Specify Connections

When listing two points, instead of simply using and, emphasize the items using the following transition words:

Emphasise Key Points

Transition words for emphasising two points:

  • both … and …_
  • Not only …, but also …
  • Neither … nor …_
  • either … or …

Using both … and places more emphasis on the two items than simply using and

Our results demonstrate that beekeepers must consider pesticide regimens of their target field and those of neighbouring fields that may contribute to pesticide drift.

Our results demonstrate that beekeepers must consider pesticide regimens of both their target field and those of neighbouring fields that may contribute to pesticide drift.

The two items are emphasised further by using not only … but also.

Our results demonstrate that beekeepers must not only consider pesticide regimens of their target field, but also those of neighbouring fields that may contribute to pesticide drift.

Avoid confusion caused by “and” pile-ups

Lists containing multiple ands can be very confusing when it becomes ambiguous which items should be paired together. Use these transition words to break up “and pile-ups”.

Transition words for avoiding and pile-ups:

  • …, in addition to …
  • …, as well as …
  • …, along with…
  • …, together with…

Separate a list into two parts with in addition to.

In this sentence, it appears as if all four parameters belong to foraging speed, until the reader encounters the second feature measured, “extracellular slime”, at the end of the sentence.

Measurements included foraging speed and efficiency and composition and amount of extracellular slime.

Some of the confusion can be helped by stating the measures and then their parameters, but this is still not optimal for the reader.

Measurements included foraging speed and efficiency and extracellular slime composition and amount.

Measurements included foraging speed and efficiency, in addition to extracellular slime composition and amount.

Using … along with … clearly separates the list into two parts.

We identified A and B as loci highly associated with bipolar disorder and two other regions encompassing known schizophrenia-related genes.

We identified A and B as loci highly associated with bipolar disorder, along with two other regions encompassing known schizophrenia-related genes.