another word for first in essay

First, Firstly, At First: Which Is It?

First and firstly are both ordinal (or ordering) adverbs that English speakers and writers use to enumerate related points (e.g., first…second…third… or firstly…secondly…thirdly… ). Because first, second, and third work perfectly well as both adjectives and adverbs , some people find that adding -ly is superfluous and even a little bit pretentious. In other words, it is grammatical overkill.

Is firstly a real word?

Dictionary giants Samuel Johnson and Noah Webster did not recognize firstly as a word at all. Surprised? Native English speakers naturally warm to the word firstly as an ordinal adverb because most adverbs end in -ly . Not all adverbs do; consider fast, well, and often , for example.

Johnson and Webster clearly believed that first should be included in this irregular adverb group, and that firstly should never be used at all.

Yet it would be silly to say that firstly isn’t part of the English language. We hear it all the time. The question is this: will using firstly when you enumerate points make your writing seem less correct?

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Should I use first or firstly ?

It is not wrong to use firstly, secondly, and so on to enumerate your points. Nor is it wrong to use the simpler first, second, etc.

I have three reasons for wanting to visit Rome. Firstly, I would love to see the Colosseum. Secondly, I’m sure the pope is dying to meet me. Thirdly, they have great pizza.

I have three reasons for wanting to visit Rome. First, I would love to see the Colosseum. Second, I’m sure the pope is dying to meet me. Third, I need better pizza.

These statements are equivalent in meaning. Nevertheless, there are good reasons for choosing the first sequence over the firstly sequence.

First, using first is a sure win. If your writing is being published or evaluated, or even if you would like to seem proficient to your coworkers, use the construction that is never criticized rather than the one that is frequently criticized.

Second, the unnecessary -ly may not seem pretentious to you when applied to the lower numbers, but they will, once you follow them logically up the scale. Beyond fourthly and fifthly, they become quite ridiculous. (Seventhly? Eleventhly?)

Third, have you ever noticed that firstly doesn’t have a cognate in the idioms we use every day? You would never say firstly come, firstly served or at firstly glance .

Whichever system you choose, avoid mixing your methods. For example, using firstly then second and third , will simply open you up to more censure, even if there is no hard-and-fast rule to stop you.

When to use at first

At first is not used to enumerate points as first and firstly are.

There are two steps to signing in to our website. At first , type your login name. Next, type in your password.

There are two steps to signing in to our website. First , type your login name. Next, type in your password.

The phrase at first means “in or at the beginning.”

At first , I thought a burglar had come in, but then I realized it was the cat.

She denied eating the cookie at first , but she soon understood that the crumbs on her dress had given her away.

I disliked bungee jumping at first , but now I can’t imagine living without it.

If you just can’t get enough of ordinal numbers now that you have learned about first vs. firstly , find out some more about them .

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• Transition Words & Phrases | List & Examples

Transition Words & Phrases | List & Examples

Published on May 29, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on August 23, 2023.

Transition words and phrases (also called linking words, connecting words, or transitional words) are used to link together different ideas in your text. They help the reader to follow your arguments by expressing the relationships between different sentences or parts of a sentence.

The proposed solution to the problem did not work. Therefore , we attempted a second solution. However , this solution was also unsuccessful.

For clear writing, it’s essential to understand the meaning of transition words and use them correctly.

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Table of contents

When and how to use transition words, types and examples of transition words, common mistakes with transition words, other interesting articles.

Transition words commonly appear at the start of a new sentence or clause (followed by a comma ), serving to express how this clause relates to the previous one.

Transition words can also appear in the middle of a clause. It’s important to place them correctly to convey the meaning you intend.

Example text with and without transition words

The text below describes all the events it needs to, but it does not use any transition words to connect them. Because of this, it’s not clear exactly how these different events are related or what point the author is making by telling us about them.

If we add some transition words at appropriate moments, the text reads more smoothly and the relationship among the events described becomes clearer.

Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. Consequently , France and the United Kingdom declared war on Germany. The Soviet Union initially worked with Germany in order to partition Poland. However , Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941.

Don’t overuse transition words

While transition words are essential to clear writing, it’s possible to use too many of them. Consider the following example, in which the overuse of linking words slows down the text and makes it feel repetitive.

In this case the best way to fix the problem is to simplify the text so that fewer linking words are needed.

The key to using transition words effectively is striking the right balance. It is difficult to follow the logic of a text with no transition words, but a text where every sentence begins with a transition word can feel over-explained.

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There are four main types of transition word: additive, adversative, causal, and sequential. Within each category, words are divided into several more specific functions.

Remember that transition words with similar meanings are not necessarily interchangeable. It’s important to understand the meaning of all the transition words you use. If unsure, consult a dictionary to find the precise definition.

Additive transition words

Additive transition words introduce new information or examples. They can be used to expand upon, compare with, or clarify the preceding text.

Adversative transition words

Adversative transition words always signal a contrast of some kind. They can be used to introduce information that disagrees or contrasts with the preceding text.

Causal transition words

Causal transition words are used to describe cause and effect. They can be used to express purpose, consequence, and condition.

Sequential transition words

Sequential transition words indicate a sequence, whether it’s the order in which events occurred chronologically or the order you’re presenting them in your text. They can be used for signposting in academic texts.

Transition words are often used incorrectly. Make sure you understand the proper usage of transition words and phrases, and remember that words with similar meanings don’t necessarily work the same way grammatically.

Misused transition words can make your writing unclear or illogical. Your audience will be easily lost if you misrepresent the connections between your sentences and ideas.

Confused use of therefore

“Therefore” and similar cause-and-effect words are used to state that something is the result of, or follows logically from, the previous. Make sure not to use these words in a way that implies illogical connections.

• We asked participants to rate their satisfaction with their work from 1 to 10. Therefore , the average satisfaction among participants was 7.5.

The use of “therefore” in this example is illogical: it suggests that the result of 7.5 follows logically from the question being asked, when in fact many other results were possible. To fix this, we simply remove the word “therefore.”

• We asked participants to rate their satisfaction with their work from 1 to 10. The average satisfaction among participants was 7.5.

Starting a sentence with also , and , or so

While the words “also,” “and,” and “so” are used in academic writing, they are considered too informal when used at the start of a sentence.

• Also , a second round of testing was carried out.

To fix this issue, we can either move the transition word to a different point in the sentence or use a more formal alternative.

• A second round of testing was also carried out.
• Additionally , a second round of testing was carried out.

Transition words creating sentence fragments

Words like “although” and “because” are called subordinating conjunctions . This means that they introduce clauses which cannot stand on their own. A clause introduced by one of these words should always follow or be followed by another clause in the same sentence.

The second sentence in this example is a fragment, because it consists only of the “although” clause.

• Smith (2015) argues that the period should be reassessed. Although other researchers disagree.

We can fix this in two different ways. One option is to combine the two sentences into one using a comma. The other option is to use a different transition word that does not create this problem, like “however.”

• Smith (2015) argues that the period should be reassessed, although other researchers disagree.
• Smith (2015) argues that the period should be reassessed. However , other researchers disagree.

And vs. as well as

Students often use the phrase “ as well as ” in place of “and,” but its usage is slightly different. Using “and” suggests that the things you’re listing are of equal importance, while “as well as” introduces additional information that is less important.

• Chapter 1 discusses some background information on Woolf, as well as presenting my analysis of To the Lighthouse .

In this example, the analysis is more important than the background information. To fix this mistake, we can use “and,” or we can change the order of the sentence so that the most important information comes first. Note that we add a comma before “as well as” but not before “and.”

• Chapter 1 discusses some background information on Woolf and presents my analysis of To the Lighthouse .
• Chapter 1 presents my analysis of To the Lighthouse , as well as discussing some background information on Woolf.

Note that in fixed phrases like “both x and y ,” you must use “and,” not “as well as.”

• Both my results as well as my interpretations are presented below.
• Both my results and my interpretations are presented below.

Use of and/or

The combination of transition words “and/or” should generally be avoided in academic writing. It makes your text look messy and is usually unnecessary to your meaning.

First consider whether you really do mean “and/or” and not just “and” or “or.” If you are certain that you need both, it’s best to separate them to make your meaning as clear as possible.

• Participants were asked whether they used the bus and/or the train.
• Participants were asked whether they used the bus, the train, or both.

Archaic transition words

Words like “hereby,” “therewith,” and most others formed by the combination of “here,” “there,” or “where” with a preposition are typically avoided in modern academic writing. Using them makes your writing feel old-fashioned and strained and can sometimes obscure your meaning.

• Poverty is best understood as a disease. Hereby , we not only see that it is hereditary, but acknowledge its devastating effects on a person’s health.

These words should usually be replaced with a more explicit phrasing expressing how the current statement relates to the preceding one.

• Poverty is best understood as a disease. Understanding it as such , we not only see that it is hereditary, but also acknowledge its devastating effects on a person’s health.

Using a paraphrasing tool for clear writing

With the use of certain tools, you can make your writing clear. One of these tools is a paraphrasing tool . One thing the tool does is help your sentences make more sense. It has different modes where it checks how your text can be improved. For example, automatically adding transition words where needed.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or writing rules make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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What Is Another Way to Say “Firstly, Secondly, Thirdly”?

May 4, 2023

Kahlan House

It is important to use transitional words to keep your writing clear and easy to read. But are the adverbs firstly, secondly, thirdly appropriate for formal and professional writing?

In this article, we’ll discuss when you can use these adverbs. Moreover, we’ll show you what to write instead of firstly, secondly, thirdly to keep your documents diverse.

12 Alternative Ways to Say “Firstly, Secondly, Thirdly”

Below, you’ll find 12 other ways to say firstly, secondly, thirdly in your writing:

• One reason is
• In addition
• Furthermore
• The final reason is

1. To Begin

If you are setting out a series of actions in your paper, you can start with the phrase to begin . This is a more specific alternative to firstly since it refers to the start of a series of events or actions.

See how we’ve used this phrase in an example:

To begin , we delivered a survey to 15 participants. Then, we recorded their responses in a database. Finally, we developed an algorithm based on this data.

2. Primarily

The word primarily literally means “mainly” or “for the most part.” Therefore, you can use this term to set out your points in order of pertinence, beginning with the most important one.

This is distinct from firstly, secondly, thirdly , which places no clear emphasis on any three of the points set out.

Have a look at the example below:

Primarily , Professor Merkle expressed concern at the similarities between Tate’s rhetoric and the confessions of those inmates she had interviewed over the years. Furthermore, the professor pointed to the violent phraseology Tate often employed. Lastly, she issued a warning that rhetoric of this nature, if left unchecked, could spur a dangerous cultural shift towards hegemonic masculinity.

3. One Reason Is

One reason is is a great way to start a detailed explanation of a particular phenomenon.

This makes it a great phrase in an academic paper or a work memorandum , as it allows you to make a statement and then provide evidence in an organized way.

For example:

In recent times, we have seen a notable decline in our shrew populations. One reason is the unprecedented boom in tawny owl populations in the area. Moreover, modern farming practices have rapidly impacted insect populations, which make up the shrew’s main diet. Finally, and perhaps most surprisingly, wildlife biologists have suggested that noise pollution has a direct impact on the heart rate and overall health of shrews, rodents, and even birds.

4. In Addition

You can use in addition to add another point at any time in your writing. This phrase can replace secondly, thirdly, fourthly, fifthly , or anything following your initial point. This makes it a highly diverse adverb .

Let’s see it in an example:

Primarily, Baldwin was known for his earlier novels and collections of essays. In addition , he was a prolific activist during the civil rights struggle in America. Later, he would publish a series of autobiographical pieces.

You can use next when you are describing a series of events or actions . Like the phrase above, this term is highly diverse and can replace any adverb after your introductory point.

To see this term in action, have a look at the following example:

First, they create classifications between people. Next , they use symbols to identify people according to these supposed categories. Then, the discrimination begins.

6. Moreover

Moreover essentially means the same thing as in addition . Thus, it is used to add a further point at any stage in a discussion or description .

As such, it can replace secondly, thirdly, fourthly, or any other adverb following your introductory statement.

For instance:

One reason is that these materials are inherently unstable. Moreover , there are a plethora of more predictable products on the market. Finally, the cost of repairing any damages from this instability is greater than the decreased initial cost of purchasing the more unstable materials.

You can use then at any stage after your initial point, especially if you are describing a series of actions or events taking place in chronological order .

See the example below:

To begin, we collected mushrooms from the local area. Then , we studied each of our samples under a microscope. Finally, we concluded that they were just normal mushrooms and were unlikely to cause a pandemic like that in The Last of Us .

8. Furthermore

Furthermore is another useful transitional word that you can use to add further points to a description or discussion .

This term is as diverse as moreover and can replace any adverb after firstly .

Check out the example below:

To begin, the goldfish showed no signs of distress or curiosity upon being placed in a larger tank. In addition, it tended to occupy a small corner of the tank no larger than the bowl we found it in. Furthermore , the increased tank size appeared to pose somewhat of a danger since the goldfish appeared to have a harder time finding the food we sprinkled into the tank.

You can use the term later when you are setting out how an event took place in chronological order . This phrase can replace any of the adverbs following your initial point since there is no limit to when, exactly, “later” is.

To begin, we filled several bottles with cola. Then, we added the popping candy. Later , we returned to the scene to find what can only be described as criminal property damage.

10. The Final Reason Is

The final reason is is a great way to conclude a series of explanations about a certain observable phenomenon.

As the wording of this phrase suggests, it should only be used at the end of your series of points, as it would not make sense to add any additional information after it.

Consider this example:

One reason is the evident overlap between people who report maladaptive daydreaming and those who report enjoyment of reading. In addition, many readers experience immersion into the worlds of the novels they read. The final reason is a tendency for normal people to equate normal daydreaming with that of a maladaptive nature.

11. Finally

You can end off a series of points with the term finally . Depending on the number of points you include all together, it will generally replace thirdly, fourthly, fifthly, or any adverb thereafter.

To begin, we attached a small camera to a domesticated cat. Next, we observed the cat’s comings and goings on a small monitor. Finally, we found the area where the feline was hiding its kittens and several unfortunate pigeons.

Lastly is essentially a synonym for finally and you can use either of these phrases interchangeably . Therefore, you can use this phrase to close off a series of points.

Firstly, we had no access to the client’s files due to a software issue. Secondly, the client was unable to speak to us directly due to their health. Lastly, the client’s representatives were newly appointed; his previous ones had retired.

Is It Correct to Say “Firstly, Secondly, Thirdly”?

It is perfectly correct to connect sentences and paragraphs in your writing with firstly, secondly, thirdly . These ordinal adverbs are useful for work documents or instructions . They are also frequently used in academic writing for ease of reading in a thesis or essay.

However, some expert writers consider these phrases unnecessary. Others prefer that these adverbs are written as first, second, third without the “ly” suffix. It is also suitable to start your list with the first and then proceed with secondly and thirdly thereafter.

Essentially, whether you use these phrases is a matter of personal style and often depends on your intended audience .

Below, we’ve drafted three examples illustrating how you can use firstly, secondly, thirdly and the variation first, second, third in your writing:

Firstly , clients have expressed disdain for promotional emails in our surveys. Secondly , research shows that only 12% of recipients read promotional emails. Thirdly , our company has received more returning clients from alternative marketing measures.

First , we will design a website that exhibits the brand’s unique color scheme. Second , we will update and import content from the client’s old website. Third , we will hire content writers to produce new material based on the client’s current business structure.

First , we asked our participants a series of personal questions about their home lives. Secondly , we recorded and categorized these responses. Thirdly , we categorized our participants based on similarities between their answers.

Although the adverbs firstly, secondly, thirdly are a suitable way to connect points or sentences in academic and professional writing, they are a tad standardized.

Therefore, to mix up your writing and avoid repetition, you can try some of our alternative terms.

Related posts:

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• What Is Another Way to Say “Happy to Be Part of the Team”?
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• What Is Another Way to Say “Well Noted”?
• What Is Another Way to Say “Excited to Join the Team”?
• What Is Another Way to Say “Thanks for the Reminder”?

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Words to Use in an Essay: 300 Essay Words

By Hannah Yang

Table of Contents

Words to use in the essay introduction, words to use in the body of the essay, words to use in your essay conclusion, how to improve your essay writing vocabulary.

It’s not easy to write an academic essay .

Many students struggle to word their arguments in a logical and concise way.

To make matters worse, academic essays need to adhere to a certain level of formality, so we can’t always use the same word choices in essay writing that we would use in daily life.

If you’re struggling to choose the right words for your essay, don’t worry—you’ve come to the right place!

In this article, we’ve compiled a list of over 300 words and phrases to use in the introduction, body, and conclusion of your essay.

The introduction is one of the hardest parts of an essay to write.

You have only one chance to make a first impression, and you want to hook your reader. If the introduction isn’t effective, the reader might not even bother to read the rest of the essay.

That’s why it’s important to be thoughtful and deliberate with the words you choose at the beginning of your essay.

Many students use a quote in the introductory paragraph to establish credibility and set the tone for the rest of the essay.

When you’re referencing another author or speaker, try using some of these phrases:

To use the words of X

According to X

As X states

Example: To use the words of Hillary Clinton, “You cannot have maternal health without reproductive health.”

Near the end of the introduction, you should state the thesis to explain the central point of your paper.

If you’re not sure how to introduce your thesis, try using some of these phrases:

In this essay, I will…

The purpose of this essay…

This essay discusses…

In this paper, I put forward the claim that…

There are three main arguments for…

Example: In this essay, I will explain why dress codes in public schools are detrimental to students.

After you’ve stated your thesis, it’s time to start presenting the arguments you’ll use to back up that central idea.

When you’re introducing the first of a series of arguments, you can use the following words:

First and foremost

First of all

To begin with

Example: First , consider the effects that this new social security policy would have on low-income taxpayers.

All these words and phrases will help you create a more successful introduction and convince your audience to read on.

The body of your essay is where you’ll explain your core arguments and present your evidence.

It’s important to choose words and phrases for the body of your essay that will help the reader understand your position and convince them you’ve done your research.

Let’s look at some different types of words and phrases that you can use in the body of your essay, as well as some examples of what these words look like in a sentence.

Transition Words and Phrases

Transitioning from one argument to another is crucial for a good essay.

It’s important to guide your reader from one idea to the next so they don’t get lost or feel like you’re jumping around at random.

Transition phrases and linking words show your reader you’re about to move from one argument to the next, smoothing out their reading experience. They also make your writing look more professional.

The simplest transition involves moving from one idea to a separate one that supports the same overall argument. Try using these phrases when you want to introduce a second correlating idea:

Additionally

In addition

Furthermore

Another key thing to remember

In the same way

Correspondingly

Example: Additionally , public parks increase property value because home buyers prefer houses that are located close to green, open spaces.

Another type of transition involves restating. It’s often useful to restate complex ideas in simpler terms to help the reader digest them. When you’re restating an idea, you can use the following words:

In other words

To put it another way

That is to say

To put it more simply

Example: “The research showed that 53% of students surveyed expressed a mild or strong preference for more on-campus housing. In other words , over half the students wanted more dormitory options.”

Often, you’ll need to provide examples to illustrate your point more clearly for the reader. When you’re about to give an example of something you just said, you can use the following words:

For instance

To give an illustration of

To exemplify

To demonstrate

As evidence

Example: Humans have long tried to exert control over our natural environment. For instance , engineers reversed the Chicago River in 1900, causing it to permanently flow backward.

Sometimes, you’ll need to explain the impact or consequence of something you’ve just said.

When you’re drawing a conclusion from evidence you’ve presented, try using the following words:

As a result

Accordingly

As you can see

This suggests that

It follows that

It can be seen that

For this reason

For all of those reasons

Consequently

Example: “There wasn’t enough government funding to support the rest of the physics experiment. Thus , the team was forced to shut down their experiment in 1996.”

When introducing an idea that bolsters one you’ve already stated, or adds another important aspect to that same argument, you can use the following words:

What’s more

Not only…but also

Not to mention

To say nothing of

Another key point

Example: The volcanic eruption disrupted hundreds of thousands of people. Moreover , it impacted the local flora and fauna as well, causing nearly a hundred species to go extinct.

Often, you'll want to present two sides of the same argument. When you need to compare and contrast ideas, you can use the following words:

On the one hand / on the other hand

Alternatively

In contrast to

On the contrary

By contrast

In comparison

Example: On the one hand , the Black Death was undoubtedly a tragedy because it killed millions of Europeans. On the other hand , it created better living conditions for the peasants who survived.

Finally, when you’re introducing a new angle that contradicts your previous idea, you can use the following phrases:

Having said that

Differing from

In spite of

With this in mind

Provided that

Nevertheless

Nonetheless

Notwithstanding

Example: Shakespearean plays are classic works of literature that have stood the test of time. Having said that , I would argue that Shakespeare isn’t the most accessible form of literature to teach students in the twenty-first century.

Good essays include multiple types of logic. You can use a combination of the transitions above to create a strong, clear structure throughout the body of your essay.

Strong Verbs for Academic Writing

Verbs are especially important for writing clear essays. Often, you can convey a nuanced meaning simply by choosing the right verb.

You should use strong verbs that are precise and dynamic. Whenever possible, you should use an unambiguous verb, rather than a generic verb.

For example, alter and fluctuate are stronger verbs than change , because they give the reader more descriptive detail.

Here are some useful verbs that will help make your essay shine.

Verbs that show change:

Accommodate

Verbs that relate to causing or impacting something:

Verbs that show increase:

Verbs that show decrease:

Deteriorate

Verbs that relate to parts of a whole:

Comprises of

Is composed of

Constitutes

Encompasses

Incorporates

Verbs that show a negative stance:

Misconstrue

Verbs that show a positive stance:

Substantiate

Verbs that relate to drawing conclusions from evidence:

Corroborate

Demonstrate

Verbs that relate to thinking and analysis:

Contemplate

Hypothesize

Investigate

Verbs that relate to showing information in a visual format:

Useful Adjectives and Adverbs for Academic Essays

You should use adjectives and adverbs more sparingly than verbs when writing essays, since they sometimes add unnecessary fluff to sentences.

However, choosing the right adjectives and adverbs can help add detail and sophistication to your essay.

Sometimes you'll need to use an adjective to show that a finding or argument is useful and should be taken seriously. Here are some adjectives that create positive emphasis:

Significant

Other times, you'll need to use an adjective to show that a finding or argument is harmful or ineffective. Here are some adjectives that create a negative emphasis:

Controversial

Insignificant

Questionable

Unnecessary

Unrealistic

Finally, you might need to use an adverb to lend nuance to a sentence, or to express a specific degree of certainty. Here are some examples of adverbs that are often used in essays:

Comprehensively

Exhaustively

Extensively

Respectively

Surprisingly

Using these words will help you successfully convey the key points you want to express. Once you’ve nailed the body of your essay, it’s time to move on to the conclusion.

The conclusion of your paper is important for synthesizing the arguments you’ve laid out and restating your thesis.

In your concluding paragraph, try using some of these essay words:

In conclusion

To summarize

In a nutshell

Given the above

As described

All things considered

Example: In conclusion , it’s imperative that we take action to address climate change before we lose our coral reefs forever.

In addition to simply summarizing the key points from the body of your essay, you should also add some final takeaways. Give the reader your final opinion and a bit of a food for thought.

To place emphasis on a certain point or a key fact, use these essay words:

Unquestionably

Undoubtedly

Particularly

Importantly

Conclusively

It should be noted

On the whole

Example: Ada Lovelace is unquestionably a powerful role model for young girls around the world, and more of our public school curricula should include her as a historical figure.

These concluding phrases will help you finish writing your essay in a strong, confident way.

There are many useful essay words out there that we didn't include in this article, because they are specific to certain topics.

If you're writing about biology, for example, you will need to use different terminology than if you're writing about literature.

So how do you improve your vocabulary skills?

The vocabulary you use in your academic writing is a toolkit you can build up over time, as long as you take the time to learn new words.

One way to increase your vocabulary is by looking up words you don’t know when you’re reading.

Try reading more books and academic articles in the field you’re writing about and jotting down all the new words you find. You can use these words to bolster your own essays.

You can also consult a dictionary or a thesaurus. When you’re using a word you’re not confident about, researching its meaning and common synonyms can help you make sure it belongs in your essay.

Don't be afraid of using simpler words. Good essay writing boils down to choosing the best word to convey what you need to say, not the fanciest word possible.

Finally, you can use ProWritingAid’s synonym tool or essay checker to find more precise and sophisticated vocabulary. Click on weak words in your essay to find stronger alternatives.

There you have it: our compilation of the best words and phrases to use in your next essay . Good luck!

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Hannah Yang

Hannah Yang is a speculative fiction writer who writes about all things strange and surreal. Her work has appeared in Analog Science Fiction, Apex Magazine, The Dark, and elsewhere, and two of her stories have been finalists for the Locus Award. Her favorite hobbies include watercolor painting, playing guitar, and rock climbing. You can follow her work on hannahyang.com, or subscribe to her newsletter for publication updates.

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190 Good Transition Words for Essays

August 23, 2023

Essay writing consists of two primary procedures: coming up with the content we want to include and structuring that content. These procedures might take place in either order or they could occur simultaneously. When writing an essay it is important to think about the ways that content and structure complement one another. The best essays join these two elements in thoughtful ways. Transition words for essays (including for college essays) are some of our most primary tools when it comes to structuring a piece of writing.

When beginning an essay it is often recommended to begin with a messy first draft. The purpose of this draft is to get everything out on the page. You should put down as many ideas and trajectories as you can without worrying too much about phrasing or whether they will make it into the final draft. The key here is to be loose—to get ahead of our self-editors and expel everything we can from our minds.

List of Good Transition Words for Essays (Continued)

While this is a good strategy for beginning an essay it will likely leave you unsure how everything fits together. This is where transition words come in. As you will see in this list (which is necessarily incomplete) the range of transition words for essays is vast. Each transition word implies a different relation, often in subtle ways. After accumulating content, the next step is to figure out how the elements fit together towards an overall goal (this could be but is not necessarily an “argument”). Consulting this list of transition words for essays can provide a shortcut for determining how one piece might lead into another. Along with transition words, rhetorical devices and literary devices are other tools to consider during this stage of essay writing.

Transition Words for College Essays

While this list will be a useful tool for all types of essay writing it will be particularly helpful when it comes to finding the right transition words for college essays . The goal of a college essay is to give a strong overall sense of its author in the tight space of 650 words. As you might imagine, it’s not easy to encompass a life or convey a complex personality in such a space. When writing a college essay you are working with a huge amount of potential content. Students often want to squeeze in as much as they can. To this end, transition words for college essays are essential tools to have at our disposal.

Here is our list of transition words for college essays and other essays. It is organized by the different types of transition words/phrases and their functions. While this organization should be convenient, keep in mind that there’s plenty of overlap. Many of these words can function in multiple ways.

1) Additive Transitions

These words function in an additive manner, accumulating content to build upon what has already been stated. They can be used to construct an argument or establish a scene through the accumulation of details.

• Additionally
• In addition to
• Furthermore
• Not to mention
• In all honesty
• To tell the truth
• Not only…but also
• As a matter of fact
• To say nothing of
• What’s more
• Alternatively
• To go a step further

 2) Comparative Transitions (Similarity)

  These transition words draw a parallel or bring out a similarity between images or ideas. They can be used not only in a straightforward sense but also to establish relations of similarity between objects or ideas that might appear to be dissonant.

• In the same way
• In a similar vein
• Along the lines of
• In the key of

 3) Comparative Transitions (Difference)

  While also functioning comparatively, the following words demonstrate difference between ideas or images. These transition words are useful when it comes to establishing contrasting points of view, an important component of any argument.

• On the other hand
• On the contrary
• In contrast to
• In contradiction
• Nevertheless
• Nonetheless
• In any event
• In any case
• In either event

4) Sequential Transitions

  The following are particularly effective transition words for college essays. They will allow you to order ideas chronologically or in a sequence, providing a sense of continuity over time. This is particularly useful when an essay leans into something more creative or involves telling a story.

• Subsequently
• At the same time
• Concurrently
• In the beginning
• At the start
• At the outset
• Off the bat

5) Spatial Transitions

Rather than organizing ideas or images in regards to sequence, these transitions indicate spatial relationships. They are particularly useful when it comes to painting a scene and/or describing objects, but they can also be used metaphorically. Consider, for example, how you might use the transition, “standing in […’s] shadow.”

• Standing in […’s] shadow
• In front of
• In the middle
• In the center
• To the left
• To the right
• On the side
• Adjacent to
• Around the bend
• On the outskirts
• In the distance
• On the horizon
• In the foreground
• In the background
• Underground
• Through the grapevine

 6) Causal Transitions

These transition words for essays indicate cause and effect relationships between ideas. They will be particularly useful when you are structuring a logical argument, i.e. using logos as a mode of persuasion . Causal transitions are an important element of academic, legal and scientific writing.

• Accordingly
• Resultingly
• As a result
• Consequently
• In consequence
• As a consequence
• For this reason
• So much that
• Granting that
• That being the case
• Under those circumstances
• With this in mind
• For the purpose of
• For all intents and purposes
• In the event that
• In the event of
• In light of
• On the condition that
• To the extent that

7) Examples/Illustration/Supporting Transition

  These transition words for college essays can be used to introduce supporting evidence, emphasis, examples, and clarification. There is some overlap here with additive transitions and causal transitions. These transitions are also useful when it comes to building an argument. At the same time, they can signal a shift into a different linguistic register.

• For example
• For instance
• In other words
• As an illustration
• To illustrate
• To put it differently
• To put it another way
• That is to say
• As the evidence illustrates
• It’s important to realize
• It’s important to understand
• It must be remembered
• To demonstrate
• For clarity’s sake
• To emphasize
• To put it plainly
• To enumerate
• To speak metaphorically

8) Conclusory Transitions

These transition words for essays serve to bring an idea or story to a close. They offer a clear way of signaling the conclusion of a particular train of thought. They might be followed by a summary or a restatement of an essay’s argument. In this way they also provide emphasis, setting the reader up for what is about to come.

• In conclusion
• To summarize
• To put it succinctly
• To this end
• At the end of the day
• In the final analysis
• By and large
• On second thought
• On first glance
• That’s all to say
• On the whole
• All things considered
• Generally speaking

List of Good Transition Words for Essays (Final Thoughts)

Even when elements appear to be disparate on first glance, transition words are a great tool for giving your essay a smooth flow. They can also create surprising juxtapositions, relationships, and equivalences. The way a reader will understand a transition word depends on the context in which they encounter it.

Individual words and phrases can be used in a wide variety of ways, ranging from the literal to the figurative to the colloquial or idiomatic. “Through the grapevine” is an example of the colloquial or idiomatic. When we encounter this phrase we don’t interpret it literally (as hearing something “through” a grapevine) but rather as hearing news secondhand. There are, of course, a vast number of idioms that are not included in this list but can also function as transitional phrases.

This list of transition words for college essays (and really any form of writing you might be working on) is a resource that you can return to again and again in your life as a writer. Over years of writing we tend to fall into patterns when it comes to the transition words we use. Mixing things up can be exciting both as a writer and for your readers. Even if you don’t choose to stray from your trusted transitions, considering the alternatives (and why they don’t work for you) can offer a deeper understanding of what you are trying to say.

List of Good Transition Words for Essays (An Exercise)

As an exercise in self-understanding, you may want to try highlighting all of the transition words in a piece of your own writing. You can then compare this to the transition words in a piece of writing that you admire. Are they using similar transitions or others? Are they using them more or less often? What do you like or dislike about them? We all use transition words differently, creating different tonal effects. Keeping an eye out for them, not only as a writer but also as a reader, will help you develop your own aesthetic.

• College Essay

Emmett Lewis

Emmett holds a BA in Philosophy from Vassar College and is currently completing an MFA in Writing at Columbia University. Previously, he served as a writing instructor within the Columbia Artists/Teachers community as well as a Creative Writing Teaching Fellow at Columbia, where he taught poetry workshops. In addition, Emmett is a member of the Poetry Board at the Columbia Journal , and his work has been published in HAD , Otoliths , and Some Kind of Opening , among others.

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After my daughter beat cancer, I wanted to control her entire life. Then she went to college

By the time I moved my daughter into her freshman dorm last August, she’d had it with my “helping.” We stood in the tiny space cluttered with labeled boxes, bedding, an ottoman and a totally impractical but everyone-has-one headboard. 

“Let me hang up your pictures,” I said. “No, I’m good,” she protested. When I reached for the nails, she pushed back harder. “You don’t get it. I don’t want your help.” 

I chalked up her reaction to nerves — hers and mine. We look alike, talk alike and think alike. This may be our superpower, but it is also our kryptonite. Miscommunication defines a lot of our back and forth, and passive-aggressive behavior (hers and mine) runs amuck. A slammed car door — or, this time, the hammer tossed back into a box — tells me all I need to know.

In hindsight, Emily’s frustration was justified. For over a decade, I’d made an occupation out of helping her. Guilt and desperation can make a mother “do too much.” (Her words, not mine.) 

Emily had high-risk cancer when she was 4. Her odds of survival were 50/50. We spent more than 300 nights in Boston Children’s Hospital staring at the infamous Citgo sign and trudging through a protocol of care that threatened to kill her before the cancer did. We were lucky. She lived, but a lot of kids like her die.   

The treatment left her legally deaf and damaged her endocrine system, kidneys, height and fertility. Still, the only thing she hated more than hair that refused to grow back was the way I showed up to fix all of her problems. 

For the next fourteen years, I convinced myself it was my responsibility to keep her alive. After all, I was the one who’d shrugged off her knee pain (a softball-sized tumor rested on her left adrenal gland and caused pressure) as growing pains. Doctors dismissed my self-blame, assuring me there was nothing I could’ve done, but I didn’t let myself off the hook so easily. My one job was to keep her safe, and I’d failed.  

Now, on this, my second-chance at mothering her, I needed to up my game. Every decision felt urgent and monumental. 

Cancer recovery books made me paranoid, so I overhauled her diet, replacing SpaghettiOs with chickpea pasta and organic tomato sauce. “This is awful,” she said, and refused to eat it. In middle school, she stashed empty Dorito wrappers in her dresser drawer and backpack. Her pushback was in gestures, not in words. Popping a red frosting flower into her mouth knowing red dye made me cringe amused her.

If mother-daughter relationships can be complicated, our tangled mess of emotion and trauma took complicated to a new level. No one told me the best way to mother a kid who’d had cancer. I did my best every day. It was too much and never enough. 

My post-cancer fallout duties included things like picking up prescriptions, making school accommodations, handling health insurance disputes, scheduling medical appointments, and finding a therapist for a teenager who didn’t want therapy. Yet I was also responsible for normal-mom things like not letting her quit soccer or a job she hated, caring for her sister, and holding firm to a curfew time. 

I was the caregiver, bad cop, pseudo-doctor, education advocate, phone location lurker, and on-call nurse while side-hustling as her mother. She resented all of it. In turn, I resented her lack of appreciation for everything I did. I said things I didn’t mean. She did, too. 

On my way home from freshman drop-off , I wondered if we’d ever talk or text. Emily held the power on everything now — her health choices, social life, nutrition. And, her engagement with me. 

I thought I’d be terrified. Instead, I felt relief. 

The proverbial gun to my head for the past 14 years rested on the car dashboard. I could see it but no longer felt threatened by it. My guess is Emily felt similar but different. Maybe more like a caged bird being set free. 

In the passenger seat flying along the highway, I scrolled my Facebook feed and felt weird for not sobbing like fellow moms, heartbroken that their baby had left the nest . For days, I waited for that feeling to come. 

Instead, something miraculous happened. 

Little by little, day by day, the best part of me — the part that had been buried under the unrealistic expectations of mothering a sick kid for 14 years — perked up. Just a little at first, in the form of a good morning mood and a pot of coffee I didn’t need to save a cup of for Emily. 

Not having direct access to Emily forced me to surrender the details of her day to her. Decisions that had always struck me as high-stakes were, to her, just part of life. I didn’t feel the need to call and make sure she took her medicines. And I knew if I did, she’d get aggravated at the implication I didn’t trust or believe she was capable of taking care of herself. 

For weeks, I didn’t completely trust the feeling of freedom. Allowing Emily to take care of herself felt reckless, irresponsible. Did normal parents feel like this? Or just cancer parents?

It didn’t matter. I shifted my focus to little pleasures that for years, I’d been too overwhelmed and distracted to enjoy. I replaced headspace about what I’d make her for dinner, or if she had enough gas in her car with debating what Netflix series I wanted to watch. 

My softening made room for me to really get to know Emily — a funny kid who can always justify buying another crop top. And Emily got to know me too — a woman with good intentions who’d made a lot of mistakes because I’m human. I could be “just” her mom. She could be “just” my daughter. 

Every day at school, Emily called, texted or FaceTimed me. I thought she’d stop after finding her place at school, but she didn’t. I felt special, loved, forgiven. If my mood was off, I’d wait to connect. She did the same thing. The time allowed one of us to let a mood pass — one that had nothing to do with the other — but had the potential to trigger us. 

Our talks were light, lacking the tension that defined so many talks of before. She amused me with tales about weekend jaunts around campus and her lack of willpower to pass up dining hall pizza. “It just calls to me every night,” she joked. Our running joke was if she’d break down and hang something on her bare dorm room walls. “It bothers you so much more than it bothers me,” she said.  

Emily shared one of her Spotify playlists (who knew she loved Stevie Nicks? ), and texted me in real time while we watched Joey on “The Bachelor.” It turns out, the space apart had brought us closer together. 

We were able to nurture our relationship outside of cancer, chronic health issues, mother control tendencies, and teenage nonsense (yes, even kids with medical conditions pull shenanigans). 

Most days, I wish for a do-over. A chance to tell my younger self to resist so much helping and fixing because nothing, especially Emily, is broken. But maybe realizations like that only come with time and space and hard-earned experience. And maybe where we are now is at least in part thanks to who I was then?

Most days, I wish for a do-over. A chance to tell my younger self to resist so much helping and fixing because nothing, especially Emily, is broken.

This summer is different than last. Emily does her thing, and I do mine. I don’t lurk on our shared location app anymore. We take day trips and go shopping together. She asks me to buy organic fruit and vegetables for the big salads she makes for dinner. 

Sometimes we hit bumps — like the way she tosses dishes into the dishwasher — but we bounce back after her text to me: sooooorrrrryyyyyy. 

I love when she’s home. And, I love when she goes back to school. I think the feeling is mutual. 

With the start of school just about here, I remind her to order her dorm essentials soon. “Yup,” she says as she heads to her bedroom. “I think this year, I’ll hang up pictures.”

Amy McHugh is a teacher and writer living on Cape Cod. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Oprah Daily, Newsweek and HuffPost, among others. She's currently working on her memoir, "Permission to Be Human." Find her online at  www.amymchughwriter.com  or on Twitter at  @AmyMcHughWriter .

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US voters say they’re ready for a woman president − but sexist attitudes still go along with opposition to Harris

PhD researcher, Political Science, UMass Amherst

Associate Professor, Political Science, UMass Amherst

Provost Professor of Political Science and Director of the UMass Amherst Poll, UMass Amherst

Disclosure statement

Jesse Rhodes receives funding from the National Science Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, and Demos.

Adam Eichen and Tatishe Nteta do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

UMass Amherst provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation US.

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Since President Joe Biden exited the presidential race on July 21, 2024, and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee, Harris’ campaign has generated widespread enthusiasm and attention. She quickly became the official Democratic presidential nominee and erased Donald Trump’s lead over Biden in national and swing-state polling.

Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, have also drawn tens of thousands of supporters to their recent rallies in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona and Nevada.

Although things could change dramatically over the next two-plus months, there is a real possibility that the United States may finally elect its first female president.

But in polling that we conducted in August 2024, after Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee, we found that sexism is still a powerful force in American politics.

Hope and change?

Yes, the scars of the 2016 campaign – in which sexism played a key role in Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s defeat by Trump – are still fresh for Democrats. But many hope that America has changed and has become more accepting of women in leadership roles.

Harris’ gender, this argument goes, won’t be a significant deterrent for voters.

On the surface, our recent nationally representative survey of 1,000 American adults supports this, with 51% of Americans agreeing with the statement: “America is ready for its first African American female president.” Only 23% of Americans disagreed.

Even so, some Republicans appear to think they can win by making gender an issue in the campaign. This is apparent in the sexist rhetoric that Trump and other Republicans are using when talking about Harris.

Trump, who has a history of making sexist statements, asserted that foreign leaders would regard Harris as a “play toy,” referred to her as unintelligent , and is now commenting on her appearance. Both The Associated Press and The New York Times have reported – based on unnamed sources – that Trump has also called Harris a “bitch” in private, although Trump’s spokesman denied he used that term.

In a similar sexist vein, Trump allies have attempted to turn Harris’ past romantic relationships into campaign issues, with one conservative commentator on Fox Business News crudely labeling Harris the “ original hawk tuah girl ,” an obscene sexual reference.

Will such attempts to exploit sexism as an electoral strategy backfire ? Or, after all these years, might it still be out of reach for a woman to overcome sexist stereotypes and win the highest office in the United States?

Understanding the importance of sexism

We are political scientists who study the role of identity in American politics and who conduct polls that explore Americans’ views on gender and the extent to which sexism still pervades the nation.

We conducted two national polls this year – one in January 2024 when Biden was still in the race, and the other in August 2024, after Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee. For each poll, we surveyed 1,000 American adults 18 and older and asked about their thoughts on the election, their policy views and their attitudes toward various groups in society.

With the change at the top of the Democratic ticket, we can better assess the impact of sexism on vote choice in the presidential election by comparing the results from January, when the race featured two male candidates, with August, when Harris entered the race.

In both surveys, we first asked respondents which candidate they would vote for if the presidential election were held today.

To measure sexism, we then asked respondents whether they agreed or disagreed with a series of three statements that express prejudice, resentment and animus toward women, or what political scientists call “ hostile sexism .” The statements in the “hostile sexism” battery are: “Women seek to gain power by getting control over men”; “Women are too easily offended”; and “Women exaggerate problems they have at work.” Greater agreement with these statements indicated more sexist views.

We also measured respondents’ demographics – including age, gender, race, education and income – their political attitudes and identities, and their racial views.

Sexism mattered, even when Biden was in the race

Due in part to Trump’s sexist rhetoric throughout his campaigns and presidency, sexist attitudes have become closely linked with whom individuals support for president . On average, more sexist individuals have tended to prefer Republican candidates in recent elections.

Thus, even in our January poll when Biden was the Democratic nominee, sexism was strongly correlated with support for Trump. When we examined a head-to-head matchup between Biden and Trump, the more individuals agreed with the statements measuring hostile sexism, the more likely they were to prefer Trump over Biden.

Of those who most strongly disagreed with the statements measuring hostile sexism, 73% supported Biden, while approximately two-thirds of those scoring highest on the sexism scale supported Trump.

Taking into consideration other factors that influence support for Biden – partisanship, ideology, racial attitudes, education, economic views and so forth – we found that those with the least sexist views had an 83% chance of supporting Biden, while those with the most sexist views had a 17% chance of doing so.

With Harris, sexism matters more

If sexism depressed individuals’ support for Biden’s candidacy, does that mean Harris faces no additional penalty in terms of lost support for her candidacy? Hardly.

Hostile sexism, as we measured it, costs Harris votes.

While sexism mattered in January, it mattered more in August once Harris had taken over the Democratic ticket.

In a head-to-head matchup between Harris and Trump, 89% of those in the lowest third on the sexism scale – meaning those who disagreed most with the statements measuring hostile sexism – support Harris compared with 11% for Trump. On the other hand, only 18% of those scoring highest on sexism support Harris, versus 82% for Trump.

When we take into account other considerations that influence whether individuals prefer Harris or Trump, our findings are even more striking. The least sexist respondents have a 92% chance of saying they will vote for Harris. But the most sexist respondents have only a 4% chance of supporting her.

What this means is that, while sexist attitudes influenced individuals’ presidential preferences when Biden was the Democratic presidential nominee, they have a greater effect now that Harris is the Democratic candidate.

Without sexism

Since Harris seems to be narrowly leading Trump in the polls, why should we care about the influence of hostile sexism in the election?

To answer this question, imagine a world in which hostile sexism doesn’t influence attitudes toward presidential candidates who are women. Our findings imply that, in such a world, Harris’ lead over Trump might be larger. Put simply, hostile sexism is helping to make the election closer than it would otherwise be.

Sexism has long played a powerful role in influencing Americans’ voting behavior and attitudes toward political issues . This is especially so today, given the high political importance of gender-related issues such as abortion, contraception and LGBTQ+ rights.

Our analysis shows that people with negative attitudes toward women are much less likely to support Harris for president. Whether the Harris campaign can successfully navigate this reality is still to be determined.

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• Hillary Clinton
• Donald Trump
• Kamala Harris
• 2024 US presidential election

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Women Who Shaped History

A Smithsonian magazine special report

History | July 9, 2024

Meet Vivian Maier, the Reclusive Nanny Who Secretly Became One of the Best Street Photographers of the 20th Century

The self-taught artist is getting her first museum exhibition in New York City, where she nurtured her nascent interest in photography

Ellen Wexler

Assistant Editor, Humanities

Vivian Maier took more than 150,000 photographs as she scoured the streets of New York and Chicago. She rarely looked at them; often, she didn’t even develop the negatives. Without any formal training, she created a sprawling body of work that demonstrated a wholly original way of looking at the world. Today, she is considered one of the best street photographers of the 20th century.

Maier’s photos provide audiences with a tantalizing peek behind the curtain into a remarkable mind. But she never intended to have an audience. A nanny by trade, she rarely showed anyone her prints. In her final years, she stashed five decades of work in storage lockers, which she eventually stopped paying for. Their contents went to auction in 2007.

Many of Maier’s photos ended up with amateur historian John Maloof , who purchased 30,000 negatives for about $400. In the years that followed, he sought out other collectors who had purchased boxes from the same lockers. He didn’t learn the photographer’s identity until 2009, when he found her name scrawled on an envelope among the negatives. A quick Google search revealed that Maier had died just a few days earlier. Uncertain of how to proceed, Maloof started posting her images online.

“I guess my question is, what do I do with this stuff?” he wrote in a Flickr post . “Is this type of work worthy of exhibitions, a book? Or do bodies of work like this come up often? Any direction would be great.”

Maier quickly became a sensation. Everyone wanted to know about the recluse who had so adeptly captured 20th-century America. Her life and work have since been the subject of a best-selling book , a documentary and exhibitions around the world .

Now, the self-taught photographer is headlining her first major American retrospective. “ Vivian Maier: Unseen Work ,” which is currently on view at Fotografiska New York, features some 230 pieces from the 1950s through the 1990s, including black-and-white and color photos, vintage and modern prints, films, and sound recordings. The show is also billed as the first museum exhibition in Maier’s hometown, the city where she nurtured her nascent interest in photography.

Born in New York City in 1926, Maier grew up mostly in France, where she began experimenting with a Kodak Brownie , an affordable early camera designed for amateurs. After returning to New York in 1951, she purchased a Rolleiflex , a high-end camera held at the waist, and began developing her signature style: images of everyday life framed with a stark humor and intuitive understanding of human emotion. She started working as a governess, a role that allowed her to spend hours wandering the city, children in tow, as she snapped away.

She left New York about five years later, when she secured a job as a nanny for three boys—John, Lane and Matthew Gensburg—in the Chicago suburbs. The family was devoted to Maier, though they knew very little about her. The boys remember attending art films and picking wild strawberries as her charges, but they don’t recall her ever mentioning any family or friends. Their parents knew that Maier traveled—they would hire a replacement nanny in her absence—but they didn’t know where she went.

“You really wouldn’t ask her about it at all,” Nancy Gensburg, the boys’ mother, told Chicago magazine in 2010. “I mean, you could, but she was private. Period.”

Despite Maier’s reclusive tendencies, the Gensburgs knew about her photography. It would have been difficult to hide. After all, she lived with the family and had a private bathroom, which she used as a darkroom to develop black-and-white photos herself. The Gensburgs frequently witnessed her taking photos; on rare occasions, she even showed them her prints.

Maier stayed with the Gensburgs until the early 1970s, when the boys were too old for a nanny. She spent the next few decades working in other caretaking roles, though she doesn’t appear to have developed a similar relationship with these families, who viewed her as a competent caregiver with an eccentric personality. Most never saw her prints, though they do remember her moving into their homes with hundreds of boxes of photos in tow.

“I once saw her taking a picture inside a refuse can,” talk show host Phil Donahue, who employed Maier as a nanny for less than a year, told Chicago magazine. “I never remotely thought that what she was doing would have some special artistic value.”

Meanwhile, the Gensburgs kept in touch. As Maier grew older, they took care of her, eventually moving her to a nursing home. They never knew about the storage lockers. When she died at age 83, a short obituary appeared in the Chicago Tribune , describing her as a “second mother” to the three boys, a “free and kindred spirit,” and a “movie critic and photographer extraordinaire.”

Maier’s mysterious backstory is a large part of her present-day appeal. Fans are captivated by the photos, but they’re also intrigued by the reclusive nanny who developed her talents in secret. “Vivian Maier the mystery, the discovery and the work—those three parts together are difficult to separate,” Anne Morin, curator of the new exhibition, tells CNN .

The show is meant to focus on the work rather than the mystery. As Morin says to the Art Newspaper , she hopes to avoid “imposing an overexposed interpretation of her character.” Instead, the exhibition aims to elevate Maier’s name to the level of other famous street photographers—such as Robert Frank and Diane Arbus —and take on the daunting task of examining her large oeuvre.

“In ten years, we could do another completely different show,” Morin tells CNN. “She has more than enough material to bring to the table.”

The subjects of Maier’s street photos ran the gamut, but she often turned her lens toward “people on the margins of society who weren’t usually photographed and of whom images were rarely published,” per a statement from Fotografiska New York. The Gensburg boys recall her taking them all over the city, adamant that they witness what life was like beyond the confines of their affluent suburb.

The exhibition is organized thematically, with sections devoted to Maier’s famous street photos, her experimental abstract compositions and her stylized self-portraits. The self-portraits, which frequently incorporate mirrors and reflections, amplify her enigmatic qualities, usually showing her with a deadpan, focused expression. Her voice can be heard in numerous audio recordings, which play throughout the exhibition. As such, even as the show focuses on the work, Maier the person is still a frequent presence in it.

“The paradox of Vivian Maier is that the lifetime of anonymity that has captured the public imagination persists in the work,” writes art critic Arthur Lubow for the New York Times , adding, “An artist uses a camera as a tool of self-expression. Maier was a supremely gifted chameleon. After immersing myself in her work, other than detecting a certain wryness, I could not get much sense of her sensibility.”

The artist undoubtedly possessed a curiosity about her immediate surroundings, which she photographed with a “lack of self-consciousness,” Sophie Wright, the New York museum’s director, tells CNN. “There’s no audience in mind.” There is no evidence that Maier wondered about her viewers—or that she ever imagined having viewers in the first place. They, however, will never stop wondering about her.

“ Vivian Maier: Unseen Work ” is on view at Fotografiska New York through September 29.

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Ellen Wexler is Smithsonian magazine’s assistant digital editor, humanities.

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Intro.9.2.22 Gonzalez v. Trevino : Free Speech, Retaliation, First Amendment

The Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment prevents the government from unduly abridging the freedom of speech. 1 Footnote 3 1072"> U.S. Const. amend. I ( Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech . . . . ). The Supreme Court has held that some restrictions on speech are permissible. See Amdt1.7.5.1 Overview of Categorical Approach to Restricting Speech ; see also Amdt1.7. 3 .1 Overview of Content-Based and Content-Neutral Regulation of Speech . Though the Clause refers to Congress and making law, its prohibition extends beyond legislative acts to all branches and offices of government. 2 Footnote 3 107 3 "> See Miami Herald Pub’g Co. v. Tornillo , 418 U.S. 241 (1974) (observing that the Free Speech Clause applies to any government agency—local, state, or federal ) (quoting Pittsburgh Press Co. v. Pittsburgh Comm’n on Hum. Rels. , 41 3 U.S. 3 76, 400 (197 3 ) (Stewart, J., dissenting)). In particular, individuals may initiate legal proceedings against federal or state officials for violating their right to free speech. 3 " href="#ALDF_00031074"> 3 Footnote 3 1074"> An action brought against a federal official for violating constitutional rights is known as a Bivens action, after the Supreme Court case that established the right to file such an action. Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents , 40 3 U.S 3 88 (1971) . An individual may bring an action against a state official for violating constitutional rights under a federal civil rights statute known as Section 198 3 . 42 United States Code, Section 198 3 . For more information on these actions, see ArtIII.S2.C1.1 3 .4 Suits Against the United States and Sovereign Immunity . One basis for such a claim may be that an official took adverse action against the individual in response to the individual engaging in protected speech.

The Supreme Court has held that a plaintiff claiming to have suffered retaliation in violation of the Free Speech Clause must first demonstrate that the plaintiff engaged in constitutionally protected speech and such speech was a motivating factor behind the official’s adverse action. 4 Footnote 3 1075"> Mt. Healthy City Sch. Dist. Bd. Of Educ. v. Doyle , 429 U.S. 274, 287 (1977) . If the plaintiff demonstrates this, the official must show that it would have taken the same action absent the protected speech. 5 Footnote 3 1076"> Id. The Supreme Court has held that a plaintiff alleging retaliatory prosecution—that is, being charged with a crime in retaliation for speech—must also prove that their prosecution was not supported by probable cause, as required by the Fourth Amendment . 6 Footnote 3 1077"> Hartman v. Moore , 547 U.S. 250, 265–66 (2006) ; U.S. Const. amend. IV ( The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause . . . . ). In Nieves v. Bartlett , the Court recognized an exception to the probable cause rule, holding that a plaintiff alleging retaliatory arrest need not show a lack of probable cause if the plaintiff presents objective evidence that he was arrested when otherwise similarly situated individuals not engaged in the same sort of protected speech had not been. 7 Footnote 3 1078"> Nieves v. Bartlett , 587 U.S. 3 91, 406 (2019) .

In Gonzalez v. Trevino , the Court was asked to weigh in on the scope and application of the probable cause exception articulated in Nieves . Sylvia Gonzalez, a former city council member, organized a petition while in office to oust the city manager. 8 Footnote 3 1079"> Gonzalez v. City of Castle Hills , No. 5:20-CV-1151-DAE, 2021 WL 4046758, at *1 (W.D. Tex. Mar. 12, 2021) , rev’d sub nom. Gonzalez v. Trevino , 42 F.4th 487 (5th Cir. 2022) , cert. granted , 144 S. Ct. 3 25 (202 3 ) ; see Joint App. at JA-2, Gonzalez v. Trevino , No. 22-1025 (U.S. Dec. 11, 202 3 ) . Later, Gonzalez was arrested on charges that she violated a government records law after placing the petition in her personal binder at the conclusion of a city council meeting. 9 Footnote 3 1080"> See Petition for a Writ of Certiorari at 6–7, Gonzalez v. Trevino , No. 22-1025 (U.S. Apr. 20, 202 3 ) ; Brief in Opposition at 2– 3 , Gonzalez v. Trevino , No. 22-1025 (U.S. June 8, 202 3 ) . The charges against Gonzalez were later dismissed by the district attorney. 10 Footnote 3 1081"> Gonzalez , 2021 WL 4046758,at *2 . Gonzalez brought a federal civil action against three city officials alleging that her arrest was retaliatory in violation of the First Amendment . 11 Footnote 3 1082"> Id. Gonzalez provided data taken from county records indicating that, of the past indictments, prosecutors did not apply the law to situations resembling her circumstances. 12 Footnote 3 108 3 "> Id. at *6 .

A federal district court held that Gonzalez’s evidence of general charging data was sufficient to invoke the Nieves exception and she therefore did not need to demonstrate a lack of probable cause for her arrest. 3 " href="#ALDF_00031084">1 3 Footnote 3 1084"> Id. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit reversed. 14 Footnote 3 1085"> Gonzalez , 42 F.4th 487 . The Fifth Circuit observed that the language of Nieves speaks of comparative evidence . . . of otherwise similarly situated individuals who engage in the same conduct. 15 Footnote 3 1086"> Id. at 492 (quoting Nieves v. Bartlett , 587 U.S. 3 91, 406 (2019) ). The court concluded that general data that the charge had never been used in similar circumstances did not meet this standard. 16 Footnote 3 1087"> Id. Gonzalez appealed to the Supreme Court. In addition to arguing that objective evidence, including charging data, may satisfy the Nieves exception, Gonzalez argued more broadly that the lack of probable cause requirement applicable in retaliatory arrest cases should not apply to her case, because the requirement applies only when the claims are based on split-second decisions to arrest. 17 Footnote 3 1088"> Petition for a Writ of Certiorari, supra note 9, at 25–26.

On June 20, 2024, the Supreme Court reversed in a per curiam opinion, holding that the Fifth Circuit misapplied the principles of Nieves . 18 Footnote Gonzalez v. Trevino , No. 22-1025, slip op. (U.S. June 20, 2024) . The Court explained that the Nieves exception does not require evidence of virtually identical and identifiable comparators. 19 Footnote Id . at 4 . Instead, the Court recognized that evidence that no one has ever been arrested for engaging in a certain kind of conduct—especially when the criminal prohibition is longstanding and the conduct at issue is not novel, — is sufficient to invoke Nieves . 20 Footnote Id . at 5. The Court declined to address Gonzalez’s second argument that Nieves did not apply to her case, having resolved the case on the basis of Gonzalez’s first argument. 21 Footnote 3 "> Id .

Whether the Nieves probable cause exception can be satisfied by objective evidence other than specific examples of arrests that never happened.

Whether the Nieves probable cause rule is limited to individual claims against arresting officers for split-second arrests. 22 Footnote 3 1089"> Supreme Court of the United States Granted & Noted List , October Term 202 3 Cases for Argument, No. 22-1025 , https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/qp/22-01025qp.pdf .

CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISION IMPLICATED: First Amendment , Free Speech Clause

CONSTITUTIONAL TOPIC: Freedom of Speech

SUPREME COURT DOCKET NUMBERS: 22-1025 3 " href="#ALDF_00031090">2 3 Footnote 3 1090"> Docket for 22-1025 , U.S. Supreme Court , https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/22-1025.html .

APPEAL FROM: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

LOWER COURT CASE NUMBER: 21-50276

DECISION BELOW: 42 F.4th 487

ORAL ARGUMENT: March 20, 2024 24 Footnote 3 1091"> Oral Argument Transcript, Gonzalez v. Trevino , No. 22-1025 (U.S. Mar. 20, 2024) , https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/202 3 /22-1025_8m58.pdf .

FINAL DECISION: June 20, 2024

Justice Alito concurring

Justice Kavanaugh concurring

Justice Jackson (joined by Justice Sotomayor) concurring

Justice Thomas dissenting

• 3 1072"> 3 1072">   Jump to essay-1 U.S. Const. amend. I ( Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech . . . . ). The Supreme Court has held that some restrictions on speech are permissible. See Amdt1.7.5.1 Overview of Categorical Approach to Restricting Speech ; see also Amdt1.7. 3 .1 Overview of Content-Based and Content-Neutral Regulation of Speech .
• 3 107 3 "> 3 107 3 ">   Jump to essay-2 See Miami Herald Pub’g Co. v. Tornillo , 418 U.S. 241 (1974) (observing that the Free Speech Clause applies to any government agency—local, state, or federal ) (quoting Pittsburgh Press Co. v. Pittsburgh Comm’n on Hum. Rels. , 41 3 U.S. 3 76, 400 (197 3 ) (Stewart, J., dissenting)).
• 3 1074"> 3 1074"> 3 ">   Jump to essay- 3 An action brought against a federal official for violating constitutional rights is known as a Bivens action, after the Supreme Court case that established the right to file such an action. Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents , 40 3 U.S 3 88 (1971) . An individual may bring an action against a state official for violating constitutional rights under a federal civil rights statute known as Section 198 3 . 42 United States Code, Section 198 3 . For more information on these actions, see ArtIII.S2.C1.1 3 .4 Suits Against the United States and Sovereign Immunity .
• 3 1075"> 3 1075">   Jump to essay-4 Mt. Healthy City Sch. Dist. Bd. Of Educ. v. Doyle , 429 U.S. 274, 287 (1977) .
• 3 1076"> 3 1076">   Jump to essay-5 Id.
• 3 1077"> 3 1077">   Jump to essay-6 Hartman v. Moore , 547 U.S. 250, 265–66 (2006) ; U.S. Const. amend. IV ( The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause . . . . ).
• 3 1078"> 3 1078">   Jump to essay-7 Nieves v. Bartlett , 587 U.S. 3 91, 406 (2019) .
• 3 1079"> 3 1079">   Jump to essay-8 Gonzalez v. City of Castle Hills , No. 5:20-CV-1151-DAE, 2021 WL 4046758, at *1 (W.D. Tex. Mar. 12, 2021) , rev’d sub nom. Gonzalez v. Trevino , 42 F.4th 487 (5th Cir. 2022) , cert. granted , 144 S. Ct. 3 25 (202 3 ) ; see Joint App. at JA-2, Gonzalez v. Trevino , No. 22-1025 (U.S. Dec. 11, 202 3 ) .
• 3 1080"> 3 1080">   Jump to essay-9 See Petition for a Writ of Certiorari at 6–7, Gonzalez v. Trevino , No. 22-1025 (U.S. Apr. 20, 202 3 ) ; Brief in Opposition at 2– 3 , Gonzalez v. Trevino , No. 22-1025 (U.S. June 8, 202 3 ) .
• 3 1081"> 3 1081">   Jump to essay-10 Gonzalez , 2021 WL 4046758,at *2 .
• 3 1082"> 3 1082">   Jump to essay-11 Id.
• 3 108 3 "> 3 108 3 ">   Jump to essay-12 Id. at *6 .
• 3 1084"> 3 1084"> 3 ">   Jump to essay-1 3 Id.
• 3 1085"> 3 1085">   Jump to essay-14 Gonzalez , 42 F.4th 487 .
• 3 1086"> 3 1086">   Jump to essay-15 Id. at 492 (quoting Nieves v. Bartlett , 587 U.S. 3 91, 406 (2019) ).
• 3 1087"> 3 1087">   Jump to essay-16 Id.
• 3 1088"> 3 1088">   Jump to essay-17 Petition for a Writ of Certiorari, supra note 9, at 25–26.
•   Jump to essay-18 Gonzalez v. Trevino , No. 22-1025, slip op. (U.S. June 20, 2024) .
•   Jump to essay-19 Id . at 4 .
•   Jump to essay-20 Id . at 5.
• 3 "> 3 ">   Jump to essay-21 Id .
• 3 1089"> 3 1089">   Jump to essay-22 Supreme Court of the United States Granted & Noted List , October Term 202 3 Cases for Argument, No. 22-1025 , https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/qp/22-01025qp.pdf .
• 3 1090"> 3 1090"> 3 ">   Jump to essay-2 3 Docket for 22-1025 , U.S. Supreme Court , https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/22-1025.html .
• 3 1091"> 3 1091">   Jump to essay-24 Oral Argument Transcript, Gonzalez v. Trevino , No. 22-1025 (U.S. Mar. 20, 2024) , https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/202 3 /22-1025_8m58.pdf .

Synonyms of essay

• as in article
• as in attempt
• as in to attempt
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Thesaurus Definition of essay

 (Entry 1 of 2)

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dissertation
• composition
• prolegomenon
• undertaking
• trial and error
• experimentation

Thesaurus Definition of essay  (Entry 2 of 2)

• have a go at
• try one's hand (at)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How does the verb essay differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of essay are attempt , endeavor , strive , and try . While all these words mean "to make an effort to accomplish an end," essay implies difficulty but also suggests tentative trying or experimenting.

When might attempt be a better fit than essay ?

While the synonyms attempt and essay are close in meaning, attempt stresses the initiation or beginning of an effort.

Where would endeavor be a reasonable alternative to essay ?

Although the words endeavor and essay have much in common, endeavor heightens the implications of exertion and difficulty.

When is strive a more appropriate choice than essay ?

While in some cases nearly identical to essay , strive implies great exertion against great difficulty and specifically suggests persistent effort.

How do try and attempt relate to one another, in the sense of essay ?

Try is often close to attempt but may stress effort or experiment made in the hope of testing or proving something.

Examples of essay in a Sentence

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“Essay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/essay. Accessed 21 Aug. 2024.

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Fact checking DNC 2024 Day One speeches from Biden, Hillary Clinton and other Democrats

By Laura Doan , Amelia Donhauser

Updated on: August 20, 2024 / 9:54 AM EDT / CBS News

CBS News is fact checking some of the statements made by  speakers  during the 2024 Democratic National Convention, which is taking place in Chicago from Monday, Aug. 19 through Thursday, Aug. 22. 

The convention began with unity as the theme, and the featured speakers Monday were President Biden and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, as well as a host of others.

Some of the comments that CBS News' Confirmed team fact checked involved Democrats' comments about GOP nominee Donald Trump's record as president, as well as the Biden administration's record.

CBS News is covering the DNC live. 

Fact check on Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez's claim that Trump promises "to terminate the Affordable Care Act": Misleading

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In this election cycle, Trump has continued to criticize the law but has said he doesn't support terminating all of its policies outright. In November, Trump said he intends to  "replace"  the Affordable Care Act with another package of health reforms. 

In March, he  said  that he was "not running to terminate the ACA" but instead to make it better and cheaper.

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"I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute, one minute," Trump said. "And is there a way we can do something like that — by injection inside or almost a cleaning — because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it'd be interesting to check that, so that you're going to have to use medical doctors with, but it sounds interesting to me." 

The Trump White House later offered differing excuses for the remark. It first  said  Trump's comments were taken out of context. A day later, Trump  told  reporters that he was being sarcastic when he raised the possibility of injecting disinfectants.

"I was asking a question sarcastically to reporters like you just to see what would happen," he said.

By Amelia Donhauser

Fact check on Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin's claim that the U.S. economy added 16 million jobs during the Biden administration: True, but needs context

Details:  Under President Biden, the U.S. economy has added more than 15.8 million jobs, according to July data from  the Bureau of Labor Statistics . 

However, it's important to note that the number includes roughly 9 million jobs that were lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. economy under Mr. Biden has seen an increase of approximately 6.4 million jobs above February 2020 levels, according to  the Bureau of Labor Statistics . 

By comparison, 6.7 million jobs were created in the first three years of former President Donald Trump's term between January 2017 and February 2020, before the pandemic left Trump with record job losses. 

By Laura Doan

Fact checking Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear's claim that Vance thinks women should stay in violent marriages, and pregnancies from rape are "inconvenient": Misleading

Beshear: "JD Vance says women should stay in violent marriages and that pregnancies resulting from rape are simply inconvenient."

Details:  Before he was a Republican Ohio senator,   JD Vance spoke of being raised by his grandparents and their relationship at an  event  in 2021. He contrasted their commitment to each other during an "incredibly chaotic" marriage with modern divorce rates.

"I think the sexual revolution pulled on the American populace, which is the idea that, like, 'Well, okay, these marriages were fundamentally, you know, they were maybe even violent, but certainly they were unhappy," he said. "And so getting rid of them and making it easier for people to shift spouses like they change their underwear, that's going to make people happier in the long term." 

"And maybe it worked out for the moms and dads, though I'm skeptical," Vance added. "But it really didn't work out for the kids of those marriages." 

Vance has repeatedly said these remarks were taken out of context. In a  statement  to VICE News in 2022 he said, "In my life, I have seen siblings, wives, daughters, and myself abused by men. It's disgusting for you to argue that I was defending those men."

In 2021, Vance was  asked  if anti-abortion laws should include exceptions for rape or incest. He replied: "It's not whether a woman should be forced to bring a child to term, it's whether a child should be allowed to live, even though the circumstances of that child's birth are somehow inconvenient or a problem to the society. The question really, to me, is about the baby," he continued. "We want women to have opportunities, we want women to have choices, but above all, we want women— and young boys in the womb — to have the right to life." 

In July, Vance  told  Fox News, "The Democrats have completely twisted my words. What I did say is that we sometimes in this society see babies as inconveniences, and I absolutely want us to change that." 

By Amelia Donhauser 

Fact checking Biden's claim there are fewer border crossings today than when Trump left office: True, needs context

President Biden : "There are fewer border crossings today than when Donald Trump left office." 

Details:  In July, migrant apprehensions along the U.S. southern border dropped to  56,408 , the lowest level since September 2020, according to  U.S. Customs and Border Protection  data. When Trump left office in January 2021, the number of apprehensions was around 75,000. 

The decline in illegal border crossings had been dropping steadily since the spring and accelerated after Mr. Biden issued a  proclamation  on June 4 banning most migrants from seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. Officials have also said scorching summer temperatures and Mexico's efforts to stop migrants have contributed to the drop.

Yearly apprehensions at the U.S. southern border also reached record highs during Mr. Biden's term, according to the  data . In fiscal year 2023, the number reached 2.2 million. The number of yearly apprehensions under Trump peaked at around 852,000 in the fiscal year 2019. 

By Camilo Montoya-Galvez,   Laura Doan    

Alexander Tin contributed to this report.

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Laura Doan is a fact checker for CBS News Confirmed. She covers misinformation, AI and social media.

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