What is the primary purpose of transitions in writing?

The primary purpose of transitions in writing is to guide readers from idea to idea. Transitions serve as the connective tissue of a text, helping to create coherence and flow. When writers use transitions effectively, they signal to readers how different ideas relate to each other, which makes the overall argument or narrative easier to follow. This guidance is crucial in maintaining the reader's understanding, especially as they navigate through complex arguments or different sections of a piece.

While summarizing main points can be important in certain places in a text, it does not encompass the broader function of transitions. Introducing new ideas might occur in writing, but transitions specifically do not serve to introduce; they bridge existing ideas. Similarly, while providing examples is a valuable part of writing, transitions are about connecting those examples to the overall framework of the text rather than solely delivering specific information. Therefore, the role of transitions is fundamentally about facilitating the movement between ideas, making the correct answer focused on guiding readers from one thought to the next.