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SAT · Reading and Writing · Expression of Ideas
Transitions is part of Expression of Ideas in the SAT Reading and Writing section. The questions below are written in the style of the real test, each with the answer and a worked explanation.
Question types you will see here include contrast transition, result or consequence transition, additional supporting point and example transition.
Common traps: additive word ('moreover') that adds when the logic turns; causal word ('therefore') that invents a result; similarity word ('likewise') that equates opposites.
Question 1
Most bats rely on echolocation to navigate. , many fruit bats depend largely on their keen eyesight.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For example
Even so
Thus
Additionally
Answer: B. Even so
The second sentence presents information that contrasts with or runs counter to the first. "Even so" signals this relationship. The other choices signal relationships (thus, additionally, for example) that do not fit the logic of the two sentences.
Question 2
Researchers tested three towel-reuse cards in hotel bathrooms. The first made a general appeal to protect the environment, and the second said that most guests at the hotel reused their towels, which persuaded more people. the third card said that most guests who had stayed in this very room had reused theirs, and it persuaded the most.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
Previously,
Instead,
Finally,
Therefore,
Answer: C. Finally,
The cards are described in order, and the third is the last: (C). (A) points backward in time. (B) implies the third card replaced the others, but the sentence continues the list. (D) implies the third card followed from the second as a result, which it does not.
Question 3
Persian garden carpets reproduce a whole walled garden, with water channels, trees and flower beds, in wool and silk. a family could enjoy a garden in a cold room all winter.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For example,
However,
Likewise,
As a result,
Answer: D. As a result,
Because the carpet contains a whole garden, owning one lets a family have a garden indoors, so the second sentence is a consequence: "As a result" (D). "For example" (A) treats it as an illustration, "However" (B) reverses the logic, and "Likewise" (C) claims a parallel that is not there.
Question 4
Studies comparing identical and fraternal twins allow researchers to estimate how much of the variation in a trait is attributable to genetic differences rather than shared or unshared environment. This method has real limitations: it assumes twins share environments equally, which may not be true, and it cannot identify specific genes. , twin studies have generated much of what researchers currently know about the heritability of traits ranging from height to personality.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
Even so
As a result
For example
Furthermore
Answer: A. Even so
The second sentence acknowledges the limitations of twin studies; the third sentence holds firm by stating the method's significant contribution despite those limitations. Even so (A) correctly signals a concession followed by an assertion that stands despite the concession. As a result (B) would imply the limitations caused the contributions, which is illogical. For example (C) would treat the contributions as an illustration of the limitations, distorting the relationship. Furthermore (D) would add to the limitations rather than pivot to a contrasting point.
Question 5
People tend to drift back toward their usual level of happiness after major events, good or bad. a group surveyed a year after receiving a large inheritance reported satisfaction similar to that of a comparison group that had received none.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For instance,
In other words,
Even so,
In turn,
Answer: A. For instance,
The second sentence gives a specific case of the general tendency in the first, which "For instance" introduces: A. B would present the case as a restatement, C signals a concession that the sentences do not make, and D implies a step-by-step chain of cause and effect.
A few questions show the style. The free scan shows which SAT skills cost you the most points, then builds a plan around them.