Key Transitions & Phrases
Common transitions and phrases you can use in your TOEFL responses. Using these words will help your writing flow more smoothly and connect your thoughts in a more logical manner.
To add information to a point, or to introduce a new (related) point:
In addition, …
Additionally, …
Furthermore, …
Moreover, …
Besides, …
Also, …
To introduce an example:
For example, …
For instance, …
To introduce an opinion:
In my opinion, …
I believe that …
I think that …
To start a new body paragraph:
First, …
First off, …
First of all, …
To begin/start, …
Second, …
Secondly, …
Next, …
Third, …
Finally, …
Last, …
Lastly, …
To add similar or related information:
Likewise, …
Similarly, …
On a related note, …
To restate information in a shorter or clearer way:
In other words, …
In short, …
Simply put, …
Essentially, …
In essence, …
Basically, …
To contrast information:
However, …
That (being) said, …
Nevertheless, …
Nonetheless, …
By/in contrast, …
On the contrary, …
On the other hand, …
To show cause and effect:
As a result, …
Because of this, …
As such, …
Consequently, …
Therefore, …
Thus, …
Hence, …
To emphasize information:
Indeed, …
Evidently, …
Clearly, …
Certainly, …
To conclude information, a paragraph, or your overall response:
In conclusion, …
All in all, …
As you can see, …
In the end, …
Ultimately, …