Question the-an
The ancient Spartans were known for their bitingly concise—or laconic—wit, a quality they maintained even in the face of great peril. blank when Philip Iwe of Macedon threatened Laconia (the region of Greece containing Sparta), he said, “If we invade Laconia, we shall turn you out.” The Spartans replied with a single word: “If.”
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
Rather,
In other words,
That said,
For instance,
The ancient Spartans were known for their bitingly concise-or laconic-wit, a quality they maintained even in
Medium-difficulty · SAT Reading & Writing · Transitions — Example/clarification transitions (for example, namely). Read the question above, select your answer, and check the full explanation below to understand exactly why the correct choice works.
Answer explanation
Choice D is the best answer. "For instance" logically signals that the concise, witty exchange between Philip Iwe and the Spartans is an example supporting the previous claim—that the Spartans employed wit even in the face of peril.
Choice A is incorrect because "rather" illogically signals that the exchange between Philip Iwe and the Spartans contrasts with the previous claim about the Spartans’ wit. Instead, the exchange is an example of their wit. Choice B is incorrect because "in other words" illogically signals that the exchange between Philip Iwe and the Spartans is a restatement of the previous claim about the Spartans’ wit. Instead, the exchange is an example of their wit. Choice C is incorrect because "that said" illogically signals that the exchange between Philip Iwe and the Spartans is an exception to the previous claim about the Spartans’ wit. Instead, the exchange is an example of their wit.
More Transitions practice questions
- With his room-sized installation Unicorn/My Private Sky , Norwegian artist Børre
- Ugandan American professor Peter Nazareth believed that Elvis Presley’s music is
- When, in the 1800s, geologists first realized that much of Earth had once been
- Historians agree that the jazz pianist Jelly Roll Morton was exaggerating when he claimed
- Alexander Lawrence Posey (1873-1908) varied his focus and tone depending on the genre in
- Paleontologists once thought that early apes lived in tropical forests, but recent
- Before California’s 1911 election to approve a proposition granting women the right
- In the 1880s, inventor Lewis Latimer improved upon Thomas Edison’s design for the
Browse all Expression of Ideas practice questions or return to the full SAT question bank.