TOEFL Transition Words & Linking Phrases 2026 (Writing + Speaking)

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 80 connectives below cover the eight rhetorical moves that almost every TOEFL Writing response has to make. 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. Those eight 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.

Spoken-register transitions for Take-an-Interview

The eight 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

40 high-frequency TOEFL vocabulary words — the functional words these transitions connect
Academic Word List for TOEFL 2026
TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing task guide — where these transitions live
TOEFL Write-an-Email task
TOEFL Take-an-Interview Speaking guide

FAQ

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.

TOEFL transition words and linking phrases 2026

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