Question 187·Easy·Transitions
Solar energy is becoming increasingly affordable. ______ homeowners across the country are installing rooftop panels at record rates.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, first read the sentences without looking at the choices and ask yourself how the ideas are related (same idea, example, cause-and-effect, contrast, condition/alternative, etc.). Then, classify each answer choice by the kind of relationship it signals and eliminate any that don’t match the relationship you identified—this is faster and more reliable than trying each option by sound alone.
Hints
Check the relationship between the two sentences
Ask yourself: Is the second sentence giving another similar point, an opposite point, a result, or a different possibility compared to the first sentence?
Decide if it’s cause-and-effect
Does the affordability of solar energy help explain why homeowners are installing rooftop panels at record rates? If so, you’re looking for a transition that shows that kind of connection.
Classify the answer choices by type
Before choosing, quickly think: Which option suggests similarity, which suggests contrast, which suggests an alternative, and which suggests a result?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what each sentence is saying
Read both sentences together:
- First: "Solar energy is becoming increasingly affordable." This presents a situation or cause.
- Second: "______ homeowners across the country are installing rooftop panels at record rates." This describes something that is happening related to the first sentence.
Think about whether the second sentence is giving an example, a result, an opposite idea, or a different possibility.
Identify the logical relationship
Ask: Why are homeowners installing rooftop panels at record rates?
It makes sense to say they are installing more panels because solar energy is more affordable. That means the second sentence is a result of the first one. So you need a transition that shows a cause-and-effect relationship between the two sentences.
Match each option to its relationship type
Now, quickly label what each transition usually shows:
- "Similarly," suggests a similar example or comparison.
- "In contrast," introduces an opposite or contrasting idea.
- "Otherwise," often introduces an alternative or what would happen if not.
- One option shows result/cause-and-effect.
Because the second sentence is a result of the first, you must choose the transition that signals cause-and-effect. That option is "Consequently,".