The Writing Center - Transitional Expressions Transitional Expressions Transitions are linking expressions that help point out how sentences are joined according to meaning. Even if you use one of these expressions, you still need to separate your sentences with a period or a semicolon at the end of the first independent clause.
Transitions can also move around in the sentence.
Transitions are set off from the rest of the sentence by commas. Some of the most frequently used transitional expressions are listed below. The expressions are not necessarily interchangeable. The context determines which is appropriate. To Indicate Time after a while, afterward, as long as, as soon as, at last, at length, at that time, before, earlier, formerly, immediately, in the meantime, in the past, lately, later, meanwhile, now, presently, shortly, simultaneously, since, so far, soon, subsequently, then, thereafter, until, until now, when To Repeat, Summarize, or Conclude all in all, altogether, as has been said, in brief, in conclusion, in other words, in particular, in short, in simpler terms, in summary, on the whole, that is, therefore ,to put it differently, to summarize To Show Cause or Effect accordingly, as a result, because, consequently, for this purpose, hence, otherwise, since.