An SAT Reading & Writing micro-topic under Transitions (Expression of Ideas + Standard English Conventions). Free to read — no account needed.
Transition questions ask which word best links two sentences, and one family of choices signals agreement or addition: also, similarly, likewise, moreover, in addition, furthermore. These words tell the reader "here is more of the same."
The test is simple: does the second sentence agree with or add to the first? "Nuts are good for your health. Similarly, fruits are good for your health." — the two sentences make the same kind of point, so "similarly" fits. If both parts push in the same direction, an agreement transition is right.
The trap is using an agreement word when the second part is really doing something else. If the second part states a result of the first, it needs a cause-and-effect word like "therefore" or "as a result", not "similarly". If it turns against the first, it needs a contrast word like "however". So an agreement word is right only when the second part continues the same idea.
So read both parts and name their relationship before you pick. Same idea restated or extended points to an agreement word; a result points to cause and effect; a turn points to contrast. Matching the transition to the true relationship is the whole task.
Worked examples
Which choice best completes the text? "Solar panels have become far cheaper over the past decade, putting them within reach of ordinary households. ______, advances in battery storage now let families store the power they generate for use after dark." (A) Moreover (B) As a result The second sentence adds a separate advance that also helps households; it is not a consequence of the cheaper panels. Choice (A), an addition transition, fits, while (B) would wrongly claim the battery advances were caused by the price drop, so (A) is correct.
Which choice best completes the text? "For centuries, scribes copied books slowly by hand, so books were rare and costly. ______, the printing press let a single workshop produce thousands of identical copies in the time it once took to make one." (A) Similarly (B) By contrast The second sentence sets the fast printing press against the slow scribes rather than restating the first. Because the parts contrast rather than agree, "Similarly" is wrong, so choice (B), "By contrast", is correct.
Which choice best completes the text? "The new community library extended its opening hours into the evening. ______, it began lending e-books that members could borrow from home." (A) In addition (B) Consequently The e-book lending is another new service the library introduced, not a result of the longer hours. Choice (A), an addition transition, fits, while (B) would wrongly present it as a consequence, so (A) is correct.
Is this one of the topics costing you points?
Take the free 10-question diagnostic for a predicted SAT score and a breakdown of which domains are costing you points.
