Drill 3 · English · Transitions and Connectors
ACT English: Transitions and Connectors (Drill 3) is a English practice drill covering Transitions and Connectors. It contains 5 original questions created by Brian Stewart, a Barron's test prep author with over 20 years of tutoring experience.
Transitions and Connectors questions ask you to choose the word or phrase that best expresses the logical relationship between ideas. This drill focuses on paragraph-level transitions, sentences that open a new paragraph and must connect logically to the paragraph before it, a format that requires reading beyond the underlined portion.
Question 1. Which transition word or phrase best connects the ideas in this sentence?
Explanation: Choice D is correct. The sentence describes athletes training in conditions that make training harder; they train despite the difficulty, not because of it or in order to create it. "Even though" introduces a concessive clause acknowledging an obstacle that the main clause overcomes: athletes train despite the challenging conditions. Choice A uses "so that," which signals purpose or intention; it implies athletes choose altitude because they want the air to be thin and difficult, which misrepresents the training purpose (they train there to build endurance, not because thinness is the goal). Choice B uses "because," another causal connector suggesting the difficulty motivates the training, which is not the intended meaning. Choice C uses "now that," implying a time-based premise, as if athletes just learned about altitude and are responding to new information.
Question 2. Which transition word or phrase best connects these two sentences?
Explanation: Choice B is correct. The first sentence makes a general statement about strict emission limits in "several key categories." The second sentence zooms in to describe one specific requirement, a forty percent reduction in particulate matter. The second sentence elaborates on the general claim by providing a concrete detail. "Specifically" correctly signals that the second sentence narrows down or provides a precise example of the broader regulation. Choice A uses "Conversely," which signals that the two ideas are opposites, but the particulate limit is an instance of the broad regulation, not its opposite. Choices C and D ("Nevertheless" and "On the contrary") are also contrast transitions that imply the second sentence contradicts or reverses the first, which it does not.
Question 3. Which transition word or phrase best connects the ideas in this sentence?
Explanation: Choice C is correct. The sentence contrasts two different mapping methods: slow, labor-intensive historical surveys versus rapid, precise modern satellite imaging. "Whereas" is a subordinating conjunction used specifically to draw a contrast between two parallel situations within one sentence; it is the ideal connector here. Choice A uses "since," which typically signals a cause-and-effect or time relationship; it implies the early maps relied on physical surveys because modern satellites can produce accurate data, which is illogical. Choice B uses "so," which signals a result or conclusion, the second clause is not a result of the first. Choice D uses "and consequently," also a cause-and-effect connector, implying satellite imaging is a result of early mapping methods.
Question 4. Which transition word or phrase best connects these two sentences?
Explanation: Choice A (No Change) is correct. The first sentence presents a popular assumption. The second sentence introduces evidence that challenges or complicates that assumption. "In fact" is used to introduce information that corrects, clarifies, or contradicts a prior claim with evidence; it signals "contrary to what you might think, here is what the evidence shows." This is precisely the relationship here. Choice B uses "Therefore," implying the studies are a result of the popular assumption, that makes no logical sense. Choice C uses "In addition," implying the research adds to the assumption rather than questioning it. Choice D uses "As a result," also a cause-and-effect transition suggesting the research findings were caused by the popular belief.
Question 5. Which transition word or phrase best connects the ideas in this sentence?
Explanation: Choice C is correct. The sentence lists a sequence of three preparation steps introduced by "first": remove rocks, turn the earth, and mix in compost. The word completing this list must continue the sequential structure, and "finally" signals the last item in a series; it correctly closes the list begun with "first." Choice A uses "instead," which signals a substitution or replacement, implying the gardener should mix compost instead of doing one of the earlier steps, contradicting the additive structure of the list. Choice B uses "however," a contrast transition that would imply the compost step contradicts or opposes the previous steps. Choice D uses "nevertheless," another concession transition that suggests the compost is mixed in despite something that might prevent it, which makes no sense in a procedural list.