100 Transition Words for Essays & TOEFL Writing (2026)
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100 transition words for essays and TOEFL writing

100 linking words for writing, grouped into ten rhetorical functions with a band-5 sample sentence in each group, plus a placement guide showing where each transition goes inside an essay. Built for the TOEFL Academic Discussion task, but the lists work for any academic essay.

Published 2026-05-20 · Updated 2026-06-10 · TOEFLMock editorial team

Contents

  1. Why transitions move your band from 4 to 5
  2. Addition: ten ways to say "also"
  3. Contrast: ten ways to say "but"
  4. Cause: ten ways to say "because"
  5. Result: ten ways to say "so"
  6. Sequence: ten ways to say "next"
  7. Example: ten ways to say "for instance"
  8. Emphasis: ten ways to say "importantly"
  9. Conclusion: ten ways to say "finally"
  10. Comparison: ten ways to say "similarly"
  11. Concession: ten ways to say "admittedly"
  12. Where transition words go in an essay
  13. Linking words for writing: five mistakes to avoid
  14. Spoken-register transitions for Take an Interview
  15. FAQ

Why transitions move your band from 4 to 5

The TOEFL 2026 Writing rubric scores four traits, and coherence is one of them. Coherence is not about having more ideas. It is about making the relationship between consecutive sentences explicit, so the rater knows whether sentence 2 is adding to sentence 1, contrasting with it, explaining why it is true, or qualifying it. A response with strong ideas but no connectives reads as a list of claims; the same ideas with the right connectives read as an argument.

The 100 connectives below cover the ten rhetorical moves that almost every essay has to make, on the TOEFL or anywhere else. Each group has ten options ranked roughly by formality, so you can pick a register-appropriate connective for each sentence rather than reaching for "however" three times. If you have to memorise a short list, take one from each group: moreover, however, because, therefore, subsequently, for instance, notably, ultimately, similarly, admittedly. Those ten cover every coherence move at band 5.

1. Addition: ten ways to say "also"

For introducing a second point that agrees with the first.

Casual to formal: also, too, in addition, additionally, what is more, furthermore, moreover, beyond that, likewise, similarly.
Sample (band 5): Cycling infrastructure reduces commuting emissions in dense urban areas. Moreover, recent studies of Copenhagen and Utrecht suggest that the same network reshapes commercial activity around bike-accessible corridors.

2. Contrast: ten ways to say "but"

For introducing a point that opposes or qualifies the previous one.

Casual to formal: but, however, yet, on the other hand, in contrast, conversely, nevertheless, nonetheless, even so, that said.
Sample (band 5): Remote work increases worker autonomy. Conversely, the same arrangement weakens the informal mentoring that office cultures rely on to retain early-career employees.

3. Cause: ten ways to say "because"

For introducing the reason behind a claim.

Casual to formal: because, since, as, given that, on the grounds that, owing to, due to, in light of, for the reason that, attributable to.
Sample (band 5): The policy shift in 2024 succeeded owing to a rare alignment between municipal funding and federal regulation, not because of any change in public attitudes.

4. Result: ten ways to say "so"

For introducing what follows from a claim.

Casual to formal: so, thus, therefore, hence, as a result, consequently, accordingly, for that reason, this means that, the result is that.
Sample (band 5): Most undergraduate libraries digitised their reference holdings between 2018 and 2024. Consequently, in-person reference questions have declined by nearly forty percent over the same period.

5. Sequence: ten ways to say "next"

For ordering ideas in time or in argument flow.

Order markers: first, second, then, next, after that, subsequently, following that, previously, simultaneously, in turn.
Sample (band 5): The committee first identifies candidate proposals; subsequently, each proposal is reviewed by two external referees before a recommendation is made.

6. Example: ten ways to say "for instance"

For introducing a specific case that illustrates a general claim.

Casual to formal: for example, for instance, such as, including, specifically, to illustrate, as an illustration, a case in point is, take the case of, particularly.
Sample (band 5): Several northern European cities have rebuilt their transit systems around bicycles — take the case of Utrecht, where the central station is now flanked by Europe's largest bicycle parking facility.

7. Emphasis: ten ways to say "importantly"

For flagging that the next idea is the most important.

Casual to formal: importantly, notably, crucially, significantly, above all, more importantly, in particular, especially, indeed, in fact.
Sample (band 5): The proposal has merits in cost reduction and accessibility. Crucially, however, it does not address the long-term staffing shortage that motivated the policy in the first place.

8. Conclusion: ten ways to say "finally"

For closing an argument or signalling the final point.

Casual to formal: finally, in conclusion, overall, ultimately, in sum, to sum up, on balance, all in all, taken together, taking everything into account.
Sample (band 5): The evidence on both sides is incomplete. On balance, however, the available data point to a moderate net benefit, sufficient to justify a phased rollout rather than an immediate one.

9. Comparison: ten ways to say "similarly"

For showing that two cases behave the same way. The mirror image of contrast.

Casual to formal: like, similarly, likewise, in the same way, equally, just as, by the same token, along the same lines, comparably, in parallel.
Sample (band 5): Students who annotate while reading retain noticeably more after a week. By the same token, listeners who take structured notes during a lecture outperform those who simply listen, even when both groups review for the same amount of time.

10. Concession: ten ways to say "admittedly"

For granting the other side a point before answering it. The highest-value move in argument essays, and the rarest below band 5.

Casual to formal: sure, of course, admittedly, granted, it is true that, to be fair, certainly, while it is true that, although, even though.
Sample (band 5): Admittedly, a four-day school week shortens total instruction time. The evidence from districts that adopted it, however, suggests attendance gains and lower teacher turnover more than offset the lost hours.

Where transition words go in an essay

Choosing the right connective is half the job; placing it is the other half. The same word reads differently depending on whether it opens a paragraph, links two sentences inside one, or closes the essay. The placement rules below apply to any academic essay, including the 200-word TOEFL Academic Discussion response, a five-paragraph university essay, or an exam essay for any other test.

Opening paragraph: none, or one. Introductions rarely need a transition because there is nothing before them to connect to. The only common exception is a concession opener (While it is true that...) that frames the debate before you state your position. Starting an introduction with "Moreover" or "Therefore" is an immediate coherence flag for any reader.

Body paragraphs: one at the seam, one or two inside. The first sentence of each body paragraph carries a transition that signals its relationship to the previous paragraph: addition (furthermore) if it stacks a second argument, contrast (on the other hand) if it switches sides, comparison (likewise) if it extends the same logic to a new case. Inside the paragraph, use one cause or result connective to tie your claim to its evidence, and at most one example connective to introduce the supporting case. A 100-word body paragraph with four transitions reads as mechanical; the rule of thumb is one transition per 35 to 50 words.

Final paragraph: one conclusion marker, then stop. Open the closing paragraph with a single conclusion connective (ultimately, on balance, taken together) and do not add further transitions after it. "In conclusion, therefore, taking everything into account" stacks three closers into one sentence; that is filler, and raters and professors both read it that way.

Sentence-level seams: prefer mid-sentence over sentence-initial when you can. "The data, however, point the other way" reads one register above "However, the data point the other way", and varying the position is itself a coherence signal. English allows however, therefore, moreover, and nevertheless in the second position; shorter connectives (but, so, yet) stay sentence-initial.

Linking words for writing: five mistakes to avoid

1. Logic mismatch. The most common error at band 4: using an addition connective between two sentences that contrast, or "however" between two sentences that agree. Before you write the connective, ask whether sentence 2 agrees, disagrees, explains, or illustrates; that answer picks the group.

2. Repeating one connective. "Also... also... also" in a 200-word response caps your lexical-range descriptor. Each of the ten groups above gives you ten alternatives; you never need the same connective twice in a short essay.

3. Comma splices around connectives. "The plan is cheap, however it ignores maintenance" is a comma splice: however is an adverb, not a conjunction, so it needs a semicolon or a new sentence. The connectives that genuinely join two clauses with a comma are the coordinating set (but, so, yet) and the subordinators (because, although, since, while).

4. Register mixing. "On top of that" in a formal essay, or "furthermore" in a casual email, both stick out. Each list above runs casual to formal: pick from the front of the list for the TOEFL Write-an-Email task and the back of the list for the Academic Discussion task.

5. Transition without content. A connective promises a relationship; the sentence must deliver it. "Moreover, there are many factors to consider" adds nothing, so the moreover is unearned. If you cannot name the second argument, do not write the addition connective.

Spoken-register transitions for Take-an-Interview

The ten written-register lists above sound stilted in spoken English. For the Take-an-Interview task, use these 25 spoken connectives instead. They are short, natural, and they do not cost you syllables in a 45-second response.

Addition: also, plus, on top of that, and another thing.
Contrast: but, though, however (final), the thing is, that said.
Cause: because, since.
Result: so, that's why, which means.
Sequence: first, then, after that, finally.
Example: like, for example, say, take.
Emphasis: really, especially, the main thing is.
Conclusion: overall, in the end.
Speaking sample (45-second band-5 response, transition words italicised): "I think public transport is a better investment than building more roads. First, buses and trains move more people per square meter than cars. Plus, they cut emissions, especially in dense cities. That said, transit only works if it goes where people actually live, which means you have to plan it together with housing. Take my city: we built a metro line, but none of the new apartments were near a station, so ridership stayed low. Overall, I would invest in transit, but only with the housing piece in place."

Related TOEFLMock resources

FAQ

What are the best transition words for essays?

Ten words cover every move: moreover, however, because, therefore, subsequently, for instance, notably, ultimately, similarly, admittedly — one per rhetorical function. Placement matters as much as choice; see the placement guide above.

How many transitions in a 200-word response?

Three to five. Variety matters more than quantity.

Are wrong transitions penalised?

Yes — using "however" where you mean "in addition" breaks the rater's understanding of your logic and pulls your coherence band down.

Speaking connectives different from Writing?

Yes. Spoken English uses shorter connectives; written-register words like "furthermore" or "consequently" sound stilted aloud.

Can I memorise templates?

Memorise connectives, not full-sentence templates. ETS calibrators flag whole-sentence templates as a coherence indicator.

Practise transitions on a real TOEFL Writing prompt

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