SAT Reading and Writing: Transitions
Master transitions to craft logical, cohesive writing—connect sentences and ideas for clarity, flow, and top SAT success.
By NUM8ERS SAT Prep Team | Updated October 2025
What Are Transitions?
Transitions are words or phrases that show logical relationships between ideas, sentences, or paragraphs. Correct transitions signal whether information adds, contrasts, causes, exemplifies, or summarizes.
Only transitions that precisely match the relationship between ideas keep writing clear and logical.
Top Tips for SAT Transitions
- Reread before & after: Check the relationship between sentences or clauses—not just the meaning of the transition word itself.
- Classify the logic: Is the next idea adding, contrasting, showing cause/effect, exemplifying, or summarizing?
- Plug in & paraphrase: Pretend the transition is blank—then paraphrase the connection and match the best choice.
- Avoid overused transitions: Words like “however” or “for example” are only correct if the precise logic matches—don’t default to them.
- Use process of elimination: Most wrong answers are from the wrong logic category.
- Test reversibility: Sometimes switching transitions (although vs. despite that) changes the meaning completely—be exact!
Common Types of SAT Transitions
| Relationship | Transition Words |
|---|---|
| Addition | furthermore, in addition, also, moreover |
| Contrast | however, nevertheless, on the other hand, instead |
| Cause/Effect | therefore, consequently, as a result, thus |
| Example/Emphasis | for example, in fact, indeed, especially |
| Sequence/Summary | meanwhile, then, next, finally, in summary |
Worked Example 1: Choosing the Best Contrast Transition
Sentence Pair:
The study found that regular sleep improves memory retention. [____], sleep deprivation was associated with increased forgetfulness.
Which transition best fills the blank?
Explanation: “However” signals contrast, fitting the logical shift between improvement and worsening. A is correct.
Worked Example 2: Cause/Effect
Sentence: Carbon emissions from vehicles have risen in recent years. [____], lawmakers have introduced stricter pollution controls.
Which transition best fills the blank?
Explanation: “As a result” ties cause (rising emissions) to effect (stricter controls). D is correct.
Worked Example 3: Addition
Sentence: Renewable energy creates new jobs in manufacturing and installation. [____], it reduces carbon emissions.
Which transition best fills the blank?
Explanation: “Furthermore” adds a second, positive benefit. B is correct.
Worked Example 4: Illustration/Example
Sentence: Many mammals exhibit social behavior. [____], elephants form lifelong family groups and cooperate in raising young.
Which transition best fills the blank?
Explanation: “For example” introduces the illustration (elephants). A is correct.
Quick Example: Wrong Transition Trap
She wanted to go for a walk. Nevertheless, it started raining heavily.
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
- Avoid picking a transition that “sounds good” but doesn’t match the passage’s logical connection.
- Don’t confuse contrast with addition or cause/effect—precision is essential.
- Watch for subtle negatives or double negatives in sentence structure.
- Don’t use two transitions when one is required (“however, nevertheless”).
- Be alert to overused transitions that are not specific to the relationship you need.
Key Takeaways
- Always classify the relationship between sentences before selecting a transition (add, contrast, cause/effect, example, sequence).
- Reread both sides—don’t just focus on the phrase.
- Precision separates easy SAT questions from hard ones—be literal about logic.
- Plug every answer into the sentence; test both grammatically and logically.
- Eliminate shortcuts—logical flow beats “what feels right” every time.
Study & Practice Strategy
Transition Sorting Drills
- Label each transition in SAT passages as addition, contrast, cause/effect, or example.
- Create your own pairs of sentences and try swapping transitions for practice.
Use Official Questions
- Practice with digital SAT writing passages—identify the logic of every transition you encounter.
- Review explanations and collect examples of tricky logic shifts.
Related SAT Skills
- Sentence Boundaries
- Logical Sequencing
- Paragraph Structure
🎓 NUM8ERS Transitions Mastery
NUM8ERS Dubai instructors help students master transitions for bulletproof writing flow and logic. Our targeted drills and strategy tips boost both score and confidence on SAT Expression of Ideas.