Question 91·Easy·Transitions
Green roofs—rooftops covered with layers of soil and vegetation—are becoming increasingly popular in cities. They help insulate buildings and reduce stormwater runoff. _____ installing a green roof can lower a building’s cooling costs during hot summer months.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, first ignore the answer choices and briefly describe in your own words how the second sentence relates to the first (same idea, contrast, example, cause/effect, etc.). Then, classify each option by the relationship it signals (contrast words like "however," cause-effect words like "therefore," additive words, etc.) and eliminate any that don’t match your description. Be careful not to pick a transition just because it “sounds good”—it must precisely match the logical connection between the sentences.
Hints
Check the overall message
Reread the sentences before and after the blank and ask: Are they all positive statements about green roofs, or is there a shift to something negative or surprising?
Identify the relationship between the sentences
Look at the sentence after the blank: does it seem to oppose the previous sentence, explain a result of it, or simply give one more benefit?
Classify the transition types
Think about what each transition usually does: one signals contrast or exception, one highlights a difference, one signals cause-and-effect, and one just connects an additional point. Match the relationship you found to the right type.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what each sentence is saying
Read the three sentences together:
- Sentence 1: Explains what green roofs are.
- Sentence 2: States two benefits: they insulate buildings and reduce stormwater runoff.
- Sentence 3 (after the blank): Says that installing a green roof can lower a building’s cooling costs.
All of these are positive statements about benefits of green roofs.
Decide how the third sentence relates to the second
Ask yourself: Is the third sentence
- contrasting with the previous sentence,
- showing an unexpected outcome, or
- giving a result of it,
- or simply adding another similar benefit?
The third sentence is another good thing green roofs do (lower cooling costs), just like insulating and reducing runoff. It does not disagree with or go against the earlier ideas, and it isn’t clearly presented as a consequence of just one specific earlier point; it’s another benefit.
Match the relationship to the transition types
Now think about the types of transitions in the answer choices:
- "Still," suggests a contrast or exception ("even so").
- "By contrast," signals an opposite or very different idea.
- "As a result," signals a clear cause-and-effect relationship.
- One remaining option simply introduces an extra, similar point.
Since the third sentence is another benefit in the same direction as the second (no contrast, no clear cause-effect structure), we need the transition that just adds information. Therefore, the correct choice is D) In addition,.