Interactive · 2 questions
Before identifying what consecutive interior and consecutive exterior angles are, we will first break down the term word by word.
When angles are consecutive, they lie on the same side of the transversal. Consider the word 'consecutive'. Consecutive means to follow continuously. The angles follow each other on the same side of the line consecutively.

There are two consecutive sides. One on each side of the transversal.
In the figure above, the transversal separates the figure into its consecutive sides.
are all consecutive angles because they lie on the same side of the transversal.
Similarly, are all consecutive angles because they lie on the same side of the transversal.

Which of the pairs of angles are consecutive?
Next, let's consider the difference between interior and exterior angles.
In contrast to consecutive angles that deal with the transversal, interior and exterior angles deal with the two lines that are not the transversal.
Consider the same figure below.

The top and bottom regions are the exterior angles. The middle region is the interior angles.
In the figure above, the two parallel lines create interior and exterior angles.
The top and bottom regions (green) represent the exterior angles, while the region inside (purple) shows the interior angles.

Which of the following are interior angles?
Now let's put the two terms together!
Let's start with consecutive interior angles.
We know that consecutive angles are positioned on the same side of the transversal. We also know that the angles inside the two parallel lines are interior angles.
To identify consecutive interior angles, we simply find the angles that lie on the same side of the transversal and lie inside the two parallel lines.

Two two sets of consecutive interior angles.
In the figure above, and (pink) are consecutive interior angles. Additionally, and (blue) are consecutive interior angles.
Both pairs of angles lie on the same side of the transversal.
Now let's consider consecutive exterior angles.
We know that consecutive angles are positioned on the same side of the transversal. We also know that the angles outside the two parallel lines are exterior angles.
To identify consecutive exterior angles, we simply find the angles that lie on same side of the transversal and lie outside the two parallel lines.

Two two sets of consecutive exterior angles.
In the figure above, and (purple) are consecutive exterior angles. We also see that and (green) are consecutive exterior angles.
To sum it all up:
Consecutive exterior angles are supplementary and consecutive interior angles are supplementary.
Consecutive exterior angles are two exterior angles on the same side of a transversal.
Consecutive interior angles are two interior angles which lie on the same side of the transversal.





