Let’s face it: You can’t write an essay (or any other writing piece) without linking words.
Also known as connecting words or transition words, they serve to make your writing flow and help those reading your work follow the flow of your thoughts, ideas, and arguments.
This post is your guide to linking words and their role in writing. Not only will you learn the types of these words, examples, and reasons to use them, but you’ll also get a massive list of transition words and phrases as well as linking words PDF to download and use whenever necessary.
Table of contents
What are Linking Words?
Linking words are lexical items (words and phrases) we use to connect ideas in writing and get a reader to the next sentence or paragraph.
They aren’t about essay writing only:
Whether you write a fiction book, marketing content, academic works, autobiography, or poems, you’ll need to connect ideas. That’s what transition words do:
They link your thoughts and arguments into a chain to show how they relate to each other. Also known as transition words, these phrases often start a sentence or a paragraph. However, you’ll also use them in the middle of sentences to bring ideas together.
The most common places for linking words in essays are:
- the start of a paragraph
- the start of a sentence introducing a new idea or extending an argument
- the beginning of a concluding statement
Why Use Transition Words in Essays
Essay linking words is an integral part of academic writing. Put it simply, you can’t write a paper without using them; otherwise, your writing won’t make any sense for readers.
Transition words for essay serve to:
- connect ideas in writing
- create a flow of thoughts and arguments for readers to understand what you want to say
- guide readers from one idea to another, demonstrating how they relate to each other
- hook readers and encourage them to read the next sentence or paragraph
- add more information
- support or contrast a point
- show the result, conclude, demonstrate an effect of this or that point
Using essay maker and connecting words, each sentence and paragraph must pass readers on to the next one. These connecting words serve as an instrument to guide readers from one thought or point to the next.
Linking Words Examples
Linking words examples are many, and it’s clear why: every piece of writing contains tons of connecting and transition words. Let’s take an essay sample from Essayshark writers to see the example of linking words in academic writing:
This one was an essay introduction.
Now, why not take a step further and look for essay linking words in essay conclusions?
Types and List of Linking Words to Use in Essays
Below you’ll find the ultimate list of transition words for essays by categories. Choose the role you need a word to play (reason, contrast, emphasis, restatement, etc.) and consider the corresponding table of transitions.
If you need the whole transition words list in one place, jump to the next category of this post to find the downloadable linking words pdf.
And now, for connecting words categories:
Addition/Agreement/Similarity
These words serve to add info to what you’ve previously stated, demonstrate the commonality between arguments, and support your thoughts.
| in the first placeagainmoreoverin like manneralsoof coursein the same fashion/wayidenticallycorrespondinglynot to mentionadditionallyjust as… so tooapart from thislast | not only … but alsotoas well asin additionthenlikewisefirst, second, thirduniquelysimilarlyto say nothing oftooalong withfurthermoreover | as a matter of factandtogether withcoupled withequallycomparativelyin the light oflikefurthermoreasby the same tokenbesidescoupled withnot to mention |
Contrast/Contradiction/Limitation/Opposition
Linking words for contrast is your instrument to show how things are different and provide counterarguments. They work best in persuasive and critical essays.
| howeverneverthelessnonethelessin contrast/in comparisonwhilewhereasconverselydiffering fromeven soalthough this may be trueotherwisealbeitbesidesbe that as it may | stillalthough / even thoughthoughon the other handon the contraryalternativelyin oppositioninsteadnordifferent fromat the same timeeven thoughthen againregardless | butyetdespite / in spite ofas opposed tocontrarilycontrary toratherthoughunlikeof course …, butalbeitabove allin realityafter all |
Comparison/Concession/Condition
These lexical items will help you if you need to provide conditions to your statements, show how things are different/similar, or accept a point with reservation.
| similarlylikewisealsocompare(d) to / withnot only…but alsoalikeequallyin a similar mannerin commonstill anotheralthough this may be trueason the condition thatonly ifadmittedlyall the sameeven thoughhoweverdespite | likejust asjust likeas withbothby the same tokenin like mannerin the same waybecause ofeven ifgiven thatsincethenunlessalthoughand stilland yetneverthelessnonetheless | similar tosame ascomparecorrespondinglyeitherequalmost importantresemblessimilarlygranted thatifin that casewhenwheneverwhilebe that as it mayeven ifeven soup to a point |
Clarification
These words will help you with personal or narrative essays: They are linking words in opinion writing that indicates you’re going to explore ideas in more detail.
Expository essays will win with these words too.
| I meanin explanationin lay termsto clearly defineto explain | in other wordsin simple termssimply putto put it clearlyto put it in another way | simply statedthat is to sayto break it downto simplifyto make plain |
Cause/Effect/Result
Cause and effect connecting words do what their name says exactly: demonstrating a cause of some point and providing the result of what has been done or started.
| ifin casegranted (that) … thenfor the purpose ofwhenso thatin the hope thatwhiledue toin view ofwhilelesthence | provided thatas/so long asunlesswith this intentionwheneverso as toto the end thatfor fear thatbecause ofsoas a resultas a consequence (of)for this reasonthereupon | given thaton (the) condition (that)only/even ifwith this in mindsinceowing toinasmuch asin order toas seeing / being thatthereforethusconsequentlyforthwiththen |
Emphasis/Example
These words are for putting forward your point more forcefully, providing examples.
| undoubtedlyindeedobviouslyfor instancethat is (i.e.)such aschieflyclearlydefinitelyit should be notednaturallyneverto repeaton the negative sidesignificantlyon the positives sideto enumerateanother key pointfirst thing to rememberto emphasizeto put it another waytruly | generallyadmittedlyin factincludingnamelyspecificallyespeciallyevenimportantlyobviouslyof courseparticularly / in particulartrulywith this in mindpoint often overlookedfrequentlyto explainby all meanssurelyin this caseto demonstratefor this reason | particularly / in particularespeciallyfor exampleto illustrateabove allabsolutelyin detailin truthindeedpositivelysurprisinglyto clarifywith attentionwithout a doubtspecificallymost compelling evidenceexpressivelythat is to saywith attention tocertainlyfor one thingas an illustrationto be sure |
Generalization
Perfect transition words for hypothesis essays, generalization lexical items serve to make a general statement you’ll then specify and prove in detail.
| as a rulebroadly speakingcommonlymostlynormallyoften | for the most partgenerally speakingin general/ generallypredominatelyregularlytypically | in most casesmainlymore often than noton the wholeoverall |
Illustration
These words and phrases are for you to provide examples in essays.
| as an example offor example/ for instancefor one thinglikenamelyon this occasion | illustrated byin another casein the case ofproof of thisspecificallysuch as | in this casein this situationincludingto demonstrateto clarifyto simplify |
Location/Place/Space
Use these words to provide order and reference or clarify spatial relationships between your points or ideas.
| in the middleherefurtheron this sidewherewhereverin the foregroundnearalongsidedownbeneathadjacent tounderneatharound | to the left/righttherebeyondin the distancefromaroundin the backgroundaboveupbesideopposite toundersurroundingat the rear | in front ofnextnearbyhere and thereoverbeforein the center ofbelowamongbehindbetweenacrosson top/on bottomadjacent |
Reason/Reference
These transitional words will help you demonstrate relationships between ideas and provide reasons for what and why has started or occurred.
| because offor the purpose ofgiven thatseeing thatso thatwith this in mindas applied toas far asconcerningthe fact that | granted thatin factin order towith this intentionwith this purposeforconsideringin connection toin termswith regards to | in view ofowing toprovided thatbecausesinceasregardingspeaking about/ofwith respect toexamples of these might be: |
Time/Sequence
Use these words in your essay when you need to indicate the time and order of what you say.
| at the present timeafterhenceforthat the same timeuntilmeanwhilein due timethenfirst, secondas long asforthwithin the meantimeby the timein the first placenextformerlyinstantlyquickly | from time to timelaterwheneverup to the present timetillfurtheruntil nowbeforein timewhenstraight awayin a momentwheneverall of a suddennowsuddenlypresentlyfinally | sooner or laterlasteventuallyto begin withsinceduringas soon ashenceprior tooncewithout delayaboutat this instantnow thatimmediatelyshortlyoccasionallyanother |
Summary/Conclusion/Restatement
Restatement words will help you express an alternative to what you previously stated. They work for all essay types, including rhetorical precis and dialectic essays.
Use summary and conclusion transitional phrases to sum up your points and come up with the final paragraph of your writing.
| as can be seenafter alloverallall things consideredin conclusionby and largegiven these pointsin essencein any eventfor the most partaltogetheras notedtherefore | generally speakingin factordinarilyas shown abovein shortto sum upas has been notedto summarizein either casein the endas you can seeto conclude | in the final analysisin summaryusuallyin the long runin briefon the wholein a wordon balanceall in allin the final analysisfinallygiven these pointsultimately |
The Ultimate List of Connecting Words: Download
And now, for the most interesting and practical part:
Below you can find the linking words worksheet that gathers all the most commonly used transitional words in essays. Feel free to download this linking words PDF and refer to it every time you write an essay and experience writer’s block:
Do you need more guides and worksheets like this to assist you with academic writing? Please share your ideas in the comments, and our writers will be happy to help!
