Name an attitude; support it with evidence. Groups are starting points, not fixed definitions.
accusatory · belligerent · bitter · disappointed · disgusted · furious · incredulous · indignant · inflammatory · insulting · irritated · outraged · petulant · querulous · savage · sullen · threatening · wrathful
amiable · amused · cheery · contented · ecstatic · elated · enthusiastic · exuberant · hopeful · jovial · joyful · jubilant · lighthearted · optimistic · sanguine
belittling · caustic · comical · cynical · facetious · flippant · ironic · irreverent · mock-heroic · mocking · ribald · ridiculing · sarcastic · scornful · taunting
boastful · condescending · contemptuous · critical · disdainful · haughty · insolent · judgmental · mordant · patronizing · pompous · pretentious · supercilious
apprehensive · concerned · despairing · elegiac · foreboding · gloomy · hopeless · melancholy · morose · mournful · pessimistic · regretful · sober · solemn · somber · tragic
calm · hopeful · meditative · nostalgic · optimistic · peaceful · relaxed · reminiscent · sentimental · serene · soothing · staid
affectionate · amorous · compassionate · fanciful · intimate · loving · lyrical · reflective · sensual · tender · whimsical
apathetic · argumentative · authoritative · candid · cautionary · ceremonial · clinical · detached · didactic · distant · doubtful · erudite · factual · formal · forthright · informative · instructive · matter-of-fact · persuasive · rational · restrained · thoughtful
| Add a related point | furthermore · in addition · also Use when the next point develops the same direction. |
| Introduce a contrast | however · by contrast · whereas Name the actual difference; the connector alone does not explain it. |
| Acknowledge a complication | although · nevertheless · even so Concede something that your argument must account for. |
| Draw an inference | therefore · consequently · this suggests Use only when the second claim follows from the evidence or reasoning. |
| Offer an example | for instance · specifically · in particular Move from a general claim to a precise detail. |
| Trace development | initially · subsequently · by the end Explain change across a text or argument. |
contrasts · juxtaposes · frames · withholds · foregrounds · repeats · implies · evokes · questions · undermines · qualifies · exposes
Choose the verb that names the writer’s action accurately. Stronger-sounding words are not automatically better.
Writer → verb → choice and evidence → meaning → explanation.
“The detail suggests… because…” / “Although… initially suggests…, the later… complicates this by…”
Further resources: Chris Drew, Helpful Professor: analysis verbs; University of Washington OWRC: Using Transitions Effectively.