Question 175·Easy·Transitions
Pluto was once classified as the ninth planet in our solar system. ______ astronomers reclassified it as a dwarf planet in 2006 after the discovery of several similarly sized bodies in the Kuiper Belt.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, always read at least one sentence before and after the blank, then label the relationship in simple terms: time (before/after), cause-and-effect (reason/result), contrast (opposites), or similarity (alike ideas). Next, quickly match each answer choice to one of these relationship types and eliminate any that don’t match your label. Finally, plug the remaining option back into the sentence to confirm it creates a clear, logical connection without changing the meaning or tone.
Hints
Look at both sentences together
Read the first sentence and then the second as one connected idea. Ask yourself: how does the second sentence relate to the first?
Decide the type of relationship
Is the second sentence describing something that happened suddenly, something that took a long time, something similar, or a result of what came before?
Check the meaning of each transition
Think about what each option usually signals: a sudden change, a delayed outcome, a result, or a similarity. Which type best connects the discovery of similar objects and the change in Pluto’s status?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the second sentence is doing
Read the second sentence: "______ astronomers reclassified it as a dwarf planet in 2006 after the discovery of several similarly sized bodies in the Kuiper Belt."
This sentence explains what happened (reclassification) after something else happened (discovery of similar bodies). Ask: Is this mainly about time, comparison, or cause-and-effect?
Identify the relationship between the two ideas
Combine both sentences in your mind:
- First: "Pluto was once classified as the ninth planet in our solar system."
- Second: astronomers reclassified it as a dwarf planet after discovering similarly sized bodies.
The discovery of other similar bodies is the reason or cause for changing Pluto’s status. So the relationship is cause-and-effect (reason → result), not just a sequence in time or a comparison.
Match each transition type to its meaning
Review what each option normally signals:
- "Suddenly," shows something happening quickly or unexpectedly.
- "Eventually," shows something happening after a long time or after a process.
- "Consequently," shows a result or outcome caused by earlier information.
- "Similarly," shows that what follows is like or comparable to what came before.
Only one of these words directly signals that the reclassification is the result of the discoveries.
Choose the transition that fits a cause-and-effect relationship
Because the sentence shows that astronomers changed Pluto’s classification as a result of finding similarly sized bodies, the best transition is the one that expresses a result: "Consequently,", which correctly links the cause (the discovery) to its effect (the reclassification).