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What transition word or phrase best fits the blank below?
______________ some pundits believe global warming is a hoax, nearly all scientific experts agree that climate change is a very real and exigent threat.
The correct relationship between the two parts of these sentences is one of contrast. “Because” and “Seeing that” imply causation (i.e. pundits’ disbelief leads to experts’ agreement), which is not logical. “Not to mention” implies agreement or similarity.” “Meanwhile” correctly implies a sort of contrast, but it does not fit the grammatical construction of the sentence.
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What transition word or phrase best fits the blank below?
Many marriage counsellors suggest that open communication ________________ an active acceptance of imperfection leads to a healthy, vital partnership.
The relationship between “open communication” and “an active acceptance of imperfection” is one of agreement, so “in addition to” is the best choice. “In light of” incorrectly implies that the “open communication” is subordinate to “active acceptance,” and “in spite of” incorrectly implies contrast. “After all” and “especially” are both transitional phrases, but neither fits the grammatical construction of the sentence.
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What transition word or phrase best fits the blank below?
Other relationship experts counsel that having high standards, _________________ accepting poor behavior, is the secret to a long and happy marriage.
“Having high standards” and “accepting poor behavior” are directly opposed ideas, so we need a contrasting transition: “not.” “While also” suggests that the two ideas should coexist at the same time, but that is not logical in the context of the sentence. “As well as” and “moreover” incorrectly suggest addition. “Indeed” suggests emphasis and is both semantically and syntactically wrong.
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What transition word or phrase best fits the blank below?
The corporate stalemate is being caused by greedy managers and recalcitrant employees alike; __________________, it is critical for both groups to work together.
Based on the content of this sentence, we need a transition that expresses a sentiment like “For this reason” or “therefore.” In other words, we need a conclusion word or phrase. “As such” is the only choice among these answers that provides conclusion.
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What transition word or phrase best fits the blank below?
Meredith wasn’t sure whether her physician had ordered the correct tests, ________________ she had a sneaking suspicion that she should consult a specialist instead.
Meredith’s uncertainty is being contrasted with her sneaking suspicion here, so a contrasting word or phrase will be necessary to properly express the meaning of the sentence. (The appearance of “instead” in the sentence is a further hint that we’re looking for a contrast word.) “In spite of” and “whereas” are contrast phrases, but they’re the wrong part of speech for the sentence. “But” is the best choice here.
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Scuba diving is a risky hobby; _____________, it remains popular with amateurs and experts alike.
Here, the idea of the hobby’s riskiness is contrasted with its widespread appeal. Thus, a contrasting word is necessary: “nevertheless.” None of the other choices here express a relationship of contrast.
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Friedrich Nietzsche is best known as a preeminent German philosopher; _______________, he was also a poet and a scholar of ancient Greek and Latin.
Here, we’re contrasting Nietzsche’s best and lesser known attributes. The only word of contrast among these choices is “however.” “To paraphrase” and “in particular” imply further illustration or support. “Moreover” implies addition of something similar, and “henceforth” implies addition of something new at a later time.
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Writers often anthropomorphize or personify animals in literature; ________________, Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book (1894) ascribes human characteristics to a variety of wild animals.
The second half of this sentence introduces an example to support the claim in the first half of the sentence. “For example” is therefore the best transition word to segue between these two parts of the sentence. (“Nevertheless” implies contrast, “simultaneously” implies something happening at the same moment in time, “firstly” implies a sequence of examples instead of just one, and “thus” implies conclusion.)
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____________________ his growing perturbation, Jim managed to remain calm when his professor changed the requirements of the homework assignment yet again.
“Despite” or “in spite of” is the best fit for this sentence, which is again a relationship of contrast: Jim’s perturbation or agitation is opposed to his outwardly calm appearance. “Because of,” “given,” “in case of,” and “as a result of” all imply causality, which does not make sense in this context.
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