Adverbial Expressions as Cohesive Devices

As stated in the preceding section, writers need important tools to create sound, well-thought out written works.

One very effective tool that is indispensable in building meaningful and sensible writing is cohesive or transition words. These are devices that serve as bridges in writing. They connect words, phrases, and sentences in paragraphs. Without them, paragraphs become disjointed and confusing.

Aside from pronouns, adverbs are also used as transition words.

An adverb is a modifier of verb, adjective, and another adverb. It expresses a relation of time, place, manner, degree, cause, and circumstance. Transition words showing these relationships are called adverbial expressions.

Examples:

merely, then, quite, humbly

The following are examples of adverbial expressions that denote time, place, frequency, manner, degree, focus, quantity, and attitude.

Types of Adverbs	Adverbial Expressions
time	now, then, presently, soon, already at that time, in those days, last..., next
place	there, here, up, down, above, below, inside, outside, close to, near, next to, alongside, adjacent to, in the distance, far, beyond, away, sideways, along, across, to the right/left, in front of, behind, toward, away from
frequency	now and again, often, usually, frequently, hourly, now and then, occasionally, day after day, every so often, again and again, during, briefly, for a long time, minute by minute, while
manner	slowly, properly, cautiously
degree	very, quite, extremely, utterly, too, somewhat, enough, rather
focus	only, especially, just, merely, also, even, mostly, particularly, simply
quantity	a bit, a little, a lot, lots, too many, too much
attitude	kindly, sadly, hopefully
to introduce a beginning sentence or paragraph	at first, in the beginning, since, before then
to introduce a middle sentence or paragraph	in the meantime, meanwhile, as it was happening, at that moment
to conclude or end a sentence or paragraph	eventually, finally, at last, in the end, later, afterward