What the question looks like
Transitions is one of two skills in the Expression of Ideas domain (the other is rhetorical synthesis). College Board says these questions ask you to choose the most effective transition word or phrase to logically connect ideas in a text. You get a short passage with a blank, and the question is always the same: Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
Expression of Ideas makes up about 20% of the Reading and Writing section, roughly 8 to 12 questions, and these questions come at the end of each module. That makes them a good place to pick up fast points when the clock is low.
The six relationships
Almost every transition answer belongs to one of these groups. Learn the groups, not a long word list.
| Relationship | What the second sentence does | Common transitions |
|---|---|---|
| Contrast | Goes against, limits, or surprises you after the first | however, but, yet, still, even so, nevertheless, nonetheless, by contrast, on the other hand |
| Cause and effect | Is a result of the first | therefore, thus, so, as a result, consequently, accordingly, hence |
| Addition | Adds another point in the same direction | moreover, furthermore, in addition, also, besides, likewise, similarly |
| Example | Gives one specific case of the first | for example, for instance, specifically, in particular |
| Time order | Happens before, after, or during the first | then, next, later, subsequently, since then, meanwhile, previously, finally |
| Restatement or emphasis | Says the same idea more clearly or more strongly | in other words, that is, in fact, indeed, in short |
Wrong vs right
| Text | Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| The bridge was built to last a century. ______, cracks appeared within ten years. | Therefore, | However, | Cracks after ten years go against the plan. That is contrast, not a result. |
| The school added a late bus. ______, more students joined after-school clubs. | For example, | As a result, | More club members happened because of the bus. That is cause and effect. |
| Some birds use tools. ______, crows bend twigs into hooks to pull out insects. | In addition, | For instance, | Crows are one specific case of birds using tools, not a separate new point. |
| Octopuses have three hearts. ______, their blood is blue. | Consequently, | Moreover, | Blue blood is a second fact. Three hearts do not cause it. |
Worked examples
Example 1: contrast
Problem Young sunflowers turn to follow the sun from east to west during the day. ______, mature sunflowers mostly stop moving and face east. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition? Choices: For example, / In contrast, / Similarly, / Therefore,
- Cover the choices. Say each sentence in your own words: young sunflowers move with the sun; older ones stop and face one way.
- Name the link. Moving vs not moving is a difference, so the group is contrast.
- Check the choices. In contrast is the only contrast word. Similarly says the opposite of what we need, Therefore claims a cause, and For example would need the second sentence to be a case of the first.
Answer In contrast,
Example 2: cause and effect
Problem Honey contains very little water and is slightly acidic, so most bacteria cannot grow in it. ______, honey kept in a sealed jar can stay safe to eat for years. Choices: Nevertheless, / For instance, / As a result, / Meanwhile,
- Paraphrase: bacteria cannot grow in honey. Honey lasts for years.
- Ask: does the second idea happen because of the first? Yes. Honey lasts because bacteria cannot grow. The group is cause and effect.
- Only As a result is in that group. Nevertheless would mean honey lasts in spite of the first fact, which makes no sense.
Answer As a result,
Example 3: a harder one with two close choices
Problem For a long time, many scientists pictured the deep ocean floor as mostly flat. Sonar surveys in the 1950s told a different story: ______ they revealed a long mountain range running down the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Choices: however, / specifically, / nonetheless, / similarly,
- Look at the sentence the blank is in. It says sonar told a different story, and then the part after the colon explains what that story was.
- So the second part gives the details of the first part. The group is example or specifics.
- However and nonetheless are both contrast words. They mean the same thing, so neither can be the single right answer. Similarly is addition. That leaves specifically.
Answer specifically,
Common mistakes and fixes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Reading the choices first and picking what sounds smooth | Name the relationship before you look. Write one word on your scratch paper: contrast, result, add, example, time, or restate. |
| Linking to the wrong sentence | The transition connects its own sentence to the idea right before it. Reread only those two. |
| Seeing opposite-looking words (small, large) and choosing contrast | Judge the ideas, not single words. Two sentences can use opposite words and still agree. |
| Not knowing what a fancy word means | Swap in a simple word: accordingly means so, nevertheless means but still, moreover means also, subsequently means later, conversely means the opposite is true. |
| Choosing between two words from the same group | If two choices do the same job, both are wrong. Look for the one that is different. |
Practice
Five transitions questions
The library stayed open until 10 p.m. during exam week. ______, many more students used the study rooms in the evening. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
- Previously,
- In contrast,
- For instance,
- As a result,
Show answer
Answer: As a result,
Students used the rooms in the evening because the library was open late. That is cause and effect. Nothing is contrasted, no example is given, and nothing happened earlier.
Some animals use objects as tools to get food. ______, sea otters crack open clams by hitting them against rocks they hold on their chests. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
- For instance,
- However,
- Consequently,
- In other words,
Show answer
Answer: For instance,
Sea otters are one specific case of animals using tools. In other words would need the second sentence to restate the whole first idea, but it only gives one example.
Octopuses have three hearts. ______, their blood is blue rather than red, because it carries oxygen with a copper-based molecule. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
- Moreover,
- Instead,
- As a result,
- For example,
Show answer
Answer: Moreover,
Blue blood is a second surprising fact about octopuses, so the link is addition. The text says the copper molecule causes the color, not the three hearts, so As a result is wrong.
In 1998, volunteers planted 300 oak seedlings along the river. ______, those seedlings have grown into a strip of forest that shades the water and keeps it cool for fish. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
- Nonetheless,
- Instead,
- For example,
- Since then,
Show answer
Answer: Since then,
The second sentence describes what happened after 1998. That is time order. There is no contrast for Nonetheless or Instead, and the forest is not an example of the planting.
Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun. ______, it is not the hottest planet; that title belongs to Venus, whose thick atmosphere traps heat. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
- Even so,
- Likewise,
- Accordingly,
- In other words,
Show answer
Answer: Even so,
Being closest to the Sun would make you expect Mercury to be hottest. The second sentence goes against that expectation, so it needs a contrast word. Accordingly means as a result, which is backwards.
Frequently asked questions
How many transitions questions are on the digital SAT?
College Board does not publish a count for each skill. It says Expression of Ideas, which is transitions plus rhetorical synthesis, is about 20% of the Reading and Writing section, or roughly 8 to 12 questions across both modules. Expect a handful of transitions questions in each module.
Do transitions questions test grammar or meaning?
Meaning. The punctuation around the blank is usually already set, so you are choosing the logic, not fixing commas. If a question asks about the conventions of Standard English, it is a different skill: see boundaries.
What should I do when two answers both seem to fit?
Check whether they belong to the same group. Two contrast words cannot both be right, so both are out. If they are in different groups, reread the sentence before the blank and ask what the new sentence does to it: goes against it, follows from it, adds to it, or gives a case of it.
Is a sentence that starts with "In fact" a contrast?
Usually not. In fact and indeed make the earlier point stronger or more exact. A sentence like "The plan was cheap. In fact, it cost nothing" pushes the same idea further. Use a contrast word when the new sentence goes against the earlier one.
Sources
- College Board, Assessment Framework for the Digital SAT Suite, version 3.01 (August 2024), accessed October 1, 2026
- College Board, The Reading and Writing Section, accessed October 1, 2026
