The company failed to meet its quarterly sales goals for the second time in a row. , the board of directors decided to replace the chief executive officer.
Which word or phrase best completes the sentence?
- Meanwhile
- Nevertheless
- Consequently (correct answer)
- Similarly
Explanation: This question tests your understanding of transitional words and phrases that show logical relationships between ideas. When you encounter sentence completion questions, focus on the relationship between the two parts of the sentence to determine which transition makes the most sense. The passage establishes a clear cause-and-effect relationship: the company's poor performance (failing to meet sales goals twice) led directly to a specific action (replacing the CEO). You need a transition that signals this logical consequence. Choice C, "Consequently," is correct because it explicitly shows that the second event happened as a direct result of the first. The board's decision was a consequence of the company's repeated failures, making this the logical connector. Choice A, "Meanwhile," indicates that two events happened at the same time but are unrelated. This doesn't capture the causal relationship between the poor sales and the CEO's replacement. Choice B, "Nevertheless," suggests contrast or contradiction—it would imply the board replaced the CEO despite good performance, which contradicts the context. Choice D, "Similarly," compares two like situations, but the sentence describes one situation leading to another, not two comparable events. When tackling transition questions on the GED, always identify the logical relationship first: Are the ideas contrasting, showing cause and effect, happening simultaneously, or being compared? Match the transition word to that specific relationship. Cause-and-effect relationships are particularly common, so memorize transitions like "consequently," "therefore," "as a result," and "thus."