Transitions — Best-Guess Strategies

How to Approach It

Hard Transitions items are precision puzzles. The wrong way to break a tie is to read the sentences over and over hoping the right transition will sound right. The right way is to convert the sentences into a one-word relationship and match the choice to that relationship. When you are unsure, the routine has three steps: name the relationship, eliminate by family, and pick the most measured survivor.

Step one is to name the relationship between the two sentences with a single verb or phrase: contrasts, agrees, exemplifies, restates, causes, results from, qualifies, concludes, summarizes, adds. The naming step prevents you from grabbing whichever transition sounds 'about right' in your ear. If you cannot name the relationship in one verb, the sentences have not been read closely enough; spend ten more seconds before evaluating choices.

Step two is to eliminate by transition family. Transitions fall into rough families: contrast (however, but, yet, nevertheless, on the other hand, although), causation (therefore, so, as a result, consequently, for this reason), addition (also, in addition, moreover, furthermore), example (for instance, for example), restatement (in other words, that is), conclusion (in conclusion, finally, in sum), and concession (admittedly, granted, of course). Once you know the relationship's family, cross out choices from other families. This usually leaves two candidates within the same family.

Step three is to pick the most measured survivor. Within a family, transitions vary in intensity. 'However' is mild; 'nevertheless' is stronger and requires an obstacle to overcome. 'In addition' is mild; 'moreover' is stronger and implies a heightened point. 'Therefore' is direct; 'consequently' is more bureaucratic. 'For example' is mild; 'indeed' is emphatic and confirms rather than illustrates. SAT writers prefer measured transitions. When two are correct in family, the milder one almost always wins.

A useful secondary check is the redundancy test. Read the second sentence aloud with the transition removed. If the second sentence already contains a contrast cue ('but,' 'still,' 'rather than'), a contrast transition at the front is redundant. If the second sentence already contains a causal cue ('because,' 'as a result of'), a causal transition is redundant. The right transition adds a logical relationship the sentence does not already carry. If the sentence carries the relationship by itself, choose the mildest available transition or none at all.

When the three steps leave a tie, prefer the choice that fits both the local logic (two adjacent sentences) and the larger context (the paragraph's argument). Transitions are local connectives, but they also carry a sense of where the paragraph is heading. 'In conclusion' implies the paragraph is ending; if the paragraph clearly continues, that transition fails the larger-context check. 'For instance' implies the second sentence is one of several examples; if the paragraph offers no more examples, that transition is awkward. Scope-mismatch traps tend to look right locally but wrong contextually.

When you must commit without certainty, default to the choice that names the most cautious version of the relationship you are confident exists. If you can see contrast but not the strength of the contrast, pick 'however' over 'nevertheless.' If you can see addition but not heightened importance, pick 'in addition' over 'moreover.' If you can see causation but not strict logical consequence, pick 'so' or 'thus' over 'therefore.' Measured transitions are forgiving; emphatic transitions are demanding. The practice questions below model the routine on items where two transitions look plausible at first.

Example Questions