Question 166·Easy·Transitions
Author Alice Monroe published her debut novel in 2005 to modest acclaim. _____ her third book, released in 2015, earned international awards and established her as a major literary voice.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, first summarize in simple words how the two sentences or clauses relate: Are they showing cause and effect, contrast, time order, an example, or something happening at the same time? Then, classify each answer choice by its usual function (contrast, example, time, etc.) and eliminate any that do not match the relationship you identified. Always check that the chosen transition makes both logical and grammatical sense when you read the sentence straight through.
Hints
Identify the relationship between the two parts
Ask yourself: Is the second part giving a contrast, a time change, an example, or something happening at the same time as the first part?
Pay attention to the years mentioned
Notice that the first event happens in 2005 and the second book is released in 2015. How many years apart are these events, and what kind of transition would highlight that?
Match each option to its function
Think about what each choice usually signals: which one indicates contrast, which suggests an example, which means at the same time, and which marks the passage of time between events?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the first sentence is saying
Read the first sentence: "Author Alice Monroe published her debut novel in 2005 to modest acclaim." This tells us when something happened (2005) and how it was received (only modestly). It sets up an early point in her career with limited success.
Understand what the second sentence is adding
The second part says: "her third book, released in 2015, earned international awards and established her as a major literary voice." This shows a later event in her career (2015) with much greater success (international awards, major literary voice). The key relationship is that time has passed and her level of success has changed.
Decide what kind of transition is needed
We need a transition that:
- Connects the 2005 book to the 2015 book
- Shows that time has passed between these two points
- Smoothly links the earlier modest acclaim to later major success This is about sequence over time, not giving an example, not showing something happening at the same time, and not expressing contrast like "in spite of."
Evaluate each answer choice for that relationship
Check each option:
- "Nevertheless," shows contrast or something unexpected despite what came before—not just a later event.
- "For example," introduces a specific instance of a general statement, but the first sentence is already specific, not general.
- "Meanwhile," suggests two things happening at the same time, but the years 2005 and 2015 are clearly not simultaneous.
- "Ten years later," directly marks the time gap between 2005 and 2015 and smoothly links the earlier modest success to the later major success. So the correct answer is A) Ten years later,.