Question 29·Medium·Transitions
Archaeologists recently discovered a series of clay tablets that record trading transactions between ancient cities. The inscriptions show that merchants tracked quantities of grain, textiles, and metals with remarkable precision. ______ these documents reveal a sophisticated accounting system that predates previously known examples by several centuries.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, first ignore the choices and decide in your own words how the ideas relate: are you seeing addition, contrast, cause-and-effect, time sequence, or an example? Then label each answer choice by its usual function (contrast like “however,” cause-effect like “therefore,” example like “for instance,” etc.) and pick the one whose function matches the relationship you already identified. This prevents you from being distracted by words that sound good but don’t fit the logic.
Hints
Focus on the relationship between the sentences
Ask yourself: Does the third sentence oppose the first two, describe something happening at the same time, give a specific instance, or draw a conclusion from them?
Ignore the answer choices at first
Cover the options and read the paragraph straight through. Think in your own words: “The tablets show precise records, ___ they show an advanced system.” What kind of connection naturally fills that blank?
Classify the answer choices by their purpose
Think about what type of connection each word usually makes: contrast, time, example, or conclusion/result. Then pick the one whose type matches the relationship you noticed in the paragraph.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand how the ideas are connected
Read the paragraph without the blank and think about the relationship between the first two sentences and the last one.
- First two sentences: archaeologists found tablets showing merchants tracked goods with remarkable precision.
- Last sentence: says these documents reveal a sophisticated accounting system that is older than any previously known.
Ask yourself: Is the last sentence contrasting with the earlier ones, happening at the same time, giving an example, or stating a result/conclusion based on the evidence?
Identify what each transition word usually does
Now think about the typical job of each choice:
- However,: introduces a contrast or opposing idea.
- Meanwhile,: shows that something else is happening at the same time.
- Consequently,: shows a result or effect that follows from what was just mentioned.
- For example,: introduces a specific instance of a more general statement.
Compare these functions to the relationship you saw in Step 1.
Match the function to the context and choose the answer
The first two sentences provide evidence: the merchants tracked various goods with great precision. The final sentence is a conclusion drawn from that evidence—because the records are so precise, we can tell there was a sophisticated accounting system.
This is a cause-and-effect / evidence-to-conclusion relationship, not a contrast, a simultaneous event, or an example. The transition that clearly shows a result from the previous information is “Consequently,”, so the correct answer is C) Consequently,.