11engmcwine Mrs. McConnaughey & Mr. Wine
The Walker School  
Use these guidelines when writing your paragraph assignments for Joy Luck.  This information will help you specifically with transitions.


Accustom yourself to the use of transitional tags.  They add to the inner coherence of your paragraphs.  In reading, transitions serve as important guides to comprehension.

1. and o furthermore o nor o indeed o also o in fact o moreover o first o second
You are adding something.  "And" can be a good sentence-opener when used with care

2. for instance o similarly o for example o likewise o for one thing
Again you are adding, and illustrating or expanding your point.

3.  therefore o finally o thus o on the whole o so o all in all o and so o in other words o hence o in short o consequently
You are adding up consequences, summarizing minor points to emphasize a major point.

4. frequently o specifically o occasionally o especially o in particular o usually o in general
You are adding a qualifying point or illustration.

5.  of course o to be sure o no doubt o granted (that) o doubtless o certainly
You are conceding a point to the opposition, or recognizing a point just off your main line

6. but o not at all o however o surely o yet o on the contrary
You are reversing or deflecting the line of thought, usually back to your own side.

7. still o nevertheless o notwithstanding
You return the thought to your own side after a concession.

8. although o whereas o though
You are attaching a concession to one of your points.  Do not use "while" for "whereas."  "While" means basically "during the time that," and is ambiguous unless restricted to time.

9.  because o since o for
You are connecting a reason to an assertion.

10.  if o unless o provided o lest o in case o when
You are qualifying and restricting a more general idea.

11. as if o as though o even if
You are glancing at tentative or hypothetical conditions that strengthen and clarify your point.

12. this o it o that o these o they o those o all of them o who o few o many o he
o most o she o several
These relative and demonstrative words (adjectives and pronouns) tie things together, pointing back as they carry the reference ahead.  But be sure there can be no mistaking the specific word to which each refers.
Last updated  2008/09/28 08:52:00 PDTHits  607