Writing – Transition Words Transitional Words and Phrases (original) (raw)

The Use of Transitional Signals in Essay Writing by EFL Students

International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies , 2019

Transitional signals are very important in writing essays. Therefore, this research aimed to find out the types of transitional signals and their accuracy in sentences. The research used a descriptive quantitative method. There were 68 students taken randomly from the population. The instrument used to collect data was a writing test. The transitional signals analyzed were transitional signals for adding ideas and emphasizing, showing contrast and comparison, showing cause and effect, providing examples, introducing sequence, and summarizing. The findings of this research showed that the total of transitional signals used by the students were 203 transitional signals. More detailed for each type from the first until the sixth type were 35, 32, 17, 5, 95, and 19. Moreover, the percentage of the accuracy was 83%. The orders from the first until the sixth types of transitional signals were 86% adding ideas, 78% emphasizing, 94% showing contrast and comparison, 80% showing cause and effect, 84% providing examples, and 69% introducing time order or sequence, and summarizing. In other words, the most widely used transitional signal was transitional signals for introducing time order and sequence while the highest percentage of accuracy was transitional signals for providing examples.