The local government lowered parking fees to encourage shoppers to return to downtown businesses. ______ customer traffic increased by nearly 40 percent within three months.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, first ignore the answer choices and decide how the second idea relates to the first: is it a result, a contrast, an example, a clarification, or just something happening at the same time? Once you’ve named that relationship in plain language (e.g., “this is the result of that”), then look at each transition and quickly classify its usual job (contrast, cause/effect, time, example, etc.). Eliminate any choices that don’t match the relationship you identified, and choose the one whose function fits the logic of the sentence.
Hints
Look at the cause and what follows
First, restate in your own words what happened: the government changed something, and then what changed in response? Decide whether the second sentence is showing a result, a contrast, or just another separate detail.
Predict the relationship before checking choices
Cover the answer choices and think: if you were writing this, would you show contrast, an example, something happening at the same time, or a result of the first action?
Match each choice to its job in a sentence
For each option, ask: Does this word usually introduce something opposite, something simultaneous, an illustration, or an outcome? Pick the one whose usual job matches the relationship you found.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the sentences are saying
The first sentence: the local government lowered parking fees to encourage shoppers. The second sentence: customer traffic increased by nearly 40 percent within three months. So, something was done, and then a change happened afterward.
Identify the logical relationship
Ask: How does the second sentence relate to the first? It is not disagreeing with it, and it is not giving an extra, unrelated detail. Instead, it shows what happened after and seems to describe the effect of lowering parking fees.
Classify the types of transitions in the choices
Think about what each type of transition generally does:
- One choice shows contrast (a surprising or opposite result).
- One shows events happening at the same time.
- One introduces an example that illustrates a previous idea.
- One introduces a result or effect of the previous action. You want the option that shows a result/effect.
Match each option to its meaning and choose
Now connect each option to its function:
- Nevertheless, is used to contrast with what came before (something unexpected or opposite).
- Meanwhile, is used for something happening at the same time as something else.
- For example, is used to introduce a specific illustration of a general idea.
- Consequently, is used to show a result or effect of what came before. Because the second sentence is the result of lowering parking fees, the best transition is D) Consequently,.