Updated September 1, 2026
How to Solve SAT Transitions Questions — 4 Simple Steps + Real Example
Bonus Material: SAT Transitions Quick Reference Guide
On the SAT, you’ll see around 5-6 Transitions questions. They make up around 10% of your overall SAT Reading & Writing score.
That means it’s essential to be prepared for this question type.
The good news is that, once you know a handful of transition words and our 4-step strategy for Transitions questions, you’ll be prepared to answer any Transitions question that comes your way on test day.
First, check out our one-page reference guide to all the Transitions questions you’ll see on SAT Reading & Writing. Grab your free copy at the button below.
Then keep reading for a walkthrough of all the content and strategy you need to know for SAT Transitions questions, plus a guided example applying our strategy to a real, official practice question.
Jump to section:
Recognizing Transitions questions
4-step strategy for Transitions questions
The 3 types of Transitions questions
The 50 most important transition words to know
Guided Example
Next Steps
Recognizing Transitions questions
Transition questions feature a passage with a short blank somewhere, typically between two sentences or phrases. The question will ask you to select the transition word that most logically connects the sentences or phrases.
The key phrasing to look out for is “the most logical transition.”
Here’s what that might look like:
Award-winning travel writer Linda Watanabe McFerrin considers the background research she conducts on destinations featured in her travel books to be its own reward. ______ McFerrin admits to finding the research phase of her work just as fascinating and engaging as exploring a location in person.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. By contrast,
B. Likewise,
C. Besides,
D. In fact,
Source: SAT Educator Question Bank
4-Step strategy for Transitions Questions
When you recognize that you’re looking at a Transitions question, the strategy is to identify the transition type and choose the matching transition word.
If that sounds like a lot, don’t worry: we’ll break down the types of transition questions and the transition words you need to know later in this post. If you need to, read those sections first and then come back to the strategy.
Let’s break down the Transitions question strategy step by step.
- Categorize the relationship between the first part of the passage and the second part (the part after the blank). Does the second phrase or sentence continue or contrast with the first, or is there a cause-effect relationship?
- Predict what transition words you would expect to see here. Being familiar with the word lists above will help you do this. (For example, if you’ve figured out that you’re looking at a contrast transition, you could predict words like “but” or “rather.”)
- Look for a match with your prediction among the answer choices. You may not see the exact same word, but look for words that match the transition type you’ve identified.
- Substitute the answer back into the blank in the question. Read it “out loud” in your head to make sure it makes sense.
While you apply this strategy, remember this: If two answers from the same transition category seem correct, take another look.
There will never be two correct answers on any SAT question (and the SAT only tests accuracy, not style). So if you think you’re looking at, say, a contrast transition, and there are two words in the answer choices that indicate a contrast, then it’s worth going back to the passage to see if that’s really what you’re dealing with.
To keep your key strategies for this question type to hand while you study, download our free strategy overview here.
The 3 types of Transitions questions
Although all questions of this type feature logical transitions of some kind, the type of transition that you’ll be asked to make generally falls into one of three categories, which you can remember as the “three C’s.”
- Contrast (or reversal) transitions involve two sentences or phrases that can be opposed to one another: they might present two different points of view, contrast an earlier with a later situation, and so on.
- Causation (or cause-effect) transitions happen when the event in the first phrase causes the one in the second, or vice versa.
- Continuation transitions cover a lot of possibilities. The second sentences in this transitions could be adding more information, providing an example of a generalization in the first sentence, or clarifying something that came before.
The trick here is to identify what kind of transition you need and then pick a word that signals the correct transition.
If all this sounds confusing, don’t panic. Like all standardized tests, the SAT is highly predictable, and the more you practice, the more efficient you’ll get at recognizing these transition types.
And because our SAT tutors have been specifically trained for the SAT, they’ll be able to teach you to recognize and solve each type of transition question. Contact us today to get paired with an expert tutor!
The 50 most important transition words to know
Once you know what type of transition you’re dealing with, you’ll be able to select the correct answer from among the answer choices.
There’s no definitive list of which transition words you might see on the SAT, but the table below gives you a good idea of common transition words to expect.
The words and phrases that have appeared most often on the SAT since 2016 are bold and italicized, while the next level of very common words are bold.
| Contrast/Reversal transition | Causation/cause-effect transition | Continuation transition |
|---|---|---|
| Alternately/alternatively | Accordingly | And |
| Though/Although | A | Also |
| But | Consequently | Moreover |
| Despite | Hence | In addition |
| By contrast/in contrast | Because | Furthermore |
| Even so/even though | Thus | Likewise |
| On the contrary/on the other hand | Therefore | Similarly |
| Instead | Since | That is |
| Meanwhile | So | In fact |
| However | As such | Indeed |
| Otherwise | As a result | In particular |
| Rather/still | For example | |
| Whereas/while | Next | |
| Yet | Subsequently | |
| Conversely | Finally | |
| Regardless | Then | |
| Nevertheless | For instance |
The words “however” and “nevertheless” are usually very similar — both are used for contrast transitions — but on the SAT, they’re not interchangeable. “However” shows a transition from positive to negative, and “nevertheless” shows a transition from negative to positive.
“I was looking forward to the show; the tickets, however, had cost an arm and a leg.”“I wasn’t excited for the show; nevertheless, it would be nice to spend time with my cousin.”
Guided Example
Now let’s apply our strategy to some real, official SAT practice questions from the College Board!
Alexander Lawrence Posey (1873–1908) varied his focus and tone depending on the genre in which he was writing. In his poetry, he used heartfelt language to evoke the beauty and peacefulness of his natural surroundings; in his journalism, _____ he employed humor and satire to comment on political issues affecting his Muskogee Creek community.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. that is,
B. granted,
C. similarly,
D. by contrast,
Source: SAT Educator Question Bank
Let’s use our 4-step strategy for Transitions questions.
- Categorize the relationship between the first part of the passage and the second part (the part after the blank). Does the second phrase or sentence continue or contrast with the first, or is there a cause-effect relationship?
Before the blank, we’re talking about the language Posey used in his poetry. In the phrase that includes the blank, we’re talking about his style in journalism. The language he used in each situation was different: “heartfelt” language for poetry; “humor and satire” for journalism. That tells us the logical relationship we’re looking for is a contrast.
- Predict what transition words you would expect to see here. Being familiar with the word lists above will help you do this. (For example, if you’ve figured out that you’re looking at a contrast transition, you could predict words like “but” or “rather.”)
We’re looking at a contrast transition, so we should be on the lookout for words like “but,” “however,” and “by contrast.”
- Look for a match with your prediction among the answer choices. You may not see the exact same word, but look for words that match the transition type you’ve identified.
Answer choice D fits the bill: “by contrast.” None of the other answer choices works: “that is” would introduce an explanation; “granted” would introduce a concession; and “similarly” would set up a continuation, not a contrast.
- Substitute the answer back into the blank in the question. Read it “out loud” in your head to make sure it makes sense.
“In his poetry, he used heartfelt language to evoke the beauty and peacefulness of his natural surroundings; in his journalism, by contrast, he employed humor and satire to comment on political issues affecting his Muskogee Creek community.”
That works! Answer choice D is the correct answer.
Next Steps
These guidelines will help you approach all of the Transitions questions you’ll see on SAT Reading & Writing. But don’t forget about the other question types! Check out our post on the 2 sections of the SAT to find out more about what kinds of questions you can expect across the test.
And if you’re looking for more personalized help to take your SAT score to the next level, reach out to get paired with one of our expert tutors.
Related SAT and PSAT Posts
- The Key Strategy for Every SAT Reading & Writing Question Type
- What’s a Good SAT Score for 2026?
- What’s a Good SAT Score for the Ivy League?
- The 11 Best SAT Prep Books
- The 12 Best SAT Prep Courses
- The 14 Best SAT Online Tutoring Services
- What is the PSAT? A Princeton Grad Explains Why this “Practice” Test Can Matter
- National Merit PSAT Scores
- The 11 Best PSAT Tutoring Services
- What is a Good PSAT Score? See What Scores You Need on the PSAT
- The Hardest 25 SAT Math Questions
- The 13 SAT Grammar Rules You Need to Know
Ro
Rosamond graduated summa cum laude from Princeton. During college, she worked as a peer tutor for Italian, French, Greek, and academic writing. Since graduation, she’s continued to tutor students of all ages in French, Italian, Latin, English, and math, some of them for several years. She’s currently a graduate student studying the relationship between religion and secular law, and she works as a freelance journalist and translator.