What this lesson covers
- The move: cover the choices, read both ideas, name the relationship
- The four relationships (contrast · cause→effect · example · addition) and their connector banks
- Three worked examples, including the "therefore sounds confident" trap
- Two practice questions + the three traps that lose these points
Questions worked in the video
- 0:55The first draft ran nearly 900 pages. ___, the published version barely reached 300.
- 1:19Sea otters eat the urchins that destroy kelp forests. ___, kelp thrives where otters are healthy.
- 2:05Maya rehearsed her speech for weeks. ___, she delivered it flawlessly.
- 2:26Architects praised the museum's new wing. ___, residents complained it clashed with the skyline.
Chapters
- 0:00Every choice sounds fine
- 0:19The move: logic first
- 0:33The four relationships
- 0:55Worked: contrast (the therefore trap)
- 1:19Worked: cause → effect
- 1:44Worked: example
- 2:05Practice 1
- 2:26Practice 2
- 2:49Three traps
- 3:08Recap
Lesson transcript
The narration of the video, word for word, under its chapter headings.
0:00Every choice sounds fine
Welcome to SAT Climb. Transitions — however, therefore, for example. The SAT asks for these constantly, and the trap is that every choice sounds fine. It's not a vocabulary question. It's a logic question. Here's the move.
0:19The move: logic first
The format: a short passage, a blank, four connectors. Cover the choices. Read the idea before the blank, and the idea after it. Then name the relationship yourself — before you look at a single answer.
0:33The four relationships
Four relationships cover almost every question. Contrast: however, nevertheless, on the other hand. Cause and effect: therefore, thus, as a result. Example: for example, for instance. And addition: moreover, in addition, furthermore. Name the logic first — the right connector picks itself.
0:55Worked: contrast (the therefore trap)
Try it. The first draft ran nearly nine hundred pages. Blank. The published version barely reached three hundred. Idea one: huge draft. Idea two: short book. Those point in opposite directions — that's contrast. However fits. And watch the trap: therefore sounds confident, but nothing about a long draft causes a short book. Logic first.
1:19Worked: cause → effect
A deeper one. Sea otters eat huge quantities of sea urchins — urchins that would otherwise destroy kelp forests. Blank. Kelp thrives wherever otters are healthy. Idea two is a consequence of idea one. Cause, then effect: as a result. For example is tempting — but thriving kelp isn't an example of otters eating urchins. It's the result.
1:44Worked: example
One more flavor. Many desert plants store water in surprising ways. Blank. The saguaro cactus expands like an accordion after rain. The second idea is one specific case of the first. That's illustration — for example. Notice it's not a result. It's an instance.
2:05Practice 1
Your turn. Maya rehearsed her speech for weeks. Blank. She delivered it flawlessly. Name the relationship, then pick. Pause if you need more time. Rehearsal caused the flawless delivery. Cause and effect — as a result.
2:26Practice 2
One more — harder. Architects praised the museum's new wing. Blank. Local residents complained it clashed with the historic skyline. Pause if you need it. Praise on one side, complaints on the other. Two groups, opposite reactions — that's contrast. However.
2:49Three traps
Three traps. Picking the connector that sounds smartest — moreover is not a personality; name the logic. Reading only the sentence with the blank — you need both ideas. And mixing up therefore and for example — ask: is the second idea a result, or an illustration?
3:08Recap
Transitions: solved. Logic first, connector second. Start free at satclimb.com.
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