SAT Writing : Revising a Single Word of Introductions and Transitions

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT Writing

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Example Questions

Example Question #302 : Improving And Correcting Sentences

1 French high-wire artist Philippe Petit has a long history of daredevil and breathtaking performances. 2 Although none are so well known as his 1974 tightrope walk between the Twin Towers in New York City. 3 Petit made more than two hundred trips to the Twin Towers in surrogate preparation for the eminent walk. 4 Supposedly, he spent more than six years practicing on a low wire at a property in upstate New York and laying his plans. 5 He first read an article about the Twin Towers in his dentist’s office while they were still being built.

6 On August 7, 1974 Philippe Petit made the walk. 7 With the help of his tepid friends, he snuck into the buildings, strung a cable more than a quarter mile above the ground, and began the walk. 8 The buildings were still under construction. 9 The performance lasted for more than half an hour and included Petit walking, running, and even lying down on the rope. 10 Whereas Petit was arrested when he returned to the ground, the judge only sentenced him to perform for city children in Central Park. 11 After the Twin Tower walk, Petit continues to give lectures, write books, and perform everywhere from the Eiffel Tower to Niagara Falls.

What word would best replace “Whereas” in Sentence 10?

Possible Answers:

Although

Because

But

Nonetheless

However

Correct answer:

Although

Explanation:

The sentence in question implies a contrast between Petit’s immediate arrest and his lenient sentencing, so we need a word that indicates such contrast and is grammatically correct in context. The only word that fits this description is “although.”

Example Question #303 : Improving And Correcting Sentences

1 Although many people have heard of the seven wonders of the world, most don’t know who made the original list. 2 Both Herodotus, an ancient Greek historian, and Callimachus, a scholar at the famous Library of Alexandria, composed early lists of the seven wonders. 3 Although, an extract copy of these lists has not survived.

4 Still, historians know that the original seven wonders were. 5 They included Colossus of Rhodes, the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, and the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. 6 Only the Great Pyramid still exists today. 7 Ruins or evidence of five of the other wonders have been found, but the Hanging Gardens have never been located by archaeologists.

8 What do these seven wonders have in common? 9 Since ancient times, scholars have made their own lists of seven wonders of the world. 10 Some of these wonders include Stonehenge, the Great Wall of China, the Hagia Sophia, Macchu Pichu, and the Golden Gate Bridge. 

What transitional word or phrase should replace “Although,” in Sentence 3?

Possible Answers:

Even though,

However,

Meanwhile,

On the other hand,

Whereas,

Correct answer:

However,

Explanation:

While “Although” does indicate the contrasting relationship that this sentence adheres to, it’s not the right grammatical choice. “However” fits the syntax and the meaning of the sentence correctly.

Example Question #304 : Improving And Correcting Sentences

1 Have you ever went hang gliding? 2 Sailing smoothly across the sky, hang gliders are a sight to behold and capture humans’ longstanding fascination with self propelled flight. 3 Whereas, it is also a dangerous pastime. 4 Personally, I know many people who are aware of the sport’s relative danger but still enjoy it on a regular basis. 5 With proper technical training and certification, it is possible to avoid some of the most common hang gliding catamounts, stalling near the ground, aerobatic stunts gone wrong, and failure to use helmets or parachutes.

7 In the United States, hang gliding is a relatively new sport and most hang gliders are wealthy and educated devotees. 8 Hang gliding actually originated in the 500s in China, with man-sized kites allowing people to sustain flight for short distances. 9 Continual advances in material technologies’ result in constantly improving hang glider equipment – specialized nylon parachutes and lightweight aluminum alloy frames, for example. 10 Popular hang gliding destinations in the United States include Salt Lake City, Utah, Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. 11 The most ardent affiliates say there’s absolutely nothing like the joy of soaring miles above the ground for hours.

Which of the following transitional words should replace “Whereas” in Sentence 3?

Possible Answers:

However

While

Henceforth

Therefore

Thus

Correct answer:

However

Explanation:

The only word that provides the needed contrast between Sentence 2 (which points out hang gliding’s attractions) and Sentence 3 (which points out hang gliding’s dangers) and that does not result in a sentence fragment is “However.”

Example Question #3 : Revising A Single Word Of Introductions And Transitions

1 Although agritourism is a fairly recent phenomenon in the Western world; it is proving popular in many countries. 2 Agritourism is broadly defined as any activity or attraction that draws visitors to a farm, and it can include anything from corn mazes and apple picking to vineyard tours, workshops on animal husbandry, and work-stay exchange programs. 3 The practice is particularly prevocalic in North America, Europe, and Australia. 4 With a huge variety of farms and activities available to agritourists. 5 For example: visitors can learn how to run a cattle drive in Wyoming, make cheese in France, harvest olives in Sicily, or pick kiwi fruit in New Zealand.

6 Income generated from agritourism can help small family farms remain soluble as well as educate the public about where their food comes from. 7 Henceforth, most people agree that agritourism is benevolent for everyone involved. 8 While there are some who argue that it is a cheap ploy designed to make selfish tourists feel better about their vacations. 9 All in all, it will be interesting to see how agritourism continues to develop in the future. 

In Sentence 7, what word should replace “Henceforth”?

Possible Answers:

Notwithstanding

Besides

Heretofore

Likewise

Therefore

Correct answer:

Therefore

Explanation:

Based on the content of this sentence, we need a word that means for this reason, and “Therefore” is the only choice that matches this meaning.

Example Question #616 : Improving Paragraphs

1 Some of the best-known badlands occur in North America; Badlands National Park in South Dakota, Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado and Utah, and the Big Muddy Badlands in Saskatchewan. 2 Have you ever been to the badlands? 3 Despite their name, badlands are often fascinating topographical regions. 4 With beautiful vistas as well. 5 Elsewhere badlands can be found in Italy, New Zealand, Spain, and Argentina.6 Badlands are distinguished by their stark, dry terrain, their sharply eroded landscapes, their lack of vegetation, and their colorful, clay-rich rocks. 7 They often include geological features such as canyons, gullies, mesas, buttes, and hoodoos. 8 Nevertheless, visiting badlands can be an uncommon but rewarding experience.

What transitional word(s) could not replace “Nevertheless” in Sentence 8?

Possible Answers:

Therefore

Hence

Heretofore

Thus

For this reason

Correct answer:

Heretofore

Explanation:

Sentence 8 is summarizing why readers should visit badlands, so a transitional word that indicates summary or conclusion would be best. “Heretofore” is the only word on this list that would not indicate summary or conclusion.

Example Question #1 : Revising A Single Word Of Introductions And Transitions

1 All in all, aviation will likely continue to fascinate people for centuries to come. 2 Long before the famous Wright brothers humans were attempting to fly. 3 The ancient Greek myth of Icarus and Daedalus shows the tantalizing allusion of flight. 4 With large kites’ in China may have been the first successful instance of human flight several thousand years ago. 5 Hundreds of years later and despite many hazings; the Montgolfier brothers and other pioneering aviators began experimenting with manned hot-air balloon flights. 6 Therefore, technology has advanced to the point of supersonic and hypersonic flight, but people are still trying to break new barriers and invent new methods of flight.

What would be the best transitional word to replace “Therefore” and begin Sentence 6?

Possible Answers:

Thence 

To this end

Toward this

Today

Thus

Correct answer:

Today

Explanation:

“Therefore” implies that a conclusion is being drawn in Sentence 6, but really the sentence is just discussing contemporary advances in aviation. “Today” would signify this contemporary focus without misleading readers, so it’s the best choice for the sentence.

Example Question #306 : Improving And Correcting Sentences

1 Visitors to Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio, or other United States are often astounded when they encounter an Amish person. 2 To someone who is not familiar with this religious community, the lifestyle seems to harp back to a bygone era. 3 In particular the Amish are known for their plain garments, their eschewal of modern technology, their use of horses and buggies, and their exquisite handicrafts, including: wooden furniture, intricate quilts, and fruit pies. 4 Contact with the outside world is limited, and communities are often as insolent now as when they emigrated from Switzerland in the 1700s.

5 The people are governed strictly in their auspicious behavior, dress, and lifestyle by a set of rules known as Ordnung, and most speak both Pennsylvania Dutch and English. 6 Their religious beliefs are most closely related to Mennonites, and they observe many common Christian practices: baptism, marriage, and Sunday church services, for example. 7 Whereas, the Amish also practice rumspringa, a period of adolescent exploration, as well as excommunication and shunning to exclude those who do not conform to the community’s beliefs and practices. 8 What does life look like inside an Amish community? 9 Wherewithal, there seem to be both positive and negative aspects to this emphasis on family ties, manual labor, and religious belief.

In Sentence 7, what word would be a more effective transition than “Whereas”?

Possible Answers:

However

Contrary

All things considered

Regardless

With regards to this

Correct answer:

However

Explanation:

Based on the meanings of Sentences 6 and 7, we’re looking for a transitional word that indicates contrast between the more common Christian practices and the extreme Amish beliefs. Although “Whereas” indicates contrast, it doesn’t fit the grammatical structure of the sentence (helpful hint: “whereas” rarely begins a sentence), and “However” is the closest match.

Example Question #1 : Revising A Single Word Of Introductions And Transitions

1 Visitors to Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio, or other United States are often astounded when they encounter an Amish person. 2 To someone who is not familiar with this religious community, the lifestyle seems to harp back to a bygone era. 3 In particular the Amish are known for their plain garments, their eschewal of modern technology, their use of horses and buggies, and their exquisite handicrafts, including: wooden furniture, intricate quilts, and fruit pies. 4 Contact with the outside world is limited, and communities are often as insolent now as when they emigrated from Switzerland in the 1700s.

5 The people are governed strictly in their auspicious behavior, dress, and lifestyle by a set of rules known as Ordnung, and most speak both Pennsylvania Dutch and English. 6 Their religious beliefs are most closely related to Mennonites, and they observe many common Christian practices: baptism, marriage, and Sunday church services, for example. 7 Whereas, the Amish also practice rumspringa, a period of adolescent exploration, as well as excommunication and shunning to exclude those who do not conform to the community’s beliefs and practices. 8 What does life look like inside an Amish community? 9 Wherewithal, there seem to be both positive and negative aspects to this emphasis on family ties, manual labor, and religious belief.

What transitional phrase would be a good replacement for “Wherewithal” in Sentence 9?

Possible Answers:

Whereas

Wherefore

All in all

Withal

With all

Correct answer:

All in all

Explanation:

“Wherewithal” is a word that means that with or by which, and it doesn’t work well as a transition here. We’re looking for a word that indicates conclusion or summary, and “All in all” is the best choice to fit this meaning.

Example Question #2 : Revising A Single Word Of Introductions And Transitions

1 Many painters have strong sediments about whether oil or acrylic paints produce the best results. 2 On the one hand, oil paints take longer to dry and are therefore more conductive to slow painstaking work and careful blending. 3 While, they also require the use of more toxic chemicals such as turpentine and mineral spirits. 4 Professional artists are often meritorious about the materials they use. 5 Acrylic paints are now favored by more and more artists, not only because they are odorless and nontoxic and also because their colors are not effervescent, they don’t fade when exposed to light. 6 However, many of the worlds’ great masterpieces were created with oil paints. 7 With some artists understandably feel nasturtium when they see oils being replaced by cheaper, more popular acrylics.

In Sentence 3, what word or phrase would best replace “While”?

Possible Answers:

Others would argue that

Nevertheless

On the other hand

While (no change)

Whereas

Correct answer:

On the other hand

Explanation:

Although “While” does correctly indicate a contrasting relationship, it is not syntactically appropriate. Also, we want to observe parallelism in the passage. Because the preceding sentence begins with “On the one hand,” it makes sense for this sentence to begin with “On the other hand.”

Example Question #1 : Revising A Single Word Of Introductions And Transitions

1 One such example of regional cooking could be found in the American South. 2 Wherefore foods such as gumbo, barbecue, fried chicken, and watermelons can now be found all across the country, it was once specific to states south of the Mason-Dixon line. 3 And while Southern cuisine has been influenced by Native American tribes, Scottish immigrants, and Cajun settlers, one of the most significant culinary inspirations came from the South’s black population. 4 Dishes such as cornbread, succotash, collard or turnip greens, pimento cheese, crawfish, and sweet tea all hale from the South, as well. 5 For example, okra, black-eyed peas, and sorghum are all foods brought to America and cultivated by African slaves. 6 Soon, soul food (a sometimes contentious term among black chefs) began to be served in black-owned restaurants in the South. 7 Borne out of competing cultural influences and not-infrequent strife, it should be no surprise that Southern food remains a complex delicious cuisine to this day.

In Sentence 2, what word should replace “Wherefore”?

Possible Answers:

Whence

Wherefore (no change)

Wherewithal

Wherever

While

Correct answer:

While

Explanation:

“Wherefore” is an old-fashioned word meaning “why,” so it doesn’t make sense as a conjunction here. We’re looking for a word that indicates contrast, and “While” functions well in this sense.

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