Purposefully use transitions with this heuristic that offers a comprehensive list of transitions and the relationships they illustrate.

1. Transitions: Paper is literally a path…a path through the evolution of your thought. Like any
trip, we need markers to let us know where we have been and where we are going. Stop
signs, street lights, even advertising markers for attractions. Transitions should be used
purposefully, so you will need to consider which ones will most precisely articulate the
relationship between your ideas.
1. Spatio-Temporal: These demonstrate connections based on time, consequence, and
proximity.
● Sequence: First, Next, Third, Finally,
● Sequence: After, Before, Immediately, Later, Meanwhile, Occasionally, Soon
(All paragraphs point toward a central thing from which they emerge)
● Consequence: Consequently, Since, Thus, Therefore, By consequence, As a
result (something is interdependent on what came before or what comes after)
● Proximity: Above, adjacent, adjoining, beyond, far, here, near, there (These
are likely to function as prepositions too)
2. Evaluative: These indicate that your paragraph is demonstrating or proving something
is true, in terms of its scope and scale.
● Attribution: Citing an authority, Introducing evidence: X states, Y points
out, X opines, Y notes, X argues
● Purpose: in order that, in order to, intending to, so that
● Illustration: For example, For instance, Specifically, to
Demonstrate
● Emphasis: by all means, certainly, indeed, in fact, no doubt, of course, surely
● Comparison/Contrast: In contrast, However, Nevertheless,
Similarly, Likewise, Since, but, conversely, despite, on the other hand,
comparably, in the same way, likewise, similarly
● Counter-Argument: granted that, naturally, of course, to be sure
● Reinforce or intensify a point: Moreover, Furthermore,
Additionally, In addition, again, also, and, as well, besides
● Clarification: i.e., in other words, that is to say, to put it another way
● Summarize: In sum, In conclusion, As a result, briefly, in the final

2. analysis, to summarize, to sum up
Qualifiers also describe the limits of a claim.
Arguers must qualify their claims by:
1) explaining under which circumstances the claim is true
2) estimating the probability that a claim is true
Circumstantial Qualifiers
absolutely
probably
possibly
most of the time
seldom
regularly
never
usually
generally
least
Probability Qualifiers
occasionally
always
sometimes
as a rule
typically
hardly ever
potentially
tentatively
often
frequently