English transitional words and phrases — interactive lesson
Interactive lesson · Writing & grammar
Transitional words & phrases
The connectives that give your writing and speech coherence, flow, and precision
What is a transitional word or phrase?
Transitional words and phrases — also called connectives or discourse markers — signal the logical relationship between ideas. They tell the reader or listener how one thought connects to the next: is the next idea a contrast, a consequence, an example, an addition? Without them, even well-formed sentences feel disconnected. With the wrong ones, meaning can become confused or misleading.
9
Categories
100+
Expressions
3
Register levels
⚠
Common mistakes
The most important skill is not knowing many transitional phrases — it is knowing which one is right for the relationship between your ideas. Choosing "however" when you mean "therefore" doesn't just sound wrong — it changes the meaning entirely.
Categories
All 9 with expressions & examples
Nuance explorer
Subtle differences side by side
Gap fill
Choose the right connective
Matching
Match phrase to function
Common mistakes
Why they go wrong
Rewriting
Replace weak connectives
Error correction
Spot the wrong connective
Transitional words & phrases
Categories
Click any category to expand it — with all key expressions, register notes, grammar rules, and examples
Transitional words & phrases
Nuance explorer
Select a pair to compare — see the subtle differences that make one choice right and another wrong
Transitional words & phrases
Gap fill
Choose the transitional word or phrase that best completes each sentence — pay attention to logic, register, and grammar
Transitional words & phrases
Matching
Match each transitional expression to its logical function
Transitional words & phrases
Common mistakes
These errors appear even at advanced level — click each one to see why it's wrong and how to fix it
Transitional words & phrases
Rewriting exercise
The underlined connective is weak, wrong, or misused — choose a better alternative from the options
Transitional words & phrases
Error correction
One sentence uses a transitional expression incorrectly — choose the correct version
Transitional words & phrases
My glossary
Transitional expressions you have saved for review — browse the Categories tab and tap Save on any word