Question 84·Hard·Transitions
Many economists argue that gig-economy platforms empower workers by offering unparalleled flexibility. ______, mounting evidence suggests that the same platforms depress wages by flooding markets with an oversupply of labor.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, always ignore the answer choices at first and focus on the relationship between the sentence before and after the blank: is it support, cause/effect, contrast, example, or restatement? Once you label that relationship (for example, "contrast"), quickly eliminate choices whose meanings do not match (like similarity or restatement words) and then select the one that clearly signals the relationship you identified, rather than what merely "sounds good."
Hints
Check the attitude in each part
Look at the words used to describe gig-economy platforms before and after the blank. Are they mostly positive or negative in each part?
Figure out the relationship between the two parts
Ask yourself: Does the second part support the first, explain a result of the first, show a similar idea, restate the first in different words, or go against it?
Match that relationship to the transition types
Think about which choices usually introduce a result, which show similarity, which restate an idea, and which show that the next idea goes in an opposing or different direction from what came before.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the first idea
Focus on the first sentence: "Many economists argue that gig-economy platforms empower workers by offering unparalleled flexibility." This presents a positive argument about gig-economy platforms (they "empower" workers and offer "unparalleled flexibility").
Understand the second idea
Now read the second part: "mounting evidence suggests that the same platforms depress wages by flooding markets with an oversupply of labor." This presents a negative point about the same platforms (they "depress wages" and create an "oversupply of labor").
Identify how the ideas relate
Put the two ideas together: one is positive and one is negative about the same thing. The second does not show a result of the first, it is not similar to the first, and it is not simply restating the first in different words. Instead, it challenges or contrasts with the first idea.
Match the relationship to the correct transition
You now want the answer choice that signals a contrast between two opposing ideas. Among the choices, “However,” is the transition that shows contrast, so the correct answer is C) However,.