Question 194·Medium·Transitions
Many meteorologists predicted the hurricane would weaken before reaching the coastline: sea-surface temperatures along its projected path were relatively cool. ______ the storm rapidly intensified, making landfall as a Category 4 hurricane.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, first ignore the choices and decide how the two sentences or clauses relate: are they adding similar information, contrasting or showing an unexpected result, giving a cause and its effect, or providing an example or clarification? Once you’ve labeled the relationship (e.g., contrast, cause/effect, example), eliminate any options that don’t match that relationship type. Then plug the remaining option into the sentence and read it through to confirm that the logic and tone are smooth and consistent.
Hints
Check the meaning of each part of the sentence
Before looking at the choices, summarize in your own words what happens in the first part (before the blank) and what happens in the second part (after the blank). Are they saying the same thing, different things, or is one causing the other?
Decide how the ideas relate
Ask yourself: Did the prediction come true, or did something unexpected happen instead? That relationship (prediction vs outcome) is what the transition must show.
Classify the transition types
Each choice represents a different kind of connection: result/cause-effect, example, similarity, or contrast. Decide which type best matches the relationship you noticed between the prediction and what actually happened.
Test by reading the sentence out loud
Try each option in the blank and read the full sentence. Which one makes the logic between the two parts clear and natural, without changing the meaning?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the first part says
The first part of the sentence tells us that many meteorologists predicted the hurricane would weaken before reaching the coastline. It also gives a reason: sea-surface temperatures along its projected path were relatively cool.
Understand what the second part says
The second part tells us that the opposite of the prediction happened: the storm rapidly intensified and made landfall as a strong Category 4 hurricane, not a weaker one.
Identify the relationship between the two parts
So, the first part presents an expectation (weakening), and the second part presents an outcome that contradicts that expectation (rapid intensification). This means the logical relationship between the two is one of contrast or an unexpected result, not an example, similarity, or straightforward cause-and-effect.
Match each answer choice to its type of relationship
Now, think about what type of transition each option signals:
- "Consequently," shows result or cause-and-effect.
- "For instance," introduces an example.
- "Likewise," shows similarity between two ideas.
- One remaining option shows contrast between ideas. Because the sentence moves from an expectation to the opposite outcome, we need the contrast transition. That correct contrast transition is "However,".