Transition Words and Phrases

Story transitions indicate a new scene or a change in time. Story transitions for narratives are different from transition used in informational paragraphs and essays. Story transitions help the reader as the plot moves from one time or place to another.

Why do we need transitions?

I am haily and I am 12 years old. Can you imagine if you switchplaces with you dog for one day it would be wired if you didn’t even knowwhat is going on how did you became a dog? Would that happened to meone day.I was at my house in my room it was at night I was thinking aboutdogs and when I slept I was dreaming about them too and I don’t know why.When I woked up I felt so cold them I touched my hairand it was rough. I cold hear all the birds singing then…I opened my eyesand I notice that I was sleeping out side laying in the grass and I got soscared. I tried to get inside to see what was happening buy my mom wouldnot let me in she would say, “Go outsid shagy,” and I said, “what is wrongwith you mom i am your daughter,” but she would not answer me and shedidn’t let me in, so I stayed outside. I was laying back in the grass and Ilooked at my foot and they wore not mines they looked like shagy’s footsthen I touched my ears and they wore long and hairy I looked at the windowand all I could see was a dog reflecting in the window, I creamed but all Icould hear wore barkings, I went crazy. I saw somebody opening thedoor and it was me! I thought, “oh no that’s impossible!” I cannot belive thatI became a dog and that my dog had became me.

Grade 7 Narrative Writing Without Transitions

A day later During Never

After Early in the morning Next

After that Finally One evening

After we walked a while

For a while Quickly

Afterwards For the next few days Right away

Almost as quickly Hours went by Several weeks later

An hour later Immediately Sometime later

Around noon In between the time Soon

As In just twenty minutes Suddenly

As soon as In the late afternoon That night

At dawn In the meantime The following day

At dusk Just as The next day

At first I saw Just before dawn Then

At the same time Just then When

Before Later When spring came

By four o’clock Later on When we arrived

By the time I arrived Mean while While

One day, when I was five, I went to a local park with my mom. While I was playing in the sandbox, I noticed a boy about my age in a wheelchair. I went over to him and asked if he could play. Since I was only five, I couldn’t understand why he couldn’t just get in the sandbox and play with me. He told me he couldn’t. I talked to him for a while longer, then I took my large bucket, scooped up as much sand as I could and dumped it into his lap. Then I grabbed some toys and put them in his lap, too.My mom rushed over and said, “Lucas, why did you do that?”I looked at her and replied, “He couldn’t play in the sandbox with me, so I brought the sand to him. Now we can play in the sand together.”

Lucas Parker, age 11This excerpt was borrowed from the book Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul: 101 Stories of Courage, Hope and Laughter [ISBN 0-439-15984-9]

The Sandbox

One day, when I was five, I went to a local park with my mom. While I was playing in the sandbox, I noticed a boy about my age in a wheelchair. I went over to him and asked if he could play. Since I was only five, I couldn’t understand why he couldn’t just get in the sandbox and play with me. He told me he couldn’t. I talked to him for a while longer, then I took my large bucket, scooped up as much sand as I could and dumped it into his lap. Then I grabbed some toys and put them in his lap, too.My mom rushed over and said, “Lucas, why did you do that?”I looked at her and replied, “He couldn’t play in the sandbox with me, so I brought the sand to him. Now we can play in the sand together.”

Lucas Parker, age 11This excerpt was borrowed from the book Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul: 101 Stories of Courage, Hope and Laughter [ISBN 0-439-15984-9]

The Sandbox

Game Time

In your table groups you will be asked to create a sentence using a transition word or phrase. Points will be given for creativity.

Put both the subject and transition word together to create a sentence with transition.

After we walked a while

Add a transition to the following:

The weather was freezing.

Put both the subject and transition word together to create a sentence with transition.

Suddenly

Add a transition to the following:

Sophia cheered up.

Put both the subject and transition word together to create a sentence with transition.

Hours went by