Elementary School Transition Words and Phrases

Transition words and phrases link sentences and paragraphs together smoothly and highlight how ideas relate to each other. When explaining transition words to elementary students, it's important to state that they help make writing more interesting and move it along.

Here's an example to highlight the difference between a sentence with no transition words and one with transition words.

I saw the dog. Then, I petted the dog. Then, he ran away. Then, I went home.

It would be much smoother to say:

I saw a dog and then began to pet him, but soon he ran away. So, then I went home.

This bit of text was improved by putting short sentences together and using transition words.

Transition words are used in different situations to tell different things.

• They tell when, where, and how something occurred.
• They describe things.
• They compare things.

For a quick list of transition words, download and save or print the list below. Just click the image and it will open as a PDF. You can also explore several other lists of elementary school transition words and phrases grouped by function.

Use the words and phrases below to transition between a cause and its effect.

Use these transition words and phrases when you're comparing or contrasting information.

Use the words or phrases below when you need a transition that indicates where something is located.

When highlighting examples in your writing, use these transition words or phrases.

When a transition needs to indicate time or sequence, use one of the following transitional terms or phrases.

When you need to use a transition word to conclude an idea or essay, use these terms or phrases.

Ready to practice using transition words and phrases? Try out a few practice questions or an entire worksheet full of them.

A selection of practice questions from the worksheet is included below. The answers are provided after the worksheet.

Section 1: Word Choice

Remember that transition words and phrases link sentences together smoothly. Choose the correct word for each item.

1. (Because, Before) it was raining, I didn't walk my dog this evening.
2. I love chocolate, (although, so) I eat chocolate candy whenever I can.
3. The test was really hard. (Therefore, Then), only five students passed it.
4. First, you have to answer the questions. (Next, So), you hand in your paper.
5. Ben needs to go to bed early. (Although, Otherwise), he will be late for school.

Section 2: Fill-in-The-Blank

Complete each item with the transitional word or phrase from the following list that fits best: after all, finally, despite, in front of, in any event.

1. We need a meeting place. __________ the fountain is a good spot.
2. We have been waiting in line for 45 minutes. __________, we can buy our tickets.
3. __________ the high cost of the ticket, I am going to the concert.

This worksheet includes word choice and fill-in-the-blank sections along with an answer key.

Check your work against the answers below.

Section 1 Answers

1. Because it was raining, I didn't walk my dog this evening.
2. I love chocolate, so I eat chocolate candy whenever I can.
3. The test was really hard. Therefore, only five students passed it.
4. First, you have to answer the questions. Next, you hand in your paper.
5. Ben needs to go to bed early. Otherwise, he will be late for school

Section 2 Answers

Verify that you chose appropriate words for each item.

1. We need a meeting place. In front of the fountain is a good spot.
   
2. We have been waiting in line for 45 minutes. Finally, we can buy our tickets.
3. Despite the high cost of the ticket, I am going to the concert.

It's so important for students to begin mastering how to use transitional words and phrases when they're young. Use these examples of transitional words and phrases to further explain how to use correctly use transitions in language. If you're working with early elementary classes or students in higher grades who need a basic review, use these transition words and activities to reinforce and review skills. For more advanced learners, focus on how to use transitional words in an essay.