College Composition CLEP Prep Practice Exam

Transitions are essential in comparative essays to help the reader follow the writer's train of thought and understand the connections between different ideas and arguments. When writing a comparative essay, the focus is on similarities and differences between two or more subjects. Therefore, causal (B) and temporal (A) transitions, which link ideas in a cause and effect or chronological order, respectively, are not as frequently used as contrasting (D) transitions. Contrasting transitions, such as "on the other hand," "in contrast," or "however," are used to highlight differences and shifts in perspective between the subjects being compared. Spatial transitions (C), which describe the physical location or arrangement of ideas, are also not as commonly used in comparative essays compared to contrasting transitions. Therefore, the most frequently used transitions in a comparative essay are contrasting transitions.