What is the purpose of transitional words in writing?

Transitional words serve a crucial role in writing by guiding the reader through the text and illustrating the relationships between different ideas. These words or phrases help to create a smooth flow, making it easier for readers to understand the connections between sentences and paragraphs. For example, transitions can indicate a continuation of thought, a contrast, an addition, or even a conclusion, allowing the reader to follow the writer's arguments or narratives with greater ease. This enhances overall comprehension and maintains the logical structure of the text, helping to clarify how one idea relates to another.

While definitions, summarization, and topic introductions are important elements of writing, they do not capture the primary function of transitional words, which is to ensure clarity and coherence by linking ideas throughout the text.