Chapter 1
Key Ideas and Details
Course: Core Academic Skills For Educators Combined Test 5752
Subject: Core Academic Skills Educators Reading 5713
Chapter: Craft Structure And Language Skills
1. The Function of Transitions in Reading Comprehension
Transition words and phrases are linguistic tools that signal relationships between sentences, ideas, and paragraphs. They help organize thoughts, indicate shifts, and clarify how one idea connects to the next. These markers guide the reader through the writer’s line of reasoning, much like signposts on a road.
In the Praxis Core Reading exam, understanding transitions is essential to correctly analyzing the structure and intent of a passage. Transitions often help reveal an author’s purpose, tone, argument structure, or even bias.
Categories and Functions of Transition Words
- Addition and Sequence Used to introduce new but related information or to outline a step-by-step process.
Common transitions:
- first, second, third
- in addition, also, furthermore
- next, then, finally