SAT Transition Words: How to Choose However, Moreover or Consequently
Twenty-seven common transitions sorted by the relationship they signal, each with an example, plus a routine for transition questions.
Transition words are the vocabulary of logic. A word like "however" or "consequently" tells the reader how one sentence relates to the one before it, and choosing the wrong one changes what a passage claims.
You already know most of these words. The skill is naming the relationship between two ideas, then picking the word that states it.
This post is part of the SAT vocabulary series that starts with 40 high-frequency words in context. It sorts 27 common transitions into five relationships, each with a definition and an example, followed by a routine for transition questions.
How transitions show up on the SAT
Transitions is one of two skills the College Board lists under the Expression of Ideas domain of the Reading and Writing section, next to Rhetorical Synthesis (source). The College Board says that domain measures the ability "to revise texts to improve the effectiveness of written expression."
A transition question gives you a short passage with a blank where a connecting word or phrase belongs. You pick the choice that states the logical relationship between the ideas on either side of the blank.
One caveat: the College Board does not publish an SAT word list. The 27 transitions below are common in academic writing, so treat them as high-value, not guaranteed.
Type 1: Contrast and concession
These words signal that the next idea pushes against the one before it. They differ in how: some set two things side by side, some admit a point and move past it, and one swaps the first idea for another.
| Transition | What it signals | Example in context |
|---|---|---|
| however | a point that contrasts with the one before | The trial drug lowered blood pressure. However, it had no effect on heart rate. |
| nevertheless | in spite of what was just said | The expedition had lost half its supplies. Nevertheless, the crew pressed on to the summit. |
| by contrast | two different things set side by side | Coastal towns grew quickly after the railroad arrived. Inland villages, by contrast, lost residents. |
| instead | in place of the thing just mentioned | The council did not repair the old bridge. Instead, it built a new one upstream. |
| conversely | the reverse of the relationship just described | Plants given more light grew taller. Conversely, those kept in shade stayed small. |
| still | even so; a less formal "nevertheless" | The reviews were harsh. Still, the play sold out for months. |
What to check: ask what the second idea does to the first. If it is simply different, use "however" or "by contrast". If it is true in spite of the first, use "nevertheless". If it replaces the first, use "instead".
Type 2: Addition and similarity
These words signal that the next idea continues in the same direction. Some add a new point about the same subject, and some compare a second subject to the first.
| Transition | What it signals | Example in context |
|---|---|---|
| moreover | a further point that strengthens the one before | The new alloy is lighter than steel. Moreover, it resists rust. |
| furthermore | another point in the same direction | The survey reached few rural voters. Furthermore, its questions were worded unclearly. |
| in addition | one more item added to what was said | The grant pays for lab equipment. In addition, it funds two student researchers. |
| similarly | a second case that resembles the first | Bees navigate by the angle of the sun. Similarly, some migrating birds use the sun as a compass. |
| likewise | in the same way | The older sister trained as a violinist. Her brother likewise chose music. |
What to check: "moreover" and "furthermore" add a new point about the same subject. "Similarly" and "likewise" compare two different subjects that behave alike.
Type 3: Cause and effect
These words signal that the next idea follows from the one before it, as a result or as a conclusion. A cause word makes a strong claim, so check that the passage supports it.
| Transition | What it signals | Example in context |
|---|---|---|
| consequently | a result of what was just said | Rainfall was half the yearly average. Consequently, the reservoir fell to a record low. |
| therefore | a logical conclusion; for that reason | The fossil lay beneath a layer of ash dated to 9,000 years ago. Therefore, it must be at least that old. |
| thus | in this way; as a result | The printing press made books cheaper to produce. Thus, more households could afford them. |
| as a result | the outcome of an event | The factory closed in 1985. As a result, hundreds of families left the town. |
| accordingly | an action that fits what was just said | Forecasters predicted a severe storm. Accordingly, the school canceled classes. |
What to check: confirm that the first idea actually produces the second. If the second idea only comes later in time, the relationship is sequence, and a cause word overstates it.
Type 4: Example, clarification and emphasis
These words signal that the next idea stays on the same point and develops it. It might give a case, say the same thing more plainly, or push the claim further.
| Transition | What it signals | Example in context |
|---|---|---|
| for example | a specific case of a general statement | Many desert animals avoid the midday heat. Kangaroo rats, for example, stay in burrows until night. |
| specifically | a statement narrowed to a precise detail | The law changed how cities fund transit. Specifically, it let them charge tolls on downtown roads. |
| in fact | a stronger version of the previous statement | The author was not unknown in her lifetime. In fact, her first novel sold out in a week. |
| indeed | confirmation that intensifies what was said | The bridge was costly. Indeed, it was the most expensive project in the state's history. |
| in other words | the same idea restated more simply | The compound is hydrophobic. In other words, it repels water. |
| that is | the same idea restated more exactly | The species is endemic to the island; that is, it lives nowhere else. |
What to check: decide whether the second sentence is a case of the first ("for example"), the same idea again ("in other words"), or a stronger version of it ("in fact", "indeed").
Type 5: Sequence and time
These words place events in order. They say when something happened relative to something else, and nothing about why.
| Transition | What it signals | Example in context |
|---|---|---|
| previously | before the time just mentioned | The museum opened its new wing in May. Previously, the collection had been kept in storage. |
| subsequently | after the event just mentioned | The author published her first story at nineteen. She subsequently wrote eleven novels. |
| meanwhile | at the same time | Engineers tested the engine in Ohio. Meanwhile, a second team built the wings in Texas. |
| finally | last in a series of steps | The team cleaned the sample, weighed it, and heated it. Finally, they recorded its color. |
| ultimately | in the end, after everything else | The two sides argued for months. Ultimately, they agreed to share the cost. |
What to check: put the events on a timeline and pick the word that matches their order. Leave cause words alone unless the passage states a cause.
Test strategy: a routine for transition questions
The routine has one core move: name the relationship before you look at the choices.
- Read the sentence before the blank. A transition points backward, so the sentence that holds the blank is only half the information.
- Name the relationship in plain words. Same direction, opposite direction, cause, example, or time.
- Predict your own word. Then look for the choice closest to it.
- Sort the choices by relationship. Cross out every choice from the wrong group.
- Separate close choices by their finer meaning. "Nevertheless" concedes, "by contrast" compares, and "instead" replaces.
- Do not choose by sound. A formal word can read smoothly and still state the wrong logic.
- Plug it back in. Reread both sentences with your choice in place.
- Always answer. The SAT has no penalty for wrong answers, so eliminate what you can and guess.
For official practice, the College Board's free Student Question Bank lets you pull Transitions questions on their own.
Try it: three practice questions
These three questions use transitions from this post. Answers and explanations follow the third question.
Question 1. Sea otters eat sea urchins, which graze on kelp. Where otters were hunted to near extinction, urchin numbers exploded. ______ kelp forests in those waters shrank dramatically.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
- A) Consequently,
- B) Nevertheless,
- C) For example,
- D) Similarly,
Question 2. Many early critics dismissed the novel as sentimental. Later scholars, ______ have praised its careful structure and sharp social observation.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
- A) therefore,
- B) by contrast,
- C) in addition,
- D) specifically,
Question 3. The city's bike-share program has been popular with commuters. ______ ridership on weekday mornings has doubled since the program began.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
- A) However,
- B) In fact,
- C) Instead,
- D) Meanwhile,
Answers
- A, Consequently. Fewer otters meant more urchins, and more urchins meant less kelp, so the last sentence is a result. "Nevertheless" would mean the kelp shrank in spite of the urchins.
- B, by contrast. The later scholars' praise is set against the early critics' dismissal. "Therefore" would make the praise a result of the dismissal.
- B, In fact. The second sentence backs up "popular" with a stronger, more specific statement. "However" and "Instead" signal a contrast that is not there.
Next time you read an article, circle its transitions and name the relationship each one signals.
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