1.16: Transitions and Signposting

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Jean Mangan, Brittany Blanchard, Gabrielle Gravel, Chase Lyndale, & Connely Doizé
University System of Georgia via Affordable Learning Goergia

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Using transitional words and phrases as signposts in your writing will help guide the reader through your analysis. Remember that you want to make your writing as accessible as possible to your reader. The reader, using your transitions, can better follow your analysis because you have shown the reader how each sentence relates to the next. The reader will find your writing to be more credible because the reader will not struggle to understand your point.

You do not need to include a transition with every sentence! This will clutter your writing and make it more difficult to understand your analysis. Instead, use transitions when you want to signal that you are

Moving on to the next item in a list
Providing an example
Generalizing
Analogizing or comparing
Presenting an opposing viewpoint
Emphasizing a particular thought
Expanding to explain intricacies of a larger concept
Preempting a counteranalysis or counterargument
Concluding a piece of analysis or argument

Below are lists with suggested words and phrases you can use to signpost in your writing.

Sequencing

After Finally Initially

Before First, second, etc. Last

During Further Later

Meanwhile Subsequently Until

Next Then

Since To begin with

Introducing an Example

As in In particular Say

For Example Like Such as

For Instance Namely To demonstrate

Including Notably To illustrate

Generalizing

As a rule In general Usually

For the most part In most cases

Generally On the whole

Analogy/Comparison

Also Here Much like

And Identically On one hand

As In comparison Similarly

Comparatively In like manner To

Compared to In the same way Together with

Compared with Just as Too

Equally Likewise

Contrast/Opposition

Alternatively Despite Notwithstanding

Although Even though On the contrary

At the same time However On the other hand

Besides In contrast Rather

But Nevertheless Regardless

By contrast Nonetheless Though

Conversely Not Unlike

Emphasis

Additionally Especially Indeed

Again Even more In effect

Apart from this Explicitly In fact

By analogy Furthermore Markedly

Certainly Importantly Moreover

Namely Significantly To emphasize

Particularly Specifically

Explanation of Intricacies

Additionally Frequently Moreover

Also Furthermore More specifically

And In detail Namely

Another reason In like manner Nor

As well In other words To clarify

Besides In particular To explain

By the same token In relation to

Preemption of Counteranalysis or Counterargument

All the same Even assuming Though some might argue

Although Even if While it could be

At the same time Even though

Despite Notwithstanding

Conclusion

Accordingly

As a consequence

Because

Finally

In conclusion

In summary

Lastly

On balance

Overall

Therefore

Thus

To conclude

To summarize

Ultimately

Conclusion

Keep in mind that your written product should be designed to serve as a tool that the reader can use to make a decision. Complement your roadmap in your introductory paragraph by providing transitions and signposts as you proceed through your legal analysis to guide the reader.