agree with something are as follows:

• In addition to
• Furthermore
• To get into further details
• As a matter of fact
• In the same way
• Equally important
• Comparatively
• Not only…but also
• To elaborate
• To give more details
• Correspondingly
• In the same manner
• To put it differently
• In the same fashion
• Not to mention
• In the light of
• To be exact
• To expand on this
• By the same token
• Additionally
• To add this
• In other words

Showing Contrast

As we have already discussed, contrast transitional words are used to oppose ideas or arguments. Because it is essential to be able to oppose ideas in essay writing. A thesis statement is only considered good if it can be opposed. With that being said, let us see a few of the most common transition words that we use to oppose ideas and arguments.

• On the other hand
• Nevertheless
• In contrast to
• On the contrary
• Nonetheless
• Even though
• In spite of
• Alternatively
• In any case
• On the flip side
• In opposition to
• While it may be true
• Notwithstanding
• Be that as it may

Emphasizing

Transitional words that are used to emphasize a point or idea in essay writing add depth, authority, coherence, and clarity to your writing. Basically, these words and phrases guide your readers to the main message or purpose of your essay. So, if you use these transitional words correctly, they can enhance the overall quality of your essays and make them more compelling and memorable. With that being said, here are a few of the most common emphasizing transition words.

• Undoubtedly
• Without any doubt
• Unquestionably
• In particular
• Significantly

Sequencing and Ordering

Transition words that are used for sequencing and ordering are more like the GPS of your essay or any other type of paper. They provide a roadmap and make sure that your readers navigate through your essay chronologically or in a logical manner. So, whether you are talking about a series of events in your essay, giving a step-by-step guide, giving examples, or presenting a set number of ideas, make sure to use sequencing transition words. So, let us dive into some of the most common ones.

• Afterward(s)
• In the meantime
• Subsequently
• In conclusion
• To wrap it up
• To begin with
• In the first place
• In the second place
• In the third place
• To commence
• To continue
• To transition
• To move on to
• In chronological order
• In numerical order
• Step by step
• As a first step
• As a final step

Summarizing and Concluding

The summarizing and concluding transitional words are much more like introducing the grand final performance of a show. They serve as the final touches of your essay. These words and phrases are essential to wrap up your ideas, reinforce your thesis statement, and leave a lasting impression on your readers. Hence, let us explore some of the most common summarizing and concluding transition words.

• As a result
• Consequently
• For these reasons
• In a nutshell
• To summarize
• To conclude
• In the final analysis
• In the long run
• In retrospect
• As mentioned earlier

Illustrating or Exemplifying

Illustrating or exemplifying transitional words is a great way of adding examples, instances, and shreds of evidence to support and clarify your ideas and arguments in essay writing. Besides, they help strengthen your arguments and make your essay more persuasive. In addition, they add depth and credibility to your writing. Besides, these transition words are an excellent method to transform a simple concept into a tangible and relatable experience for your readers. So, here are a few of the most common illustrating and exemplifying transition words that you should know about:

• For instance
• For example
• To illustrate
• As an example
• In the case of
• In this case
• Including this
• To demonstrate
• To give an example
• To provide an instance
• As evidence
• As an illustration
• In the instance of
• To be specific
• By way of illustration
• One example of this is
• Specifically
• To exemplify
• As a case in point
• An illustration of this is
• To make this clear
• To emphasize this point
• For instance, to demonstrate
• In the context of
• By way of example
• To give a specific example
• To provide a clear example
• In a similar vein
• As a typical example
• As an instance
• To give an idea of
• Specifically, to show
• To underline this
• As a representative example

Comparing and Contrasting

The sign of a strong thesis statement is that it is debatable. It does not present a concrete, non-debatable statement. Similarly, a good essay is contradicted too. There should be room for opposing ideas in your essay writing. So, transition words that are used to compare and contrast are in fact the building blocks of a well-structured and strong essay. These words allow the writer to explore similarities and differences in arguments, ideas, thoughts, and concepts. All in all, these words and phrases make your essay writing more insightful and thought-provoking. Hence, here are a few of the most common comparing and contrasting transition words.

• In comparison
• Compared to
• Analogous to
• In contrast
• On the other side of the coin
• In like manner
• By comparison
• Analogous to this
• Corresponding to
• In a like fashion
• In the same breath
• In a similar fashion
• In the same context
• By extension
• In a related sense
• In a corresponding way
• By contrast
• Counter to this
• In contradistinction
• In opposition
• In reverse order
• In a different vein
• Diametrically opposed to
• In opposition to this
• In a contrary manner
• In contrast to the above
• In contradistinction to
• On the other end of the spectrum

Time and Location

The time and location transition words are one of the most used and essential transition words in essay writing. Whether you are writing an argumentative essay, a descriptive, or an informative essay, you will need time and location transition words. These words are used to provide context, add details, organize information, and tell the time and location of XYZ in your essays. Here are some of the most common transition words that you can use in your essays.

• In the past
• In the future
• In the 21st century
• Simultaneously
• Throughout history
• In the beginning
• In the middle
• At that moment
• From then on
• At the same time
• In the near future
• In the distant past
• In the not-so-distant future
• During the same period
• Adjacent to
• In front of
• In the background
• In the foreground
• In the center
• In the distance
• On the left
• On the right
• On the side
• In the corner
• In the vicinity
• In the neighborhood
• In the city
• In the country
• In the region
• In the state
• In the world
• Across the globe
• In outer space
• On the planet
• In the universe
• In the cosmos

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A List of Transition Words to Use for Argumentative Essays

Amanda Green was born in a small town in the west of Scotland, where everyone knows everyone. I joined the Toastmasters 15 years ago, and I served in nearly every office in the club since then. I love helping others gain confidence and skills they can apply in every day life.

Writing an argumentative essay requires a lot of effort aside from research. Besides grammar and structure, you definitely need to make sure your essay is coherent by using transitions.

Argumentative essay transition words allow you to wrap up a piece of evidence to support your main point and then move on to another. Keep reading for tips and an exhaustive list of transition words I put together for your argumentative essays.

What Is a Transition Word?

A transition word is critical to producing quality content. Also known as linking words, transition words make basic connections between sentences and paragraphs to show a relationship between ideas.

A strong transition is crucial when writing an essay. It’s not enough that you provide complete information about your main points and supporting details. You also have to make your argument attractive and logical by using transitions in your academic essay.

The absence of transition words will make your paper less readable and understandable. But too many transitions can also ruin your piece. Use them in moderation to avoid confusion about your document.

Function and Importance of Transitions

The goal of transition words is to convey ideas clearly and concisely to your readers. If you’re writing an argumentative paper, you want to make logical connections in your document to prove your central point.

Transitional phrases and words help you produce a logical flow from one sentence or paragraph to another. In other words, they introduce what the following information will be. Some transitions come in single words, while others come in complete phrases and sentences.

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There are many categories of transitions, including those that present counterarguments and others that build on your arguments. Be careful about using the wrong transition. Otherwise, you won’t achieve your goal of clarity and conciseness. Consider these examples.

• “ For instance , an anonymous TikTok user reports having a shorter attention span because of its over-swiping feature.” (In this sentence, for instance is used to provide an example).
• “ Here’s an exception to my previous point. ” (This entire sentence is a transition, showing a logical connection between the previous and following sentences).

Transition can also be a sentence to a paragraph long. I’ll show you an example.

Paragraph A: A point that supports co-sleeping as a parenting method.

Transition: Despite this, there are many reasons that prove co-sleeping leads to sleep-related accidents.

Paragraph B: Points that oppose co-sleeping.

Types of Transition Words

There are several types of transitions you can use for making high-quality essays.

Transition Between Paragraphs

A type of transition required for a well-written essay is one you can find between paragraphs. Once you’ve arranged each paragraph according to your outline, it’s important to start each with an effective transition. This word or phrase is usually present in the topic sentence of the body.

Some examples include however, similarly, and for example. But these transition expressions cannot be a single sentence long. The initial sentence of every paragraph should be clear and substantial instead of simply connecting ideas.

Transition Within Paragraphs

Creating a powerful transition within every paragraph of your academic papers avoids choppy sentences. It provides a sense of connection between complex ideas to help readers anticipate what is coming.

These are usually single words or short phrases like in addition, since, and if.

Transition Between Sections

The last type of transition phrases and sentences are those between sections. You’ll find them all over the entire paper to summarize the information. They can be restatements of arguments or a short closing sentence to ensure the flow of ideas.

What Is an Argumentative Essay?

It’s a type of essay that requires you to research a subject matter and establish a position for or against it.

Aside from researching and evaluating evidence, showing a relationship between sentences and sections is essential when writing a paper. This will allow you to wrap up an idea and then start another. You must cite different sources to support your point of view, then show counterarguments.

The entire essay should include an introduction, a conclusion, and at least three body paragraphs.

How Do You Start an Argumentative Essay?

Every type of paper starts with an introduction, which usually includes a hook, background, and thesis statement.

The common essay introduction piques the reader’s interest through a surprising statistic or an interesting question. Provide readers with a background of your entire content piece, then state your main argument in a clear sentence.

Transition expressions are not yet essential in this stage of essay writing. Focus on setting up your point and discussing how you will argue it throughout the paper.

Common Transitions for Argumentative Essay Writing

Take a look at this list of transitional words and phrases commonly used to make strong arguments.

• Additionally
• In addition
• Not only… but also
• In the same way
• Comparatively
• Furthermore
• Equally important

Counterargument Transition Words

Here’s a transition word list for essays showing different sides of an argument.

• While it is true that
• Nevertheless
• Despite this
• On the other hand
• Be that as it may
• Even though
• Although this may be true

Transition Words and Phrases for Comparing and Contrasting

Here’s a breakdown of transition words and phrases you can use when comparing and contrasting.

• In spite of
• On the contrary
• Different from
• In contrast

Transition Words to Include in Your College Essay

Here are some examples of transition words you can use when applying for college admission or scholarship.

• To put it in another way
• To demonstrate
• As an illustration
• By all means
• In other words

Transition Words for Cause and Effect

Consider this transition word list when showing cause and effect.

• As a result
• For this reason
• Consequently
• Accordingly
• Under those circumstances
• Because the

Transition Words for Essay Paragraphs

• At the present time
• In due time
• To begin with
• All of a sudden
• Immediately
• In a moment

Transitions to Emphasize a Point

• Most of all
• The main problem/issue is
• Without question
• More importantly
• Most important of all

Transition Words for Additional Support or Evidence

Transition words for sequence or order, transition words for space or place.

• In the middle of
• In the distance
• In the background
• Here and there
• On the side

To Cite a Source or Paraphrase

• According to
• This means that
• Put it more simply

Transition Words to Begin a Body Paragraph

• What is more
• Beyond that

Transition Words to Introduce Details

• For example
• As an example
• For instance
• A case in point
• Specifically
• In particular
• More specifically

Transition Words for Conclusion

• As can be seen
• By and large
• On the whole
• To summarize
• In the final analysis
• Generally speaking

More Transition Words

• With this intention
• In order to
• In the hope that
• With this in mind
• For the purpose of
• Provided that

Tips for Using Argumentative Essay Transitions

Follow these tips to improve your use of transitions in your essay.

Know What the Transitions Mean

Non-native speakers may need help knowing the meaning of every transition expression, so research every term before using it.

There are also many categories of transition words. You can use them to summarize points, show contradictions, express sequence, or begin a paragraph.

Start Your Essay with an Outline

Writing an outline will make it easier to map your ideas and move them around. This strategy will help you transition between paragraphs.

Don’t Overuse Transitions

The last mistake you shouldn’t make is overuse. Instead of making connections between sentences, you’ll make your paper more difficult to read. It creates more incoherence and distraction in your writing, contradicting its intended purpose in your paper.

Use Transition Words Properly

Now you know how to use transition words and phrases for your argumentative essay through this guide and list. These expressions will help you produce a coherent relationship between every idea.

Mastering transitions for your essay may not be a piece of cake, but practice makes perfect. Don’t forget to revise and proofread your argumentative before submitting it to your professor.

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In the campus protests over the war in Gaza, language and rhetoric are—as they have always been when it comes to Israel and Palestine—weapons of mass destruction.

By Zadie Smith

A philosophy without a politics is common enough. Aesthetes, ethicists, novelists—all may be easily critiqued and found wanting on this basis. But there is also the danger of a politics without a philosophy. A politics unmoored, unprincipled, which holds as its most fundamental commitment its own perpetuation. A Realpolitik that believes itself too subtle—or too pragmatic—to deal with such ethical platitudes as thou shalt not kill. Or: rape is a crime, everywhere and always. But sometimes ethical philosophy reënters the arena, as is happening right now on college campuses all over America. I understand the ethics underpinning the protests to be based on two widely recognized principles:

There is an ethical duty to express solidarity with the weak in any situation that involves oppressive power.

If the machinery of oppressive power is to be trained on the weak, then there is a duty to stop the gears by any means necessary.

The first principle sometimes takes the “weak” to mean “whoever has the least power,” and sometimes “whoever suffers most,” but most often a combination of both. The second principle, meanwhile, may be used to defend revolutionary violence, although this interpretation has just as often been repudiated by pacifistic radicals, among whom two of the most famous are, of course, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr . In the pacifist’s interpretation, the body that we must place between the gears is not that of our enemy but our own. In doing this, we may pay the ultimate price with our actual bodies, in the non-metaphorical sense. More usually, the risk is to our livelihoods, our reputations, our futures. Before these most recent campus protests began, we had an example of this kind of action in the climate movement. For several years now, many people have been protesting the economic and political machinery that perpetuates climate change, by blocking roads, throwing paint, interrupting plays, and committing many other arrestable offenses that can appear ridiculous to skeptics (or, at the very least, performative), but which in truth represent a level of personal sacrifice unimaginable to many of us.

I experienced this not long ago while participating in an XR climate rally in London. When it came to the point in the proceedings where I was asked by my fellow-protesters whether I’d be willing to commit an arrestable offense—one that would likely lead to a conviction and thus make travelling to the United States difficult or even impossible—I’m ashamed to say that I declined that offer. Turns out, I could not give up my relationship with New York City for the future of the planet. I’d just about managed to stop buying plastic bottles (except when very thirsty) and was trying to fly less. But never to see New York again? What pitiful ethical creatures we are (I am)! Falling at the first hurdle! Anyone who finds themselves rolling their eyes at any young person willing to put their own future into jeopardy for an ethical principle should ask themselves where the limits of their own commitments lie—also whether they’ve bought a plastic bottle or booked a flight recently. A humbling inquiry.

It is difficult to look at the recent Columbia University protests in particular without being reminded of the campus protests of the nineteen-sixties and seventies, some of which happened on the very same lawns. At that time, a cynical political class was forced to observe the spectacle of its own privileged youth standing in solidarity with the weakest historical actors of the moment, a group that included, but was not restricted to, African Americans and the Vietnamese. By placing such people within their ethical zone of interest, young Americans risked both their own academic and personal futures and—in the infamous case of Kent State—their lives. I imagine that the students at Columbia—and protesters on other campuses—fully intend this echo, and, in their unequivocal demand for both a ceasefire and financial divestment from this terrible war, to a certain extent they have achieved it.

But, when I open newspapers and see students dismissing the idea that some of their fellow-students feel, at this particular moment, unsafe on campus, or arguing that such a feeling is simply not worth attending to, given the magnitude of what is occurring in Gaza, I find such sentiments cynical and unworthy of this movement. For it may well be—within the ethical zone of interest that is a campus, which was not so long ago defined as a safe space, delineated by the boundary of a generation’s ethical ideas— it may well be that a Jewish student walking past the tents, who finds herself referred to as a Zionist, and then is warned to keep her distance, is, in that moment, the weakest participant in the zone. If the concept of safety is foundational to these students’ ethical philosophy (as I take it to be), and, if the protests are committed to reinserting ethical principles into a cynical and corrupt politics, it is not right to divest from these same ethics at the very moment they come into conflict with other imperatives. The point of a foundational ethics is that it is not contingent but foundational. That is precisely its challenge to a corrupt politics.

Practicing our ethics in the real world involves a constant testing of them, a recognition that our zones of ethical interest have no fixed boundaries and may need to widen and shrink moment by moment as the situation demands. (Those brave students who—in supporting the ethical necessity of a ceasefire—find themselves at painful odds with family, friends, faith, or community have already made this calculation.) This flexibility can also have the positive long-term political effect of allowing us to comprehend that, although our duty to the weakest is permanent, the role of “the weakest” is not an existential matter independent of time and space but, rather, a contingent situation, continually subject to change. By contrast, there is a dangerous rigidity to be found in the idea that concern for the dreadful situation of the hostages is somehow in opposition to, or incompatible with, the demand for a ceasefire. Surely a ceasefire—as well as being an ethical necessity—is also in the immediate absolute interest of the hostages, a fact that cannot be erased by tearing their posters off walls.

Part of the significance of a student protest is the ways in which it gives young people the opportunity to insist upon an ethical principle while still being, comparatively speaking, a more rational force than the supposed adults in the room, against whose crazed magical thinking they have been forced to define themselves. The equality of all human life was never a self-evident truth in racially segregated America. There was no way to “win” in Vietnam. Hamas will not be “eliminated.” The more than seven million Jewish human beings who live in the gap between the river and the sea will not simply vanish because you think that they should. All of that is just rhetoric. Words. Cathartic to chant, perhaps, but essentially meaningless. A ceasefire, meanwhile, is both a potential reality and an ethical necessity. The monstrous and brutal mass murder of more than eleven hundred people, the majority of them civilians, dozens of them children, on October 7th, has been followed by the monstrous and brutal mass murder (at the time of writing) of a reported fourteen thousand five hundred children. And many more human beings besides, but it’s impossible not to notice that the sort of people who take at face value phrases like “surgical strikes” and “controlled military operation” sometimes need to look at and/or think about dead children specifically in order to refocus their minds on reality.

To send the police in to arrest young people peacefully insisting upon a ceasefire represents a moral injury to us all. To do it with violence is a scandal. How could they do less than protest, in this moment? They are putting their own bodies into the machine. They deserve our support and praise. As to which postwar political arrangement any of these students may favor, and on what basis they favor it—that is all an argument for the day after a ceasefire. One state, two states, river to the sea—in my view, their views have no real weight in this particular moment, or very little weight next to the significance of their collective action, which (if I understand it correctly) is focussed on stopping the flow of money that is funding bloody murder, and calling for a ceasefire, the political euphemism that we use to mark the end of bloody murder. After a ceasefire, the criminal events of the past seven months should be tried and judged, and the infinitely difficult business of creating just, humane, and habitable political structures in the region must begin anew. Right now: ceasefire. And, as we make this demand, we might remind ourselves that a ceasefire is not, primarily, a political demand. Primarily, it is an ethical one.

But it is in the nature of the political that we cannot even attend to such ethical imperatives unless we first know the political position of whoever is speaking. (“Where do you stand on Israel/Palestine?”) In these constructed narratives, there are always a series of shibboleths, that is, phrases that can’t be said, or, conversely, phrases that must be said. Once these words or phrases have been spoken ( river to the sea, existential threat, right to defend, one state, two states, Zionist, colonialist, imperialist, terrorist ) and one’s positionality established, then and only then will the ethics of the question be attended to (or absolutely ignored). The objection may be raised at this point that I am behaving like a novelist, expressing a philosophy without a politics, or making some rarefied point about language and rhetoric while people commit bloody murder. This would normally be my own view, but, in the case of Israel/Palestine, language and rhetoric are and always have been weapons of mass destruction.

It is in fact perhaps the most acute example in the world of the use of words to justify bloody murder, to flatten and erase unbelievably labyrinthine histories, and to deliver the atavistic pleasure of violent simplicity to the many people who seem to believe that merely by saying something they make it so. It is no doubt a great relief to say the word “Hamas” as if it purely and solely described a terrorist entity. A great relief to say “There is no such thing as the Palestinian people” as they stand in front of you. A great relief to say “Zionist colonialist state” and accept those three words as a full and unimpeachable definition of the state of Israel, not only under the disastrous leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu but at every stage of its long and complex history, and also to hear them as a perfectly sufficient description of every man, woman, and child who has ever lived in Israel or happened to find themselves born within it. It is perhaps because we know these simplifications to be impossible that we insist upon them so passionately. They are shibboleths; they describe a people, by defining them against other people—but the people being described are ourselves. The person who says “We must eliminate Hamas” says this not necessarily because she thinks this is a possible outcome on this earth but because this sentence is the shibboleth that marks her membership in the community that says that. The person who uses the word “Zionist” as if that word were an unchanged and unchangeable monolith, meaning exactly the same thing in 2024 and 1948 as it meant in 1890 or 1901 or 1920—that person does not so much bring definitive clarity to the entangled history of Jews and Palestinians as they successfully and soothingly draw a line to mark their own zone of interest and where it ends. And while we all talk, carefully curating our shibboleths, presenting them to others and waiting for them to reveal themselves as with us or against us—while we do all that, bloody murder.

And now here we are, almost at the end of this little stream of words. We’ve arrived at the point at which I must state clearly “where I stand on the issue,” that is, which particular political settlement should, in my own, personal view, occur on the other side of a ceasefire. This is the point wherein—by my stating of a position—you are at once liberated into the simple pleasure of placing me firmly on one side or the other, putting me over there with those who lisp or those who don’t, with the Ephraimites, or with the people of Gilead. Yes, this is the point at which I stake my rhetorical flag in that fantastical, linguistical, conceptual, unreal place—built with words—where rapes are minimized as needs be, and the definition of genocide quibbled over, where the killing of babies is denied, and the precision of drones glorified, where histories are reconsidered or rewritten or analogized or simply ignored, and “Jew” and “colonialist” are synonymous, and “Palestinian” and “terrorist” are synonymous, and language is your accomplice and alibi in all of it. Language euphemized, instrumentalized, and abused, put to work for your cause and only for your cause, so that it does exactly and only what you want it to do. Let me make it easy for you. Put me wherever you want: misguided socialist, toothless humanist, naïve novelist, useful idiot, apologist, denier, ally, contrarian, collaborator, traitor, inexcusable coward. It is my view that my personal views have no more weight than an ear of corn in this particular essay. The only thing that has any weight in this particular essay is the dead. ♦

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“Why This College?” Essay Examples

May 17, 2024

As you apply for college, you’ll notice that there are several different essay writing genres you’ll need to familiarize yourself with. There’s the Common App Essay , of course, along with many specific supplemental essays like the Community Essay and the Diversity Essay that will be required by particular schools. In particular, there is the “Why This College?” Essay. The “Why This College?” Essay can be an important component in your college application, as it’s an opportunity for you to describe why you specifically would be a good fit for a particular school. It’s a popular requirement for many colleges and universities and in this article, we’re going to show you a few “Why This College?” Essay examples, and share some tips and tricks for how to write a “Why This College?” Essay.

As you peruse these examples and tips, remember that there’s no one perfect way to write a “Why This College?” Essay. Rather, there are important generic conventions you can work with and build upon to craft an essay that is unique to you as a specific college candidate. Think of a novel. You can expect a novel to have a title and chapters and contain a fictional story. At the same time, novels are written across a plethora of genres, have characters that are as different as Vladomir Harkonnen and Elizabeth Bennet, and can be short reads or thousands of pages long. It’s the same in this case. As you learn how to write a “Why This College?” Essay, you’ll see that some elements of the essay will be fixed, while others will be entirely up to you to create!

What Kind of Prompts Are There for the “Why This College?” Essay?

Many schools require some form of the “Why This College?” Essay for their supplemental application materials, and the prompts can be general or specific.  Take these extra general ones from Yale and Dartmouth , for instance:

• What is it about Yale that has led you to apply?
• In short, why Dartmouth?

These open-ended prompts can feel like both a blessing and a curse. Without particular guidelines, you might feel freer to describe your particular fit within a university and it might be easier to brainstorm about the content you’d like to highlight in this essay; however, beware of open prompts: they can make it tempting to veer into generality!

In other instances, the “Why This College?” Essay prompt will be specifically tailored for many schools, and this specificity can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. Take, for instance, these two examples from Northwestern :

• Community and belonging matter at Northwestern. Tell us about one or more communities, networks, or student groups you see yourself connecting with on campus.
• Northwestern’s location is special: on the shore of Lake Michigan, steps from downtown Evanston, just a few miles from Chicago. What aspects of our location are most compelling to you, and why? [i]

“Why This College?” Essay Examples (Continued)

The positive side to specific prompts like these is that they’ve given potential applicants a couple of springboards to begin diving from as you write – you can immediately begin detailing your specific interests and likes about Northwestern that make you an ideal candidate for the school. A potential downside is that you’ll honestly need to do research here before you can even begin brainstorming about either of these questions authentically! Specific prompts may also mean that you’ll need to totally start from scratch with each “Why This College?” Essay (for these Northwestern prompts, you certainly couldn’t plug in a different “Why This College?” Essay where you’ve written about your dream of editing for the Harvard Crimson or your hope to network in nearby New York City!).

So, with prompts like these, how to even begin writing a “Why This College?” Essay? Check out our tips and “Why This College?” Essay examples next!

Also, check out our list of college application essay topics to avoid .

Tips on How to Write a “Why This College?” Essay

Regardless of the prompt, your response needs to be specific. This is possibly the most important thing to remember as you learn how to write a “Why This College?” Essay.

First and most importantly of all, focus on fit. Remember that this is your opportunity to showcase why you’re specifically a good match for a college – not why a college is a great general choice for anybody. Ultimately, this is an essay about your potential relationship with a school. If you were writing an epic love poem, you might obsess over your beloved’s hair, eyes, etc. – but obsession isn’t a relationship! On the other hand, if you were asking someone out, you might want to focus, instead, on why you’d have a great time together because it’s more persuasive (and that’s ultimately what you’re trying to do: persuade this school’s admissions committee that you belong there!).

Here are a few tips on specificity that we’ll review below as we analyze a few “Why This College?” Essay examples:

• Before writing your “Why This College?” Essay, do your research on each school to which you’ll apply. This means finding particular programs of study you’ll pursue, looking up course titles you’d like to take and even professors you’d like to study under. It means researching clubs and extracurriculars you’ll partake in, internship programs you’ll apply for, and details about the school that will further your goals as a student there.

At the beginning of your “Why This College?” Essay, you can include a brief anecdote or bit of personal information that will make your essay stand out. As with any college application essay, this is an opportunity to brag about yourself! For instance, if you’re going to mention a particular club or extracurricular you’d like to join at a university, you can use this anecdote to briefly remind your reader that you were the president of that extracurricular at your high school (especially if that detail doesn’t appear elsewhere in your application materials). NOTE: Including a personal anecdote like this is sometimes dependent upon word length. For longer “Why This College?” Essays, it’s a great choice. For shorter ones, this hook may be a feature you’ll have to reduce or skip altogether.

Don’t linger on the general features of the school, or on school qualities that apply to everyone. Don’t focus on the school’s reputation, rankings, or student-to-professor ratios. The school knows this stuff already! Everybody paints the rock at Northwestern and paints the fence at Carnegie Mellon and these schools’ admissions counselors have read about these sorts of traditions approximately a billion times. Avoid general features and focus, rather, on detailed aspects of the school community that are particularly compelling to you .

Details about campus culture or school location are okay to write about, but remember that you’re not trying to be John Keats here. Don’t just talk about the beauty of the leaves changing in the fall or the way the palm trees sway on the school’s tropical campus. Rather, focus on what the school’s location can do for you as a scholar . Is there something particular about the school’s locale that can further your scholastic goals? Perhaps it’s situated in a region known for a particular area of study, with the best professors in the field nearby (e.g. Silicon Valley for computer science). Or maybe its setting can provide ample internship opportunities for a student with your major (e.g. Washington, D.C. for political science majors).

Edit for details. As you write your thousandth college application essay, it can be so tempting to simply copy-paste and go through the motions of writing unique drafts. While it’s okay to have a little carry-over between essays, it’s essential that you don’t have any major bloopers (like getting the school’s colors or motto wrong) in a “Why This College?” Essay.

Honesty is the best policy! It’s better to write something authentic to you than something you think the school wants to hear. After all, no matter how prestigious a school or program might be, if you can’t think of why you’d fit in there, you may want to reconsider whether a school is meant for you!

“Why This College?” Essay Examples

Below, we’ve included three fictional “Why This College Essay?” examples. The first two are good examples, along with commentary on what makes them strong and what these authors might improve upon to make them even better. The third essay is an exceptionally poor one, designed to help you see common pitfalls within this essay genre so you can think about how to avoid them yourself (or even how to correct mistakes you’ve already made in drafts!). Think of this third, poor essay as a way to test how well you’ve familiarized yourself within the genre.

Good “Why This College?” Essay Example 1:

As current Editor-in-Chief of my school magazine The Clarion , I’d like to pursue a Journalism major at the College of Northeastern Ohio, where I will deepen my experience in writing and design through classes such as “Reporting with Visual Journalism” and “International Writing.” Additionally, CNO’s Amanpour Journalism Project will give me hands-on experience as a journalist working in a newsroom. There, I’ll explore aspects of journalism such as digital storytelling and broadcasting, along with elective courses like “Feature Interviews” and “Documentary Television.”

My love for writing and communication stems from my multilingual upbringing. In high school, I explored Latin America on a study abroad trip to the Dominican Republic, where I relied on my Guatemalan heritage to further my Spanish-speaking skills. Through CNO’s International Language Studies program, I hope to attain a Spanish minor and explore Spanish-speaking countries in their study abroad program while immersing myself in international media.

With the interdisciplinary emphasis at CNO, I’ll additionally have the flexibility to study politics through a Political Science double major. I’ve written many articles on global communication for The Clarion , and I hope to further my writing on political communication with the Amanpour Project’s “Writing in Conflict Zones” class and other interdisciplinary classes with Professor Joan Walters. CNO’s robust communications offerings give me the opportunity to specifically study my interests in writing, politics, and Spanish simultaneously with the resources of multiple departments.

This essay does a great job of both showcasing the writer’s unique experiences and exploring how the college will specifically help her pursue her major and career goals. Additionally, the author has done a dynamite job researching particular classes and programs within the university that she’d like to take, listing several by name and course/program details.

How we might fix it up:

This essay primarily focuses on academics. Since academics are usually the most important reason why you’d want to attend a particular university, this definitely isn’t a major problem! However, the writer could potentially explore other extracurriculars or campus offerings that might make her a great fit for this university.

Good “Why This College?” Essay Example 2:

Data. From our politics to what we binge on Netflix, data collection and information systems have become part of the fabric of our lives. But when we think about sports, we don’t always think about numbers – and I want to do just that. The Massachusetts Institute of Stanford Mellon offers a top-ranked Data Science and Information Systems major, which will provide me with transferable skills that can be applied to my dream career path: sports marketing and data analytics.

I would like to go to a university where I can immediately participate in research. In high school, I created an algorithm that helps me predict how much fans will spend on team gear, based on their previous purchases and levels of engagement with games, betting, and online searching. The MISM Data and Numbers Lab allows undergraduates to access their databases and start conducting research right away (without having to wait until grad school!) and courses like “Analysis of Algorithms” and “Marketing and Numbers” provide the tools to conduct research on issues like sports marketing. At MISM, I hope to study with mentors like Professor Bill Jobs, whose work on information systems and regional spending might facilitate my own independent research. Additionally, MISM has alumni networks that facilitate internship and job placement in both Silicon Valley and with major sporting equipment stores like Rick’s Sporting Depot.

Finally, MISM offers a variety of extracurriculars that I would love to join, particularly the Little Pucks program, which provides community outreach to aspiring hockey players with physical disabilities. Since my sophomore year, I’ve volunteered at our local rec center, volunteering with kids who have special needs and helping them learn about and play sports. As I pursue a career in sports marketing and data analytics, I want to make a positive impact on companies and consumers alike. I’d love to live up to MISM’s motto: “Knowledge for service.”

Again, this writer does a fantastic job showcasing his own strengths and specifically demonstrating how this university has particular offerings (courses, labs, professors, extracurriculars, etc.) that will help him in his chosen major and career path. The generalities of this essay (like the school motto) are also used for a purpose: to illustrate how the writer hopes to use his education to give back to the community.

This is a great draft. To make it even better, we might consider how this essay focuses a lot on what the school can do for the writer. The writer might want to consider: how will I, in turn, contribute more to the campus community?

Poor “Why This College? Essay” Example:

When I took a campus visit at Princevard University last year, I was sure to stop at the Wishing Fountain in the middle of the quad. There, I threw in a penny and recited Princevard’s motto, “Veritas in vota” – “truth in wishes” and made my wish: that I will get accepted into Princevard this fall. I’ve known that I wanted to attend Princevard ever since I was a little boy and found out that my Great Uncle Howie graduated from there in 1965. At Princevard, I would study in their English program so that I could pursue my dream of becoming a novelist and a teacher when I graduate.

Ranked at #7 in the nation, Princevard’s reputation is another reason why I would like to attend; a degree from Princevard will open up doors to jobs and internships that many other schools could never open. Finally, I hope to join one of Princevard’s fraternities because the school offers more Greek organizations than any other university on the East Coast.

Well, it’s a start. If you’ve written a similar draft to this one, which breaks many of our “Why This College?” Essay writing rules, don’t despair! Instead, use this draft as a springboard for your next one.

How we might fix up this essay:

You’re probably familiar enough now with the genre conventions of the “Why This College?” Essay to think of a few reasons why this essay is a poor one. Now, let’s see how we can take even a poor first pass and turn it into a viable essay:

Our main goal with a draft like this is to turn all of this generality into an essay that specifically tells the school why this student would be a good fit there. Hint: avoid the sentiments about ranking and general location!

While this essay begins with a personal anecdote, it doesn’t tell us anything about this particular student. Instead, it focuses on a vague campus tradition. Remember that personal anecdotes serve as an opportunity to hook your reader and tell them something unique and positive about yourself.

There’s not much need to mention that a family member attended a university unless a) you are such a strong legacy there that your name is literally on a building (in which case, you should probably have a donating family member make a call on your behalf to the admissions department) or, b) your family history is somehow relevant to your future career and attendance at that school (e.g. your mother went to law school there and you want to become a lawyer and join her firm). If the latter, be sure you’re using this detail as a vehicle to demonstrate why this university is right for you.

While it’s great to talk about your major and career aspirations, be specific! Most schools have English departments so it’s not super useful to point this generality out. Writing that “Princevard University offers a unique dual English program with concentrations in both Creative Writing and Literary Theory, which would enable to me to pursue an ultimate graduate degree in literary and cultural studies while honing my craft as a novelist,” on the other hand, is a much more useful and detailed statement that demonstrates fit and brags a little about the applicant’s writing aspirations!

Similarly, many universities have Greek life organizations. If you’re going to mention an extracurricular, name which ones and why. Perhaps a particular Greek organization on this campus is affiliated with your major; maybe a chapter is politically motivated with a cause you’ve previously championed; maybe a fraternity is historically associated with your ethnicity or race and you’d love to take part in that community.

Closing Thoughts on the “Why This College?” Essay

As you write a “Why This College?” Essay, remember that this essay is perhaps the first conversation you’ll have about your relationship with a university – a relationship that, if you’re accepted, will be a formative one for the rest of your life. Good luck!

[i] “Completing Your Northwestern Application,” Application Materials: Undergraduate Admissions – Northwestern University, 2024. https://admissions.northwestern.edu/apply/requirements.html

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Jamie Smith

For the past decade, Jamie has taught writing and English literature at several universities, including Boston College, the University of Pittsburgh, and Carnegie Mellon University. She earned a Ph.D. in English from Carnegie Mellon, where she currently teaches courses and conducts research on composition, public writing, and British literature.

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Declan Rice: My game in my words

Declan Rice isn’t talking about being 6ft 1in when he mentions his “good height” on the pitch.

Instead, the England international is referring to a subtle change to his positioning as a No 6 when he plays as the midfield pivot for Arsenal .

On a Monday afternoon at Arsenal’s training ground in London Colney, Rice is scrolling through clips — more than 80 of them, put together by The Athletic — as he reflects on his evolution as a footballer since leaving West Ham in a £105million ($130m) club-record transfer last summer.

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The time it takes to learn a new game model after moving clubs is easy to overlook but it says everything about Rice’s ability and intelligence as a footballer that he can clearly articulate, as well as execute, exactly what is asked of him under the management of Mikel Arteta.

Pressing pause one minute and rewind the next, the 25-year-old breaks down his game in fascinating detail as he speaks candidly about his adaptation to life as an Arsenal player.

He explains why “short relationships” are the way forward for him at Arsenal as opposed to long diagonals, outlines the nuances of the No 8 role that he has been learning on the job, discusses the challenge of coming up against Rodri and beating Manchester City ’s press, and describes what it feels like to make a tackle at the Emirates that “sets the crowd on fire”.

But perhaps the best insight into Rice’s mindset and his constant desire to improve is how he asks to rewatch a misplaced pass against Chelsea rather than a brilliant ball against Fulham that breaks the lines and takes out four opposition players.

This is Declan Rice’s game in his words…

Crystal Palace away on a Monday night. Rice is making his second league appearance for Arsenal and running the game.

His role in the build-up is pivotal, typified by a passage of play in the 22nd minute, when he forms a triangle on the edge of his own penalty area with Aaron Ramsdale and William Saliba that ends with him releasing Thomas Partey on the right. Rice’s movement is excellent.

Is that intuitive or coached?

“That’s coached every day, depending on the opposition and how they set up against us,” Rice says. “So we’ll watch clips and see how they press and whether they go man-to-man or whether they sit off. The key is always about finding the free man.

“If you go back to the start of the clip, I’m only able (to receive) because (Odsonne) Edouard has jumped. If (Eberechi) Eze had jumped, I wouldn’t have had that line of pass to Saliba. It’s because Edouard has closed the line off that I can now make the run to give the ball to the free player. And then it’s just about being patient. So my timing is off when Edouard is running towards the keeper – I know (Ramsdale) is about to give me that ball because Edouard is sprinting at him.”

And what about the next phase?

“I just saw there was loads of space and two people (Edouard and Eze) attracted to the ball, so I split them and then I’m free again.”

Rice makes it sound easy. In reality, a player in his position is making split-second decisions in response to when and where the opposition move and in an area of the pitch where a mistake could be calamitous.

Later in the first half, in a much more advanced area, Rice runs off the back of Eze again to set up a chance for Eddie Nketiah . It’s surprising to see Rice so far forward.

Does he have the freedom to take up those positions?

Rice smiles. “I would never have done this before. I probably only learnt this about two or three weeks earlier.

“So when (Bukayo) Saka gets the ball, that space there is occupied by no one,” he explains, pointing to an area that has opened up in front of him (shown in the first image below).

“And it’s happened a lot this season where I make that run into there and you’re free.

“The manager calls it playing in a ‘good height’. If I’m back here (much deeper), we can’t progress the play. We’d end up going back to Ben (White) and back to the centre-half. So that’s why he says he wants his No 6s to always be in ‘good height’.

“Obviously, I’ve then read the moment, stepped onto it and slipped in Eddie. It looks very simple but it’s quite a thought process that goes into it.”

During Arteta’s sales pitch last summer, he gave Rice a detailed explanation of how and where he saw him playing for Arsenal , which included both the No 6 and the No 8 role.

“He said that you have goalscoring capabilities and capabilities to make assists and make things happen,” Rice recalls. “But obviously he knew my biggest strength was probably playing No 6.”

The challenge for Rice after he signed was to put Arteta’s vision into practice as quickly as possible. To help with that process, he had regular tactical meetings with Arteta and the rest of the coaching team during pre-season to learn Arsenal’s game model.

Rice smiles as he listens to an extract from an article in The Athletic about that stage of his Arsenal career . It references how impressed the coaching staff were with the speed at which he grasped what they wanted from him and also the fact that he could answer questions quickly when quizzed about match footage.

The latter line makes him sound like a contestant on Mastermind — does he still get quizzed in this way?

Rice laughs. “Yeah, we always get asked,” he says. “Still to this day — and in front of the group.

“He’ll ask us to break things down, like in terms of our pressing and where we should go: ‘If that person drops, who goes there?’. Sometimes you feel a little bit on the spot because you don’t know the answer.

“But my main thing (around adaptation) was in pre-season when I’d obviously just got there and was trying to gain fitness. We played against Man United and I didn’t have the best of games. I wasn’t really that fit. And that was when we really tried to play our game model and you could just see I was way out of depth. I didn’t really understand anything that was going on.

“There were some good moments when I was trying to learn it, but there were also some moments where you could see I needed to improve a lot. After that, I watched a lot of videos and then on the training field tried to really improve. I think that game (against United) was a real catalyst to helping me out.”

Progress was swift. By the time that Arsenal travelled to Everton in the middle of September, Rice looked totally comfortable with the principles behind their passing and movement patterns.

A passage of play in the first half at Goodison Park, involving Martin Odegaard , Saka, White and Rice, feels like a trademark Arsenal move.

When Rice takes possession from Saka, he receives on his left foot and shapes to take the ball to that side of the pitch. He could, in theory, clip a ball towards the back post. Instead, he drops his shoulder, shifts the ball with the outside of his right foot and goes back into the same area where Arsenal have just come from, feeding White in space.

“We’re really big on playing ‘same side’ and work on it,” Rice says.

“We’re going to have an overload because there’s two players here,” he continues, pointing to White and Saka. “I know Saka has taken him ( Dwight McNeil ) in and Ben is on the overlap.

“Odegaard’s marked by the full-back (Vitaliy Mykolenko), obviously I’m on the ball and pass to Ben and he gets in and puts in a cross.

“But just that fake to initially go one way, ready to take it back the other side, it shifts everyone. So that’s why you see us as a team do that quite a lot.”

Another clip from the Everton game leads to a fascinating discussion about an area of Rice’s game that has fundamentally changed at Arsenal.

The video starts with Rice passing to Saka on the right, before stepping forward to arrow a left-footed diagonal to the opposite flank.

“See, again here, I’m in that height that the manager talks about,” Rice says. “So once I’ve played that pass (to Saka), I reckon the old me would have just waited behind the ball, sat and held, and let the winger go one-v-one — but, instead, I run off the Everton striker ( Beto ), in a good height, and can then receive and play.”

That adjustment to his positioning is interesting, yet it’s how that phase of play finishes — a diagonal to Trossard — that signifies arguably the biggest shift in Rice’s game since joining Arsenal.

Although Rice switches to the flanks occasionally at Arsenal with a long diagonal (we watch footage of him striking some beautiful balls off either foot this season), it is a type of pass that he rarely plays compared to when he was at West Ham.

The plan was to show Rice a graph to highlight that point, but he is one step ahead.

“The manager doesn’t like diagonals, really,” Rice says.

“He does like diagonals if you’re going to gain an advantage from it. But you see that one I’ve just played to Saka (against Brighton ), people will go, ‘That’s a great ball’, but let me rewind the clip and pause it.

“Look, Saka doesn’t have anyone to play inside to and he’s got another Brighton player coming over.

“So if it’s there to hit and it gives you an advantage, you hit it, of course. But if it doesn’t, he’d rather you play short relationships, let them come onto you, and play around them to then create the space for him (the winger).”

It’s an interesting debate within the game. In 2014, Colm McMullan, the creator of the Opta-powered Stats Zone app, delivered a presentation at the first ever Opta Forum, backed up by his own research, titled ‘Please stop applauding diagonal cross-field passes’.

For some teams, especially those who like to play on the counter-attack, big switches of play can be hugely effective. That was certainly the case when Rice was playing under David Moyes at West Ham, where he was encouraged to ping long, raking diagonals from in to out as much as possible.

The difference at Arsenal is night and day when you see it on a graph.

“Yeah,” Rice says, nodding and smiling as he looks at the data.

“At West Ham last year, I was playing so many passes long. But that was our style. Moyes loved me dropping into ‘false full-back’ (on the left) because I could then cut inside and hit the opposite side. And, as you can see (on the graph), loads of passes going out to that right side – that was a big theme for me and (Vladimir) Coufal, and (Jarrod) Bowen, having that relationship where, if I get it, for Coufal to go. I used to hit that zone a lot.”

Rice turns his attention to the graph that shows his “switch passes” at Arsenal. “How many is that?” he asks smiling, before starting to count them. “You can tell, that’s just the way that our game model is – it isn’t really set up for the long diagonals. Unless it gives you an advantage.”

As well as playing higher up the pitch at Arsenal and passing shorter, Rice has built up an excellent understanding with one team-mate in particular.

The slide before the next set of clips is titled ‘Odegaard’, and I ask Rice if he can imagine what the footage is going to show. His reply catches me slightly off guard. “Passes that people say I don’t play enough of,” he says.

Whether that is the perception of Rice or not, the reality is there are plenty of examples of him passing between the lines for Arsenal, zipping balls into the feet of Odegaard with a mixture of pace and disguise, but also into Saka and Leandro Trossard too.

It is no different with England , where he connects with Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden in a similar way.

“People don’t think I play these passes,” Rice says. “But every time I get the opportunity to rap that pass in, I do it. When I get into that position and get into that space, I love playing those passes.”

The art of passing

• The signature moves that explain why this Premier League title race is so close
• Kevin De Bruyne and his Encyclopedia of Passing
• How patience underpins Martin Odegaard’s killer passes

Before looking at Rice’s goals and assists this season, and the transition to playing as a No 8 at times, there is one more build-up scenario to discuss. It is from Arsenal’s 1-0 victory over Manchester City in October.

Set up in an aggressive man-for-man press, City were determined to deny David Raya a ‘free’ pass to any of the Arsenal players. In fact, the Arsenal goalkeeper ended up with the ball at his feet for 23 seconds in this phase of play. The challenge for Arteta’s players was to find a solution without Raya being forced to kick long.

After initially taking up a position wide on the left, Rice eventually comes infield as Raya, with his studs on top of the ball, continues to edge forward. Rice then rotates with Jorginho , leaving Mateo Kovacic momentarily caught between the two Arsenal midfielders, and runs onto a pass from Raya.

Kovacic ended up bringing him down and was fortunate to avoid a second yellow card, but the way that Rice and Jorginho worked in tandem to beat City’s press was clever.

“I’m hoping that Rico Lewis is going to jump (to Raya), so that I can then make a move,” Rice explains.

“It’s kind of like a game of chess.

“Lewis is actually in a good position there because he’s defending two of us (Gabriel and Rice). When I move off him, he’s got a problem obviously with Jorgi going the other way.

“We work on that a lot – our midfielders working on different lines and working in relation to one another. So if one moves one way, the other moves the other way and mostly diagonally. And, as you can see in that clip, that’s what happened. But I remember this game, it was hard to play out because Rico Lewis was taking up some really tough positions where he’s almost doing two roles.”

Rice’s face is beaming.

“It’s nuts,” he says, smiling. “Hard to explain — but it’s our job, isn’t it? By the next day, it’s forgotten. By that night, I’d probably chilled out. But in that moment it was unbelievable and for probably the next hour and a half I was buzzing.”

Rice is talking about the emotions he experienced after scoring his first goal for Arsenal, to give them the lead in the 96th minute against Manchester United . It was early September, the Emirates Stadium was bathed in sunshine and, in the words of Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville, the Arsenal fans had “a new hero”.

Declan's first Gunners goal ❤️ https://t.co/t3smdK5Exu pic.twitter.com/m86eGv58io — Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 14, 2023

For Rice, it must have felt like the day that he properly introduced himself to the club’s supporters. “Yeah, definitely,” he says smiling as he watches the wild celebrations that followed. “That goal was insane, just how it happened. Just because it was against United, 96th minute. It was crazy. Incredible.”

Neville made another comment afterwards: “That’s why they paid the money. Big moments, big matches.”

Asked for his thoughts on that remark, Rice pauses for a moment and then replies: “Yeah… not yesterday!”

For context, we are talking less than 24 hours after the 2-0 home defeat against Aston Villa on April 14 that saw Arsenal surrender their lead at the top of the Premier League .

Experience tells me that some players would have cancelled an interview that was taking place the next day. Others wouldn’t be so frank about their own performance.

Rice, however, is not the sort to hide.

“The way that he wants to learn and take positive criticism is really powerful,” Arteta said a few months ago.

In truth, there has been little to criticise Rice for this season. His impact on this Arsenal team has been there for all to see.

“In the big games against the big clubs, I’ve played really well and, as a club, we’ve collected a really good number of points in those matches,” Rice says, picking up on Neville’s comment again and referring to Arsenal’s matches against Manchester City and Liverpool in particular. “In those games, you always want to stand up and be counted.”

Liverpool away was a match that Rice particularly enjoyed. “The way they play, the football they play, it’s like a chaos game that they create. Balls in behind from Trent Alexander-Arnold constantly, picking up the second balls, re-delivering, second phase, third phase, fourth phase — they’re just relentless at it. And at Anfield, especially the Kop end, goals get sucked in. But that game I absolutely loved.”

That 1-1 draw at Liverpool also featured a bizarre breakaway and the closest thing to a running race on a football pitch since John Williams won the Rumbelows Sprint Challenge at Wembley in 1992.

From an Arsenal corner, Liverpool launched a counter-attack that ended with Rice being outnumbered four to one. Mohamed Salah was leading the cavalry.

“Oh, mate. It was crazy. Nuts!” Rice says, smiling as the footage comes on the screen.

Liverpool RATTLE the crossbar! pic.twitter.com/wVhhgp56aY — Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 23, 2023

“When I’m backing off, I’m literally thinking, ‘Oh no!’.”

Trying to make sense of a situation that makes no sense at all, Rice adds: “I know Saliba is on my right.”

In fact, Saliba, in lane 1, outsprints Darwin Nunez , which is easy to overlook.

“He’s rapid,” Rice says about the Arsenal defender.

Salah, however, still had three Liverpool players to his right.

“I’m thinking there’s a good chance he doesn’t even want to pass and he’s going to go on his own,” Rice adds. “So I’m just waiting for him to come one-versus-one against me. But, watching it back… look, I took a step and stopped,” he says, highlighting a slight moment of hesitation that others almost certainly wouldn’t pick up.

“I wish I’d gone earlier because I would have blocked the shot. One hundred per cent.”

But if Rice had stepped across sooner, maybe Salah would have gone on his outside? “Nah, because I think he had his head down,” Rice says.

“You’ve just got to delay for as long as possible. That was my main thing: delay.”

Salah slipped the ball to Alexander-Arnold outside him, who rattled a shot against the crossbar.

By now, Rice had three Premier League goals to his name, including an impressive first-time finish from distance against Chelsea, after he pounced on a stray pass by the Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez , and a dramatic stoppage-time winner at Luton. “Bonkers,” he says about the latter.

ARSENAL WIN IT AT THE DEATH! Declan Rice converts Martin Odegaard's cross to seal the victory for the Gunners! 🔴 #PLonPrime #LUTARS pic.twitter.com/DvvJQT1qP8 — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 5, 2023

His goal against Chelsea was key to Arsenal recovering from a sluggish start to earn a point. Rice felt partly responsible for that poor opening and reprimanded himself in a post-match interview for giving the ball away to Cole Palmer in the second minute.

It’s easy to sit with a player and show them clips of everything going well, but I’m intrigued to know how, mentally, Rice deals with making a bad mistake, especially when it happens early on.

“My head was gone. Straight away it was gone,” Rice says, watching the clip back.

He asks to see it again. “You always want to start off games well by doing the basics well, so your passing, for instance. If that pass makes it, it builds your confidence. But that pass… it’s just weak. Poor connection, timing with the ball – it’s terrible.

“My head wasn’t gone . But obviously, I’m running back thinking, ‘Please don’t score’.

“Then, once it broke down, I thought, ‘Thank God for that. Wake up a little bit’. Then it’s just about being confident with the phases of play that you have, and I actually went on to have a really good game in this one.”

Rice had an even better game when he scored his fourth goal of the season for Arsenal, in an emphatic 6-0 away win at his former club West Ham United that also featured two set-piece assists.

His dead-ball delivery has added another string to his bow this season and came about following a conversation with Arteta and Nicolas Jover, Arsenal’s set-piece coach, midway through the season. As well as those two assists at West Ham, Rice has set up goals from corners against Palace, Newcastle and, most recently, in the 3-2 victory at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Analysed: Arsenal's top 10 set-piece routines under Nicolas Jover

“They (Arteta and Jover) just said to me, ‘You can put the ball anywhere you want. You have the ability to go far, go short’. And I was like, ‘Yeah, let’s just try something’. Obviously, I got the assist against Palace and I’ve stayed on them since.”

Gabriel converted that corner against Palace with a towering header.

A perfect afternoon at Emirates Stadium 🤩 All the highlights in one place 👇 pic.twitter.com/9pZwcZATJl — Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 20, 2024

“If you watched him (Gabriel) train, he scores about three of them a day,” Rice says. “He’s so aggressive. We play against the kids, he doesn’t care. It’s like he’s playing in a Premier League match. He scores goals for fun in training. No wonder he does it in games.”

And what about Rice’s goal against West Ham — where does that rank on his list? “It’s up there, for sure, but I’ve scored one or two that have been better. The Europa Conference League goal against Gent last season is No 1. And I also scored one for West Ham against Watford , against Ben Foster, and whipped it.

“But I love this type of shot, it’s my favourite.

“When the ball is set back, to reverse it with whip and pace, it’s so hard to stop if it’s on target. It was a lovely goal.”

He was playing in the No 6 role against West Ham, but his next goal, against Sheffield United in March, came as a No 8, sparking a conversation about Rice’s best position.

Jorginho’s inclusion in the team tends to allow him to operate further forward, as was the case in the home games against Newcastle and Brentford , where Rice had a lot of joy drifting out to the left and carrying Arsenal up the pitch.

Where does he believe he contributes most? “No 6. Definitely,” Rice says.

“But when the game is open, like Brentford and Newcastle, I can easily play No 8 because I love to drive forward with the ball. When I’m free like that… I love that.”

With his long stride and power, Rice eats up the ground, leaving a trail of players in his wake and transitioning defence into attack in the blink of an eye.

Naturally, there were more opportunities to do that at West Ham because of their style of play, but Arsenal fans have been treated to those dynamic bursts too.

“This is the best one,” says Rice as he goes through the gears in the Champions League game in Sevilla.

Other aspects of playing further forward in midfield have been totally alien to Rice.

“With No 8, the manager is massive on making runs (off the ball), threatening behind, occupying zones, and that’s unnatural to me — I’ve never done that in my life, so it’s my first year learning that, which has been really different,” he explains.

His goal against Sheffield United talks to that point.

"A side, who can't stop scoring in record-breaking fashion" 💥 Declan Rice makes it FIVE for Arsenal 🔥 pic.twitter.com/71I8u7cs6j — Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) March 4, 2024

Rice made three separate runs to get the ball: first from White, then from Odegaard and finally from Saka.

Did he expect White to cross when he made that initial run into the penalty area?

“Probably not,” Rice replies.

“This one, I thought he would have played me,” Rice adds as we watch him coming towards Odegaard (image three above) to receive.

Rice immediately spins in search of a third opportunity and is rewarded for his persistence. Crucially, he puts the brakes on just as Saka prepares to cross, and then sweeps home.

“Because the defender is going to drop (towards goal), I just hold my run,” Rice explains. “Saka said to me he was going to put it across the box but, luckily enough, I shouted to him, ‘Cutback!’.”

By that point in the game, Rice already had an assist to his name too – well, at least he did in his own mind. Those who sit in judgement saw it differently. “I was fuming. I was going to get them to email!” he says about the cross to Odegaard that took a slight deflection.

The part that Rice played in that Odegaard goal features three key components of No 8 play that Arteta has talked to him about: arriving in the box, body orientation and turning in pockets.

“If you pause it, already you know that something good is going to come from this because we’ve got an overload,” Rice says.

“He ( Jayden Bogle ) is not going to press (Gabriel) Martinelli because he’s in the pocket.

“And who’s marking me now?”

Nobody is the answer.

“I’m playing off the back of him (Bogle), so he doesn’t know I’m there. The centre half has been dragged out of his position, and this guy ( Vinicius Souza , marking Odegaard) is sleeping.

“It seems easy. But we work on that all the time, just gaining advantages around the box and realising where the spare player is.”

With or without the assist, it was another productive night for Rice and led to Jamie Carragher, the Sky Sports pundit, praising him afterwards on Monday Night Football — or maybe that should be defending him.

“There used to be criticism of Declan Rice in that he can’t be a great midfielder because he doesn’t score enough goals…. I always felt he had the ability to do that and so did his manager,” Carragher said.

Roy Keane was among those to say that Rice didn’t score or assist enough at West Ham, even though he was often playing in a deep-lying midfield role.

Did Rice, who has registered six goals and seven assists in the Premier League this season, think the criticism of his scoring record was fair?

“No, not really,” he replies. “Because Roy Keane, (Graeme) Souness, (Jamie) Redknapp, people that talk about my goalscoring ability, if you looked at their goals, they didn’t score hundreds in their career. But they’re remembered for what they did as midfield players: Roy Keane breaking up play, being a hard-tackling midfielder, won loads of titles for United. The same with Souness. So I don’t know why when it comes to me it’s all about goals, because it’s never been my game.

“But since I’ve been scoring, no one has said anything!”

Two questions.

First, is tackling an art? “I would say so,” Rice replies.

Second, does Rice, to coin a phrase, love a tackle? “Yeah,” he says with a smile. “But people tackle recklessly. I know about timing, about when to tackle, it’s about patience and knowing when I can get there and when I can’t. If I can’t get there, I’ll just try to delay.”

Rice’s out-of-possession work — pressing, interceptions, tackling, ball recovery — has always been hugely impressive.

In the Community Shield against Manchester City, he gave Arsenal fans a taste of what was to come when he chased back to rob Bernardo Silva of the ball.

A few weeks later, in the early stages of the 3-1 victory over Manchester United, Rice made a terrific challenge on Bruno Fernandes that ignited the home supporters — Arsenal fans were on their feet punching the air when he won the ball.

“We speak about that before every game — a big tackle sets the crowd on fire,” Rice says.

Football has changed a lot over the last 20-30 years, but there’s still a sense that supporters like nothing more than seeing one of their players making a fully-committed challenge. “Oh, I know, 100 per cent, “Rice says. “I made another on (Victor) Lindelof about two minutes afterwards, and they (the Arsenal fans) were buzzing off that.”

Right on cue, that footage (clip 2 below) comes on screen. “He got crunched,” Rice says matter-of-factly.

Can he hear the crowd’s reaction to his tackle on Lindelof, or is he in too much of a zone? “No, no, you hear it,” Rice says. “It’s weird — it gives you the biggest uplift. It feels like it gives you more energy.”

We have been talking for the best part of an hour now and it’s clear that Rice has a remarkable capacity to remember anything and everything from matches.

A clip of him making an excellent tackle from behind on Matheus Nunes , in the 1-0 win over Manchester City, transports Rice back in time to a challenge he made six years ago, when he was a teenager.

“There’s one I did on (Aaron) Wan-Bissaka, in about 2018, and I made that exact tackle but at the other end of the pitch and came away with the ball. Literally a carbon copy.”

He’s right. The resemblance is uncanny.

The moments that go unnoticed… but not by us. @_DeclanRice 👏 pic.twitter.com/Cf5PvDXT0j — West Ham United (@WestHam) December 11, 2018

Both are brilliant challenges but also unusual. “I always go to one knee, don’t I, and win the ball? I don’t know how,” Rice says. “But it’s effective and it works.”

As well as enjoying making tackles, Rice has always excelled when it comes to interceptions. Last season, he made more interceptions than anyone in the Premier League.

“They’re down this year, though, aren’t they?” Rice says.

His numbers are lower if we look purely at the raw data, but that’s to be expected given that Rice now plays for a team that dominates possession. If the number of interceptions he makes is adjusted to account for every 1,000 opponent touches, providing a more level playing field, there is barely any change compared with last season.

Rice is a key figure in Arsenal’s aggressive pressing — an out-of-possession game model that Arteta describes as “not allowing the opponent to breathe”.

Earlier in our conversation, when we were watching a passage of attacking play at Goodison Park, a loose pass from Oleksandr Zinchenko allowed Everton to break. Arsenal won the ball back almost instantly, however, through an interception from Rice.

“Counter-pressing,” Rice says. “He (the manager) is massive on that.

“‘Men up the pitch’, he calls it. As soon as you lose the ball, head down, sprint back as fast as you can and get back into position. He’s drilled that mentality into everyone.”

That sounds like it would be right up Rice’s street anyway, bearing in mind he loves hunting down opponents. “Definitely,” he says. “That’s where I do my best work.”

Interestingly, when the clips were first being put together for this interview, Rice was still a West Ham player and some of the footage featured him aggressively pressing a midfielder who is now a team-mate . As soon as last season’s 2-2 draw against Arsenal is mentioned, Rice knows the player in question.

“Against Partey,” he replies.

“That wasn’t planned. You always get a feel, a trigger, for when to jump onto someone, whether someone has played a bad pass back or there is a chance to squeeze the line, and in that instance the ball got rolled slowly to him and I was just up his back, really.”

Rice is in his element in those situations. He often holds off from getting too tight to his opponent initially, almost as if he is inviting the pass, and then arrives at pace, typically on the player’s blind side.

His physicality helps in those duels but anticipation is his biggest asset.

“I’m already reading the situation two steps before,” Rice says as we watch footage of him dispossessing Brighton’s Joao Pedro and the Wolves midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde . “Those straight passes, I love them because I can just step in front.”

Another of those passes is about to follow, this time to Newcastle’s Sean Longstaff . Rice is all over the midfielder in an area where Arsenal pose an immediate threat.

“The other thing there is that the centre-back ( Sven Botman ) delayed it so much that it kind of killed Longstaff,” Rice says. “I’m already on the move towards him, he (Botman) should see that. I’ve got the momentum — he (Longstaff) is slowing down and I’m quickening up.”

A final example features him closing down Rodri in the Community Shield, forcing the Manchester City midfielder into a mistake that led to an Arsenal corner. “It’s probably a foul, to be honest with you,” Rice says.

How does he find going up against Rodri?

“Good. I enjoy it,” he replies.

“We’re different players, I feel.

“With Rodri, he was born in Spain, he’s always been a natural No 6. You can just tell by the way he plays that he’s worked under Pep (Guardiola) for so long. He’s a lot more structured than I am. I’d say I’m a lot more off-the-cuff. Obviously, this season I’ve been more structured. But in terms of the way I play, I feel like… being free a little bit more.

“There are different things that we complement each other on — but no doubt, he’s the best in the world .”

It seems strange to think that Rice could have ended up playing alongside Rodri this season.

“I know,” he replies, smiling.

“But this project seemed more exciting and that’s why I chose to come to Arsenal, because I believe we’re on to big things here.”

(Additional contributor: Mark Carey)

(Top photos: Getty Images; design: John Bradford)

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A former professional footballer with Swindon Town, Stuart James went onto spend 15 years working for The Guardian, where he reported on far too many relegation battles to mention, one miraculous Premier League title triumph and a couple of World Cups. He joined The Athletic as a Senior Writer in 2019. Follow Stuart on Twitter @ stujames75