Question 110·Medium·Transitions
Scientists have long touted the advantages of urban green roofs: they reduce stormwater runoff, insulate buildings, and provide habitats for pollinators. ______ these benefits, many building owners remain reluctant to install them, citing high upfront costs and structural constraints.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, first read the surrounding sentences and decide the logical relationship: addition, contrast, cause/effect, or example. Then look at the exact structure around the blank—ask what part of speech is needed (preposition vs. sentence adverb) and whether it should connect to a noun phrase or a full clause. Eliminate choices that don’t match both the meaning relationship and the grammar, and only then pick the option that fits naturally when you reread the completed sentence.
Hints
Identify the relationship between the clauses
Ask yourself: Are the benefits of green roofs causing the reluctance, adding another similar point, or being contrasted with the reluctance?
Look carefully at what comes after the blank
Notice that the blank is immediately followed by “these benefits.” Think about which kind of word can go right before a noun phrase like that.
Sort the options by type of connection
Decide which options signal result, which signal addition, and which signal contrast. Then see which of those also fits the sentence structure before “these benefits.”
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the relationship between the ideas
First, compare the two sentences:
- Sentence 1: Green roofs have many advantages (benefits).
- Sentence 2: Many building owners are still reluctant to install them because of costs and structural issues.
These ideas are in contrast: even though there are benefits, people are still hesitant.
Decide what kind of transition you need
Because the ideas contrast, you need a transition that shows “even though” / “in spite of” the benefits, owners are reluctant.
A transition that shows result (like “as a result”) or addition (like “also”) would not match this relationship.
Check the grammar around the blank
Look at how the sentence is structured:
“______ these benefits, many building owners remain reluctant…”
Whatever fills the blank comes directly before the noun phrase “these benefits.” That means the correct choice must work like a preposition (something that can come right before a noun, like “despite,” “because of,” etc.), not like an adverb that starts a whole clause.
Match meaning and grammar to the answer choices
Now test each option:
- Some choices are sentence adverbs that usually go like this: “______, many owners remain reluctant.” They do not naturally fit right before “these benefits.”
- Only one choice is a preposition that both shows contrast and can correctly be followed by “these benefits.”
That choice is “Despite”, giving the sentence: “Despite these benefits, many building owners remain reluctant to install them, citing high upfront costs and structural constraints.”
State the final answer
The most logical and grammatically correct transition is B) Despite.