Final answer:
Effective transitions create fluency and bridge ideas in writing, guiding the reader through a narrative and enhancing the overall meaning, rather than just extending the length of the text.
Step-by-step explanation:
The purpose of an effective transition in writing is to serve several key functions. Firstly, transitions create fluency in writing, enabling ideas to flow smoothly from one to the next. Secondly, they act as bridges between ideas, ensuring a clear and logical progression of thoughts that maintains the reader's interest and comprehension. Transitions are not intended to simply increase the length of a piece of writing, but rather, they enhance the meaning by clarifying the relationships between different parts of the text. Effective use of transitions can guide readers through a narrative, indicating changes like the passage of time, introduction of new characters, or a shift to a different aspect of a topic. Implementing transitions within and between paragraphs helps create a unified whole out of diverse anecdotes, quotations, and details.