Question 238·Easy·Transitions
Traditional incandescent bulbs convert only about 10 percent of the electricity they consume into light. ______ LEDs convert most of the electricity into light, making them far more efficient.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, first ignore the answer choices and read the surrounding sentences or clauses to understand the relationship between them (same, opposite, example, or cause-and-effect). Once you’ve decided the relationship, quickly categorize each option’s usual meaning (similarity words, contrast words, example words, result words) and eliminate any that don’t match. This approach prevents you from guessing based on how the choices “sound” and focuses you on the actual logic of the sentence.
Hints
Read the full idea first
Cover the blank and read the entire sentence to understand what it says about incandescent bulbs and what it says about LEDs.
Identify the relationship
Ask yourself: Is the sentence showing that LEDs are like incandescent bulbs, unlike them, an example of them, or a result of something about them?
Connect meaning to transition types
Think about what each transition word usually signals: some show similarity, some show difference, some introduce examples, and some show cause-and-effect. Match the type of relationship you found to the appropriate kind of transition.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what each part of the sentence is saying
Read the sentence without worrying about the transition word:
"Traditional incandescent bulbs convert only about 10 percent of the electricity they consume into light. ___ LEDs convert most of the electricity into light, making them far more efficient."
The first part says incandescent bulbs are inefficient (only about 10% becomes light). The second part says LEDs are efficient (they convert most of the electricity into light).
Decide the logical relationship between the two parts
Ask: How does the information about LEDs relate to the information about incandescent bulbs?
- It does not describe the same behavior.
- It does not give an example of incandescent bulbs.
- It does not show a result caused by incandescent bulbs.
Instead, it sets up a comparison where LEDs behave very differently from incandescent bulbs in terms of efficiency.
Match the relationship to the correct transition
Now check each choice against the relationship you identified:
- Similarly, suggests the second idea is like the first, but LEDs are unlike incandescent bulbs in efficiency.
- For instance, introduces an example, but LEDs are not an example of incandescent bulbs; they are an alternative.
- Consequently, shows a result, but LEDs being efficient is not a result of incandescent bulbs being inefficient.
The only choice that correctly signals that LEDs are being contrasted with incandescent bulbs is “By contrast,” (Choice B).