Question 157·Easy·Transitions
My neighbor, an avid gardener, spends every weekend tending to her plants. ______ her vegetable garden produces more tomatoes than she can eat, so she shares them with the entire block.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, first ignore the answer choices and read the sentence with a blank. Decide what the relationship is between the ideas (cause-and-effect, contrast, example, sequence, or time). Then, look at the choices and match only the one whose meaning fits that relationship, eliminating any that indicate a different connection (such as contrast when the ideas agree, or example when the second idea is actually a result). Always rely on the logic of the sentence, not on what “sounds nice.”
Hints
Compare the two parts of the sentence
Read the part before the blank and the part after it. Ask yourself: Is the second part opposing the first, happening at the same time, giving an example, or showing what happens because of the first?
Check for contrast or agreement
Do the two parts go against each other in meaning, or do they fit together logically? Look at whether the second part seems surprising compared to the first, or expected.
Think about time vs. cause
Some transitions show events happening at the same time, while others show one thing causing another. Decide which type of connection best describes how the gardening relates to the large tomato harvest and sharing with neighbors.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the first idea
Read the first sentence part: "My neighbor, an avid gardener, spends every weekend tending to her plants." This tells us what the neighbor regularly does and emphasizes that she is serious about gardening.
Understand the second idea
Now read the second part: "her vegetable garden produces more tomatoes than she can eat, so she shares them with the entire block." This shows the outcome of her gardening: she has an abundance of tomatoes and then gives them away.
Identify the logical relationship
Ask: How are these two parts connected? Because she spends every weekend gardening, she ends up with many tomatoes. The second part is not a contrast, a separate event, or an example; it is a result of the first part.
Match the relationship to the transition choice
We need a transition that clearly shows that the second idea is the effect of the first one. The only option that correctly expresses this cause-and-effect relationship is "As a result," so the completed sentence is: "My neighbor, an avid gardener, spends every weekend tending to her plants. As a result, her vegetable garden produces more tomatoes than she can eat, so she shares them with the entire block."