What Are Transitions?
Transitions are the words that help readers get from one place to another in a writing piece. They guide readers through ideas and keep them from getting lost.
Comparing Transitions
These transitions are used to compare, or show similarity between two ideas.
also- James loves to read, and he also likes to watch TV.
likewise- Bob and Dan were late to work. Likewise, Maria was too.
and- I hate both doing homework and doing chores.
Contrasting Transitions
These transitions are used to contrast, or differentiate, between two ideas.
although- Although she loved to read, she greatly disliked The Divergent Series.
on the other hand- Denise was an angel. On the other hand, her brother Michael was a huge troublemaker.
but- I normally don't allow things like this to happen, but I might make an exception.
Elevated Transitions
Elevated transitions are transitions that are used when speaking formally or writing a formal paper. When writing formal papers such as a literary analysis or an RST, it is important to refrain from using common transitions and focus on using the elevated ones.
moreover- Moreover, the greatest threat to the world is global warming.
furthermore- Furthermore, I will see to it that the United States will set foot on Mars by the year 2030.
ultimately- Ultimately, space exploration could one day be the salvation of the human race.
Identifying Transitions
Billy Collins similarly expresses the theme of identity in his poem “The Names.” In his poem, he writes, “I started with A, with Ackerman, as it happened,/Then Baxter and Calabro,/Eberling, names falling into place/As droplets fell through the dark,”(Collins 562). He is grieving, one by one, for each victim of 9/11 by reminding himself of their names, their identities. He continues to list various names of the people who died on 9/11. Names like “Gonzalez” and “Ishikawa” reflect the ethnic diversity of the victims, and helps to contribute to their overall identity. It is very similar to “The War of the Wall,” when the community looks at the mural that represents where they came from: their heritage. The mural in the story shows that visually, while the list of names in the poem show it verbally. It can be inferred through “Gonzalez” that a person with that name would originate from a Spanish-speaking country. It could be inferred that a person is from Japan when they have a name similar to “Ishikawa”. A name can tell a lot about someone, and that’s why it’s such an important part of their identity. “The Names” shows the diverse affiliations of the victims of 9/11, all around the world, while “The War of the Wall” shows the diverse affiliations of the community, their roots from the various parts of central and west Africa.
Furthermore, both “War of the Wall” and “The Names” express and contribute the thematic message of identity, mainly by showing the diverse origins of their subjects: “The Names shows identity verbally and “The War of the Wall” shows identity visually. “The War of the Wall” even contains an additional theme of not judging others’ actions before knowing their intent. Without identity in a story, or even in real life, there would be no character. Everyone and everything would be the same. As Erik Erikson said, a person will never be fully alive without the sense of an identity. What makes each and every individual special? What sets them apart? Their identity.
The two transitions in this passage of my literary analysis are "similarly" and "furthermore". "Similarly" is a comparing transition that is more commonly used. "Furthermore" is a transition that is a synonym for "in addition", and is an elevated transition.
I have used transitions in writing various papers throughout the year such as my literary analysis and my RST.
Transitions are the words that help readers get from one place to another in a writing piece. They guide readers through ideas and keep them from getting lost.
Comparing Transitions
These transitions are used to compare, or show similarity between two ideas.
also- James loves to read, and he also likes to watch TV.
likewise- Bob and Dan were late to work. Likewise, Maria was too.
and- I hate both doing homework and doing chores.
Contrasting Transitions
These transitions are used to contrast, or differentiate, between two ideas.
although- Although she loved to read, she greatly disliked The Divergent Series.
on the other hand- Denise was an angel. On the other hand, her brother Michael was a huge troublemaker.
but- I normally don't allow things like this to happen, but I might make an exception.
Elevated Transitions
Elevated transitions are transitions that are used when speaking formally or writing a formal paper. When writing formal papers such as a literary analysis or an RST, it is important to refrain from using common transitions and focus on using the elevated ones.
moreover- Moreover, the greatest threat to the world is global warming.
furthermore- Furthermore, I will see to it that the United States will set foot on Mars by the year 2030.
ultimately- Ultimately, space exploration could one day be the salvation of the human race.
Identifying Transitions
Billy Collins similarly expresses the theme of identity in his poem “The Names.” In his poem, he writes, “I started with A, with Ackerman, as it happened,/Then Baxter and Calabro,/Eberling, names falling into place/As droplets fell through the dark,”(Collins 562). He is grieving, one by one, for each victim of 9/11 by reminding himself of their names, their identities. He continues to list various names of the people who died on 9/11. Names like “Gonzalez” and “Ishikawa” reflect the ethnic diversity of the victims, and helps to contribute to their overall identity. It is very similar to “The War of the Wall,” when the community looks at the mural that represents where they came from: their heritage. The mural in the story shows that visually, while the list of names in the poem show it verbally. It can be inferred through “Gonzalez” that a person with that name would originate from a Spanish-speaking country. It could be inferred that a person is from Japan when they have a name similar to “Ishikawa”. A name can tell a lot about someone, and that’s why it’s such an important part of their identity. “The Names” shows the diverse affiliations of the victims of 9/11, all around the world, while “The War of the Wall” shows the diverse affiliations of the community, their roots from the various parts of central and west Africa.
Furthermore, both “War of the Wall” and “The Names” express and contribute the thematic message of identity, mainly by showing the diverse origins of their subjects: “The Names shows identity verbally and “The War of the Wall” shows identity visually. “The War of the Wall” even contains an additional theme of not judging others’ actions before knowing their intent. Without identity in a story, or even in real life, there would be no character. Everyone and everything would be the same. As Erik Erikson said, a person will never be fully alive without the sense of an identity. What makes each and every individual special? What sets them apart? Their identity.
The two transitions in this passage of my literary analysis are "similarly" and "furthermore". "Similarly" is a comparing transition that is more commonly used. "Furthermore" is a transition that is a synonym for "in addition", and is an elevated transition.
I have used transitions in writing various papers throughout the year such as my literary analysis and my RST.