Point 17: Transitions

This point applies the logic of Point 16 to whole paragraphs rather than sentences: make sure each paragraph follows logically from the previous one. Sometimes, transitional words or phrases ("furthermore," "on the other hand," and so on) can clarify logical relationships; however, you can often omit them if your reader already understands your logic.

Test the strength of your transitions by asking whether rearranging your body paragraphs would ruin your argument. (It should.) If you have used a simple listing structure ("My thesis also applies to the third chapter. . . . "), you will find that scrambling your paragraphs produces a similar argument. In such cases, rethink your design.