Understanding how ideas connect is critical for success on the GRE Verbal section. Transition words help reveal the relationship between sentences and paragraphs—an essential skill for both Reading Comprehension and Text Completion questions. Use this cheat sheet to quickly identify the most common transition words and what they signal.
🔁 Contrast / Opposition
These words signal a shift, contradiction, or opposing idea:
- however
- although
- though
- despite / in spite of
- whereas
- on the other hand
- nevertheless
- nonetheless
- conversely
- yet
- still
- even so
Example: He was tired; nevertheless, he kept studying.
➕ Addition / Similarity
These transitions add or reinforce a point:
- furthermore
- moreover
- in addition
- also
- similarly
- likewise
- not only… but also
- as well
Example: She excels in math. Moreover, she’s a great writer.
📈 Cause and Effect / Conclusion
These words show a result or inference:
- therefore
- thus
- hence
- consequently
- as a result
- so
- accordingly
- for this reason
Example: The passage lacks evidence; thus, the argument is weak.
📍 Emphasis / Clarification
Use these to stress or clarify a point:
- indeed
- in fact
- clearly
- obviously
- of course
- namely
- that is
- to be specific
Example: The issue is complex; indeed, it affects every sector.
📌 Examples / Illustration
These words signal examples or demonstrations:
- for example
- for instance
- such as
- including
- namely
- to illustrate
- in particular
Example: Some students—for instance, those with full-time jobs—need more flexibility.
🕰️ Time / Sequence
These show order or timing of events:
- then
- next
- after
- before
- finally
- eventually
- subsequently
- meanwhile
- at the same time
- initially
Example: He read the argument twice. Then, he began outlining his response.
For more tips, check out our guides to GRE Verbal Reasoning strategies and all of our verbal reasoning content.