Question 211·Easy·Transitions
In many species of songbirds, only the males sing complex melodies to attract mates. _____ in the northern cardinal, both males and females sing, often in coordinated duets.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, first ignore the answer choices and focus on the relationship between the ideas: are they similar, opposite, cause-and-effect, an example, or happening in time order? Once you have labeled the relationship (for example, contrast vs. similarity), eliminate any options whose basic meaning does not match that relationship, then choose the transition whose function (contrast, addition, cause/effect, time, etc.) best fits how the second idea connects to the first. Always make sure the transition works logically when you read the full sentence back to yourself.
Hints
Compare the two descriptions
Look closely at what is said about "many species of songbirds" and what is said about "the northern cardinal." Are they doing the same thing, or something different?
Identify the relationship type
Ask yourself whether the second part is showing a result, a similarity, something happening at the same time, or a difference from the first part.
Connect relationship to transition meanings
Think about what each option usually does in a sentence: one shows result, one shows similarity, one shows time, and one shows difference. Match that to the relationship you found between the two ideas.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what each part of the sentence is saying
Read the two ideas carefully:
- First part: "In many species of songbirds, only the males sing complex melodies to attract mates." This tells us what usually happens in many songbird species.
- Second part: "_____ in the northern cardinal, both males and females sing, often in coordinated duets." This tells us what happens in one particular species, the northern cardinal.
Notice that the second part is comparing the northern cardinal to the general pattern described in the first part.
Decide how the two ideas are related
Ask yourself: Is the northern cardinal an example that follows the same pattern, a cause or result of that pattern, something happening at the same time, or an exception to it?
- In many species: only males sing.
- In the northern cardinal: both males and females sing.
This means the northern cardinal behaves differently from the general pattern; it is an exception, so the relationship is a difference between the two ideas.
Match each transition type to the relationship
Now think about what kind of relationship each transition word usually shows:
- "Therefore" suggests a cause-and-effect or conclusion.
- "Likewise" suggests a similarity (doing the same kind of thing).
- "Meanwhile" suggests something happening at the same time.
- One of the options signals a contrast or difference.
Since we already saw that the northern cardinal is behaving differently from the many other species, we need the transition that shows a contrast between the two statements.
Choose the transition that shows contrast
Because the second clause describes a pattern that is different from the typical one (both males and females sing, instead of only males), the most logical transition is the one that signals contrast: D) In contrast.