Question 192·Hard·Transitions
Many urban planners praise "15-minute cities" as a remedy for long commutes, arguing that essential services should be reachable by foot or bicycle. _____ critics worry that such redesigns could inflate housing costs in the very neighborhoods they aim to improve.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, first ignore the answer choices and decide how the ideas before and after the blank relate: are they in agreement, in contrast, cause/effect, or just happening at the same time? Summarize each side in a few words (e.g., “praise” vs. “worry”) to see the relationship clearly. Then quickly classify each option by function (similarity, contrast, cause/effect, time) and pick the one whose function matches the relationship you identified, eliminating choices that don’t fit that logical connection even if they sound formal or sophisticated.
Hints
Check the tone of each part
Is the first part of the sentence positive, negative, or neutral, and how does the second part compare? Are they aligned, or does the second part push back against the first?
Decide what kind of relationship connects the ideas
Ask yourself: Is the second clause a result of the first, similar to it, simply happening at the same time, or does it complicate or oppose the first idea?
Match each option to a relationship type
Before picking an answer, label each transition word in your head as cause/effect, similarity, time/simultaneity, or contrast, and then choose the one whose type matches the relationship you found in the sentence.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the relationship between the two ideas
Read the full sentence with the blank:
"Many urban planners praise '15-minute cities' as a remedy for long commutes, arguing that essential services should be reachable by foot or bicycle. _____ critics worry that such redesigns could inflate housing costs in the very neighborhoods they aim to improve."
The first sentence is positive (praising a remedy). The second clause introduces a concern or problem (critics worry about higher housing costs). That means the ideas are in tension: praise vs. worry.
Identify what type of transition is needed
Because the second part pushes back against or complicates the first part, the sentence needs a contrast transition word (something like “however,” “but,” or “on the other hand” in meaning) rather than a word that shows cause/effect, similarity, or just time.
Classify each answer choice by its function
Go through each option and decide what kind of relationship it shows:
- "as a result" = shows cause and effect (the second thing happens because of the first).
- "similarly" = shows similarity (the second idea is like the first).
- "meanwhile" = shows time or simultaneous events (two things happening at the same time, not necessarily related in meaning).
- One remaining choice (the correct answer) is commonly used to show contrast between two statements.
Match the transition type to the sentence and choose the answer
The sentence does not show that critics’ worries are caused by the praise (so "as a result" is wrong), nor that critics’ worries are similar to the praise (so "similarly" is wrong), nor simply that critics are thinking this at the same time (so "meanwhile" is wrong). Instead, the critics’ concern contrasts with the planners’ praise.
Therefore, the transition that correctly signals contrast is D) yet.