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Question

Difficulty: HardTransitions: Cause and Effect

In many languages, grammatical gender systems simplify over time due to contact with other languages whose speakers do not share those systems. When adult learners acquire a second language, they often struggle with complex inflectional morphology, omitting gender markers in speech. Languages spoken in highly multilingual regions, ________, show a marked reduction in grammatical gender complexity compared to their isolated relatives.

Which choice completes the passage with the most logical transition?

  1. consequentlyAnswer
  2. B
    conversely
  3. C
    furthermore
  4. D
    previously

Answer

consequently
The passage first establishes that adult language learners struggle with gender markers and tend to omit them. It then states that languages in multilingual regions (where there are many adult learners and high language contact) exhibit reduced gender complexity. The relationship between these two points is cause-and-effect: the omission of gender markers by learners causes the overall grammatical simplification of the language. Therefore, the transition 'consequently' is the most logical choice.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the relationship between the ideas before and after the blank.
The first sentence explains that adult learners struggle with and omit complex gender markers, and the second sentence states that languages in multilingual areas have simplified gender systems.
Identifying the logical connection is necessary to choose the correct transition.
2
Determine the logical relationship type.
The relationship is cause-and-effect: the omission of gender markers by adult learners in contact situations causes the long-term simplification of grammatical gender in multilingual regions.
Choosing the transition requires knowing whether it should indicate contrast, addition, cause-and-effect, or sequence.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one that expresses a cause-and-effect relationship.
The word 'consequently' is a cause-and-effect transition that correctly signals the second statement is the result of the first.
This confirms the correct transition among the options.

Key Concept

Identifying cause-and-effect logical connections between sentences to select the correct transition word.
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Topics

Transitions: Cause and Effect

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