Transitions
This transition word adds similar information and is often used in place of “also.”
Furthermore
This type of clause can stand alone as a complete sentence because it expresses a full thought.
Independent Clause
This punctuation mark is used to connect two closely related independent clauses without a conjunction.
Semicolon
This writing quality means expressing ideas clearly using the fewest necessary words.
Conciseness
This writing principle requires that items in a list or series follow the same grammatical pattern.
Parallel Structure
This transition is used to show the next step in a process after “first” and “second.”
Third
This type of clause cannot stand alone and often begins with words like “because,” “although,” or “when.”
Dependent Clause
In the sentence “I wanted to go for a walk; it started raining,” this is the reason a semicolon is used instead of a comma.
Both parts are independent clauses
The phrase “due to the fact that” is wordy and can be replaced with this single word.
Because
In the sentence “She likes hiking, to swim, and biking,” this is the problem with the list.
Lack of parallel structure
This transition shows that one event happens as a result of another, similar to “because of this.”
Therefore
In the sentence “Although she was tired, she finished her homework,” this part is the independent clause.
She finished her homework
This type of word (like “however,” “therefore,” or “meanwhile”) often follows a semicolon when linking two independent clauses.
Conjunctive adverb
In the phrase “completely finished,” this issue makes the wording unnecessary and repetitive.
Redundancy
To fix the sentence “He enjoys reading, to write, and drawing,” this change should be made to “to write.”
Change "to write" to "writing"
This transition introduces an opposing idea and is slightly more formal than “but.”
However
This type of sentence is formed by joining two independent clauses with a comma and a coordinating conjunction like “and” or “but.”
Compound sentence
In the sentence “She studied all night; however, she still felt unprepared,” this punctuation mark must follow the conjunctive adverb.
Comma
The sentence “In my opinion, I think that the experiment was successful” can be improved by removing these unnecessary words.
"In my opinion" AND "I think"
In the sentence “She is not only intelligent but also works hard,” this revision creates correct parallel structure.
“She is not only intelligent but also hardworking” (or “She not only is intelligent but also works hard”)
This transition acknowledges a point while still introducing a contrasting idea, often used in more advanced writing.
Nevertheless
In the sentence “Because he studied hard, he passed the test,” this punctuation mark separates the dependent clause from the independent clause when it comes first.
Comma
This is when semicolons are used to separate items in a list because the items themselves already contain commas.
A series with internal commas (complex series)
This strategy improves conciseness by turning phrases like “made a decision” into stronger verbs like “decided.”
Using strong (or precise) verbs
In the sentence “The goal of the program is to improve student writing, increasing reading skills, and that critical thinking develops,” this is the best revision for parallel structure.
“to improve student writing, increase reading skills, and develop critical thinking”