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Digital SAT Reading and Writing
Transitions | Lesson
A guide to "transitions" questions on the digital SAT
What are "transitions" questions?
On the Reading and Writing section of your SAT, some questions will ask you to select the most logical transition word or phrase to connect information and ideas within a brief passage .
Transitions questions will look like this:
How should we think about transitions?
Transitions are the glue that holds ideas together. They connect sentences in ways that tell the reader how those sentences are related. Is there an argument being made? A story being told? The transitions used in the text should reflect that relationship.
The relationships between ideas usually fall into the following categories:
Agreement or disagreement
Do the sentences express the same underlying idea? If so, we may want to use an agreement transition like "similarly".
Do the sentences identify a disagreement or contrast? If so, we may want to use a disagreement transition like "however".
Sequence and order
Are the events in the sentences being organized by time or by position? If so, we may want to use a sequence transition like "previously".
Addition and exemplification
Does the second sentence elaborate on the first? If so, we may want to use an addition transition like "furthermore".
Does the second sentence provide an example? If so, we may want to use an exemplification transition like "for instance".
Cause and effect
Is the second sentence caused by or a consequence of the idea in the first sentence? If so, we may want to use a cause and effect transition like "therefore".
How to approach transitions questions
Transitions questions ask you to select the "most logical transition". However, these questions are actually as much about how well you understand the text as they are about the transitions themselves. So be sure to read carefully!
To answer a transitions question, follow these three steps:
Step 1: Summarize the text in your own words
Don't just skim the passage . Read it closely, and try to summarize the main idea in your own words. This can be tricky since an important transition word is missing. If you're struggling to understand the text, try to translate each sentence into a simple bullet point.
Step 2: Identify the relationship between the passage’s ideas
The transition we're asked to select will connect two ideas from the passage. How are those ideas related? Do they disagree? Does one cause the other? We should be able to place the relationship into one of the four categories discussed above.
Step 3: Select the transition that matches the relationship
Only one of the choices will offer a transition that matches the relationship we identified. We can select it with confidence!
If you find yourself stuck between two choices, try plugging them each into the blank. Which transition creates the clearest meaning when placed in context?
Top tips
Be flexible
There is an enormous variety of transition words and phrases, and the exact transition you expect to see might not be offered in the choices. If you think the sentence needs a disagreement word, but "however" isn't an option, look for a transition with a similar function (like "on the other hand").
Eliminate copycats
If two choices seem to function in a similar or interchangeable way (like "also" and "in addition"), you can safely eliminate them both. They can’t both be right, so they must both be wrong!
Your turn!
Want to join the conversation?
Can we agree that although the SAT is stressful and applying to such and such universities is scary and needs a lot of work, the whole thing is kinda fun.(214 votes)
Yeah , I could not agree more.(53 votes)
I want the writing section to include only transition questions....(98 votes)- the first example question about the Iraqi artist makes no sense. None of the transitions make sense especially the 'though,'. I think there is no need for a transition in that sentence since "even" is in the beginning.(62 votes)
- I felt the same. but read the top tips. it says "Be Flexible" with the transitions. Read the details of the top tip to know more.(4 votes)
I like the transition game(40 votes)- yes they are cool(7 votes)
- am I the only one still confused how they even get their questions(20 votes)
- they partner with collegeboard, either they provided them with questions or they made up their own somehow(9 votes)
- ahhhhh man I'm bad at this... might be 'cause I'm not native though. Does anyone know of a practice method that is actually effective?(16 votes)
try the elemenation method it really helps and memorise which words are for which relatioship. in the examples above, you have 2 words for the same relation ship if u eliminate them it will be easier for you(16 votes)
- Can somebody help me in finding practice tests other than those on college board.(21 votes)
- wjat is howe doing(16 votes)
which category fits "indeed"?(2 votes)
Hi Ahmet!
That would probably go into the category of addition and exemplification because although it does signal an agreement with what's said before, it's probably adding something. Personally, I feel like the best word to describe it is that it emphasizes something. Let me show a few examples:
1. Jones didn't do poorly on his exams. Indeed, he got A's on each of them. In this example, indeed is used to add information to the first sentence. And what that info does is emphasize the first sentence.
2. Researchers have often shied away from the idea that dinosaurs existed. Indeed, many researchers considered the idea to be absolutely silly. So in this example, it's adding information (they think the idea of the existence of dinosaurs is silly) to emphasize the point that researchers shy away from the idea that dinosaurs exist.
Ok, those were really silly examples, but I hoped this helped!(28 votes)
What if I don't know the meaning of the word in the paragraph, it would somehow affect my understanding as a whole.(9 votes)
Use contextual clues to infer what they might be trying to convey as that will help you understand the paragraph. Usually just determining whether it's a negative or positive statement will help you eliminate a lot of the options. Good luck(6 votes)
