Using Transitional Words and Showing the Order of Events in Narrative Paragraphs
- Writers of narrative paragraphs use sequence words and expressions to clarify the order of events in a story. The following sequence words (next, after that, afterwards, then, later, finally, eventually, a little while later, soon) are used when events happen in chronological (time)order. They often begin sentences.
- Writers use the following words and expressions (meanwhile, while, at the same time that) to show that two events occured at the same time.
- N.B. it is not always necessary to go directly in a chronological order. An event that happens last can appear first in the paragraph. In fact, this is another way to arouse interest in the reader. As long as the paragraph seems fairly logical, the writer has a lot of creative freedom in writing this kind of a paragraph.