Scientists once assumed that the dodo was a clumsy, largely sedentary bird; ______ recent biomechanical analysis suggests it was capable of surprisingly swift bursts of speed.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For SAT transition questions, first ignore the answer choices and decide how the two parts of the sentence relate: contrast, cause/effect, example, or addition/similarity. Then, translate each choice into its function (contrast, result, example, similarity, etc.) and quickly eliminate any that don’t match the relationship you identified. Finally, plug the remaining option into the sentence to check that it creates a clear, logical connection without changing the meaning.
Hints
Check how the ideas relate
Read the full sentence without any transition. How does the idea that the dodo was clumsy relate to the idea that it could move with “surprisingly swift bursts of speed”?
Classify the relationship type
Ask yourself: Is the second part giving an example of the first part, a result of it, something similar to it, or something that contrasts with it?
Match meanings of the transitions
Think about what each option usually signals in a sentence: illustration, cause/effect, similarity, or contrast. Choose the one that fits the relationship you identified between the two clauses.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what each clause is saying
Break the sentence into its two main ideas:
- First part: "Scientists once assumed that the dodo was a clumsy, largely sedentary bird" – this describes an old belief about the dodo.
- Second part: "recent biomechanical analysis suggests it was capable of surprisingly swift bursts of speed" – this gives new evidence that goes against the old belief.
So the relationship is that the new information conflicts with or challenges the old assumption.
Decide what kind of transition is needed
Ask: Does the second part give an example, a result, a similarity, or a contrast?
- It is not an example of being clumsy and sedentary.
- It is not a result of being clumsy and sedentary.
- It does not agree with or match the idea of being clumsy and sedentary.
Instead, it contradicts that idea. So we need a transition that shows contrast between old assumption and new evidence.
Match each option to its logical relationship
Now look at what each transition usually shows:
- "for example," introduces an illustration or instance of the previous idea.
- "consequently," shows a result or effect.
- "likewise," shows similarity.
- One choice shows contrast between two ideas.
Because the sentence needs a contrast transition to show that the new evidence goes against the old assumption, the correct answer is "yet," which properly signals this contradiction: Scientists once assumed X; yet recent analysis shows Y.