Transition words and phrases make reading a story more natural and enjoyable.
A story–also called a narrative–is a series of events that should flow together smoothly. In a narrative, most transitions are chronological, such as the ones in Feé’s story Part 1:
- When Feé was just about five months old
- When we got back
- Finally
- At last
And Part 2:
- Since our first adventure
- One day,
- Just after supper
- That morning
- When we got home from school
- After our serious talk
These transition words and phrases help the reader follow along, making what could be an unconnected set of events that will be not only confusing but also unpleasant. Most readers will give up on a story that is difficult to follow.For examples of transition words and phrases, check out the list at the Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. You will find several categories of transitions, in addition to transition words and phrases to use in a story.