Transition Words on the SAT: Before and After Matter Most

On the digital SAT, each module has two to three transition word questions. So, mastering the approach for this type of questions will surely contribute to your SAT score.

Transition Words

Transition words are adverbs that show a shift in thought or a connection between ideas before and after the word. They help guide the reader smoothly from one sentence to the next.

Many students believe that longer essays always earn higher scores. However, quality matters more than quantity.

In this example, the transition word however signals a clear contrast between the two ideas. The first sentence states a common belief about essay grading, while the second introduces the opposite view.

Here, the contrast becomes sharper and easier to notice thanks to the transitional adverb “however.”

We have spent years for collecting data. This experiment will, therefore, provide conclusive data.

A transition word doesn’t always have to appear at the beginning of a sentence. It can also be placed in the middle or at the end, without changing its meaning. In this example, “therefore” shows that the second sentence is the logical conclusion of the first.

Locations of Transition Word

A transition word can appear in three main positions:

• At the beginning of a sentence (sentence-initial)
• In the middle of a sentence (usually after the subject)
• At the end of a sentence

Although the position can vary, the meaning stays the same: the transition still connects the sentence before it with the one that follows. The only real difference is tone. Placing a transition word in the middle or at the end of a sentence tends to sound slightly more formal.

Here’s an example to illustrate this idea:

Sustainable agriculture aims to reduce environmental harm while maintaining high productivity. Some farms, for instance, have begun rotating crops and planting cover crops to enrich the soil and minimize the need for chemical fertilizers.

In this example, the transitional expression for instance appears in the middle of the sentence, giving the statement a slightly more formal tone. It can also appear at the beginning:

Sustainable agriculture aims to reduce environmental harm while maintaining high productivity. For instance, some farms have begun rotating crops and planting cover crops to enrich the soil and minimize the need for chemical fertilizers.

Or at the end:

Sustainable agriculture aims to reduce environmental harm while maintaining high productivity. Some farms have begun rotating crops and planting cover crops to enrich the soil and minimize the need for chemical fertilizers, for instance.

Regardless of its position, the meaning stays the same. It signals an example that supports the previous idea.

Focus on Before and After the Blank

For most transition word questions, the key is to check the parts before and after the blank. Focus on how the two ideas are related. For example, if the sentences contrast with each other, a transition word like “however,” “nevertheless,” or “in contrast” would fit naturally.

Let’s see how this approach works in an actual SAT-style question.

During the Harlem Renaissance, artists and writers used their work to express cultural pride and resist racial stereotypes. Langston Hughes explored themes of identity and resilience through poetry. ______, visual artists like Aaron Douglas incorporated African heritage and contemporary struggles into striking murals.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

Similarly,

Nevertheless,

As a result,

In contrast,

None

Time's up

Here’s another question asking a transition word.

During the early Industrial Revolution, textile production surged, driving demand for raw cotton across the Atlantic. The expansion of cotton plantations in the American South, ______, was deeply tied to the forced labor of enslaved people, linking industrial growth in Europe to the intensification of slavery in the Americas.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

for example

in turn

moreover

in contrast

None

Time's up

Transition Words/Expressions Often Appear on the SAT

The following is a list of transition words and expressions that frequently appear on the SAT.

Practice Questions

Question 1

The theory of spontaneous generation, which claimed that life could emerge from nonliving matter, dominated scientific thought for centuries. It persisted despite growing evidence to the contrary, and it discouraged exploration into microbial causes of disease. ______, it wasn’t until Louis Pasteur’s experiments in the 19th century that the theory was finally discredited, paving the way for modern germ theory.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

In contrast

For instance

As a result

Nevertheless

None

Time's up

Question 2

By the early 20th century, many physicists believed that classical mechanics could explain nearly all physical phenomena. That assumption held until new observations at the atomic level revealed behavior that defied classical predictions. ______, the development of quantum mechanics became necessary to account for particles acting in unpredictable and probabilistic ways.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

Nevertheless

Furthermore

Instead

Therefore

None

Time's up