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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Transition Words and Phrases

Students will learn to combine sentences using two kinds of transition words: time transitions and thought (logical) transitions. Transition words link related ideas and hold them together. They can help the parts of a narrative to be coherent or work together to tell the story. Coherence means all parts of a narrative link together to move the story along. Think of transition words as the glue that holds a story together. Using transition words helps avoid the "Listing" problem in stories.

A lesson plan for grades 3–5 English Language Arts

By DPI Writing Strategies

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

  • combine provided sentences using two kinds of transition words: time transitions and thought (logical) transitions.
  • incoporate time and thought transitions into their own work to help their narratives move along.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

1 Hours

Materials/resources

  • Sentence Strips with transitional words and phrases
  • Sentence Strips with prepared sentences
  • Pocket Chart

Technology resources

None.

Pre-activities

None.

Activities

Modeling/Minilesson

  1. Tell students that there are different kinds of transition words. Explain that one kind of transition word is time transitions, which helps the reader know the order of events in a story.
  2. Discuss how using different transition words changes the meaning of a sentence. Put the following 2 sentence strips in the pocket chart:
  • Dad and I went fishing.
  • Mom made our lunch.

Show students how you can connect the sentences by adding transition words. For example:

  • Dad and I went fishing. / Meanwhile / Mom made our lunch.
  • After / Dad and I went fishing, / Mom made our lunch.
  • Before / Dad and I went fishing, / Mom made our lunch.
  • Dad and I went fishing / after / Mom made our lunch.
  • While / Dad and I went fishing, / Mom made our lunch.

Discuss how the different transition words change the meaning of the sentences by changing the sequence (order) of events.

Guided Practice

  1. Put the following 3 sentence strips up on the pocket chart.
  • Marty saw the puppy.
  • He recognized it.
  • He picked it up.
  1. Give 3 student volunteers three cards with 3 transition words on them (First, Then, After that). Tell students that the transition words on the cards will help them put the sentences in the correct order.
    First, Marty saw the puppy. Then he recognized it. After that, he picked it up.
  2. Give students other transition words on cards and ask them how the words change the meaning of the sentences.
    After Marty saw the puppy, he recognized it, and he picked it up.
    As soon as Marty saw the puppy, he recognized it and immediately picked it up.

Time Transitions

Shortly after that

Meanwhile

Soon

Along the way

Before long

Earlier

After all of that

Later on

Eventually

An hour later

Without delay

Immediately

At that very moment

At last

Next

Later that same day

During all of this

As soon as

Not a moment too soon

While this was happening

  1. Point out that other transition words link related thoughts on a subject. Use the following 3 sentence strips:
  • The puppy shivered.
  • It was afraid.
  • Marty spoke in a gentle voice.

Have students select transition strips to make the sentence come to life. For example:

  • The puppy shivered / because obviously / it was afraid / even though / Marty spoke in a gentle voice.
  • Although / Marty spoke in a gentle voice, / the puppy shivered / because / it was afraid.
  • Without warning / the puppy shivered, / even though / Marty spoke in a gentle voice. / Obviously, / it was afraid.

Thought Transitions

Also

Furthermore

For example

Mainly

Because

Otherwise

Without warning

Even though

Suddenly

Which, if I must say so myself


Independent Practice

  1. Have students select a draft from their writing folder. Have them highlight the transition words they used. Then have them choose a paragraph to revise by adding 3-5 transition words. Have students read their revised paragraphs to a partner.

Assessment

  • Can students make a list of time transition words and thought transition words?
  • Can students select the appropriate time transition words to link three sentences?
  • Can students select the appropriate thought transition words to link three sentences?
  • Can students identify time and thought transition words in their own writing?
  • Can students revise their own writing to link related sentences with the appropriate transition words?

Supplemental information

Attachments:

Transition Words pdf | rtf

Additional Information

  • Writing Feature: Organization
  • Writing Process Stage: Revising
  • Writing Environment: Expressive, Informational, Critical, Argumentative, Literary
  • Writing Genre: Personal Narrative

Related websites

N/A

Comments

None.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

English Language Arts (2004)

Grade 3

  • Goal 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.
    • Objective 4.02: Use oral and written language to:
      • present information in a sequenced, logical manner.
      • discuss.
      • sustain conversation on a topic.
      • share information and ideas.
      • recount or narrate.
      • answer open-ended questions.
      • report information on a topic.
      • explain own learning.

Grade 4

  • Goal 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.
    • Objective 4.08: Focus revision on a specific element such as:
      • word choice.
      • sequence of events and ideas.
      • transitional words.
      • sentence patterns.
  • Goal 5: The learner will apply grammar and language conventions to communicate effectively.
    • Objective 5.04: Compose multiple paragraphs with:
      • topic sentences.
      • specific, relevant details.
      • logical progression and movement of ideas.
      • coherence.
      • elaboration.
      • concluding statement related to the topic.
    • Objective 5.08: Demonstrate evidence of language cohesion by:
      • logical sequence of fiction and nonfiction retells.
      • time order sequence of events.
      • sustaining conversations on a topic.

Grade 5

  • Goal 5: The learner will apply grammar and language conventions to communicate effectively.
    • Objective 5.03: Elaborate information and ideas in speaking and writing by using:
      • prepositional phrases.
      • transitions.
      • coordinating and/or subordinating conjunctions.