Educerie · SAT · Reading and Writing
Expression of Ideas · EOI.2 Transitions
What you must be able to do
| You must be able to | What it looks like on the test |
|---|---|
| Name the logical relation between two sentences | Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition? |
| Match that relation to the right transition | Four options, usually from four different relation families |
| Ignore what the passage does elsewhere | Only these two sentences decide it |
1The idea in one paragraph
A transition is a signpost between two sentences, and only one relation can be true of any pair. Read both sentences, say what the second does to the first in the plainest word you own — but, so, and, for example — and then find the option that means that word. The test never rewards the more sophisticated transition; it rewards the correct relation.
Cover the options before you read the sentences. If you read four transitions first, each one will make its own relation sound plausible when you get to the text.
2The eight relations, and the words that carry them
| Relation | Say it plainly | Transitions |
|---|---|---|
| Addition | and, also | furthermore · moreover · in addition · additionally |
| Contrast | but | however · nevertheless · nonetheless · by contrast · on the other hand · still |
| Cause and effect | so | therefore · thus · consequently · as a result · accordingly · hence |
| Example | like this one | for example · for instance |
| Restatement | put differently | in other words · that is |
| Concession | fair enough, but | admittedly · granted · to be sure · of course |
| Sequence | next | first · then · subsequently · finally · meanwhile |
| Similarity | the same is true of | similarly · likewise |
Learn the left column. The right column follows from it, and the test only ever offers one word per relation in a given question.
3Contrast and cause are the pair that decides your score
However and therefore are offered together on almost every form, because reversing the relation is the cleanest way to build a wrong answer. They are opposites in function: one says the second sentence cuts against the first, the other says it follows from it.
If you are choosing between them, read the two sentences again and ask a single question: is the second sentence a consequence of the first, or a complication of it? There is always one answer.
4Example versus restatement
For example introduces one instance of a general claim. In other words says the same thing again in different words. Students pick for example by default; the test knows this.
The building was designed for a colder climate. ______ its windows are small and deeply recessed. — the second sentence is an instance of the design, so for example.
The building was designed for a colder climate. ______ it was built to keep heat in. — the second restates the first, so in other words.
5Concession is the one people have never been taught
Admittedly, granted and to be sure concede a point before pushing back. The shape is: the writer acknowledges something that weakens their case, then continues anyway.
The method is slow and expensive. ______ it remains the only technique that preserves the pigment. — Admittedly would go before "slow and expensive"; here, after it, you want a contrast: Nevertheless.
That ordering is the whole skill. A concession points forward at a coming objection; a contrast answers one already made.
6What the passage does elsewhere is irrelevant
A transition question is local. The paragraph may be building a contrast overall, and the two sentences at the blank may still be in a cause relation. Read only the sentence before and the sentence after. Everything else is decoration.
7Substituting the plain word
The fastest check in this unit: put your plain word in the blank and read the pair.
The kiln cooled too quickly. ______ the glaze cracked. → "so" reads perfectly → cause → Therefore or As a result.
If your plain word is but and the option is therefore, you have not misread the transition — you have found the trap.
Where points are lost
- Reading the options first. Four transitions will each argue for their own relation.
- Picking by sophistication. Notwithstanding is not more correct than but.
- Reversing cause and contrast. The most common wrong answer on this skill, by a distance.
- Defaulting to for example where the second sentence restates rather than illustrates.
- Reading the whole paragraph. The relation is between two sentences only.
- Forgetting that however can concede as well as contrast — check whether an objection has already been made.
- Taking 60 seconds. Thirty is plenty once the table is memorised.
Read it right
- Cover the options.
- Read the sentence before and the sentence after. Nothing else.
- Say the relation in one plain word: and, but, so, like this one, put differently.
- Uncover, and find the option that means that word.
- Read the pair back with it in place.
Try it
Q1. The survey found that two-thirds of the town's wells had dried by August. ______ the council introduced rationing in early September.
A) However, B) Consequently, C) Similarly, D) In other words,
Q2. Solar panels lose efficiency as they heat, which is why desert installations underperform their laboratory ratings. ______ the same panels in cool, bright conditions can exceed them.
A) Therefore, B) For instance, C) By contrast, D) Moreover,
Q3. The technique requires eleven separate firings and takes four months. ______ no other method produces the depth of colour that collectors pay for.
A) Nevertheless, B) Consequently, C) Likewise, D) Finally,
Q4. Octopuses can solve problems that defeat most vertebrates. ______ one captive octopus learned to open a screw-top jar by watching a neighbour do it.
A) In other words, B) For example, C) However, D) Subsequently,
Q5. The new alloy is lighter than steel and does not corrode. ______ it costs nine times as much to produce, which has kept it out of general use.
A) Moreover, B) Therefore, C) Admittedly, D) In addition,
In one breath
Cover the options, read only the sentence before and the sentence after, and say what the second does to the first in the plainest word you have — and, but, so, like this one, put differently. Then pick the transition that means that word. Contrast and cause are offered together on nearly every form because reversing them is the easiest wrong answer to build, so when you are choosing between however and therefore, ask whether the second sentence is a consequence of the first or a complication of it.
Answers
Q1. B — Consequently. the rationing follows from the wells drying Plain word: so. A reverses it into a contrast. C claims two similar things where the second is a result of the first. D would require the second sentence to restate the first, and rationing is not another way of saying the wells dried.
Q2. C — By contrast. desert underperformance against cool-condition overperformance Plain word: but. A makes the second sentence a consequence of heat loss, which reverses it. B offers cool conditions as an instance of underperformance, which it is the opposite of. D adds agreement where the sentences disagree.
Q3. A — Nevertheless. the cost is conceded, then outweighed The first sentence is a drawback; the second says it is worth it anyway. B would make the depth of colour a result of the method being slow. C claims similarity between an objection and a defence. D treats the second sentence as the last item in a sequence that does not exist.
Q4. B — For example. the jar is one instance of the general claim The octopus and the jar illustrate problem-solving. A would require the second sentence to restate the first, and it is narrower than that. C sets up a contradiction that never comes. D puts the two sentences in a time order the passage does not give.
Q5. C — Admittedly. a concession before the objection that follows The first sentence praises the alloy; the second concedes the cost — and the clause after the comma shows the concession is doing work, since the cost has kept it out of use. A and D both add another advantage, and the cost is not one. B would make the high cost a consequence of the alloy being light and rust-proof.
Educerie · written from the published College Board* Assessment Framework for the Digital SAT Suite *(Expression of Ideas, skill/knowledge testing point "Transitions"). All sentences, options and explanations are original Educerie text. Last reviewed 12 September 2026.
Check your understanding
The main ideas of this note. Tick each one you could do now, in an exam, without looking back up. Anything you cannot tick yet is the part to read again.