The best stylists become masters at artfully placing transition words in pivotal positions—i.e., places where the sentence or paragraph meaning “shifts” slightly. What follows is a handy list of common transition words and their functions. If you open sentences appropriately with these words it will help your writing to flow. One caveat though: Always keep the literal meaning of a transition word in mind as you use it—therefore, do not use “for example” unless you are introducing an example that links to the preceding information; do not use “nevertheless” unless you are offering a contrasting point. Note how this paragraph has required a minimal use of transition words; they should not be forced in where they do not belong. When you do use them, keep their broader functions (i.e., “causality,” “emphasis,” etc.) directly in mind.