On March 3, 1991, Switzerland's government lowered the minimum voting age for its citizens from 20 to 18 years old....
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
On March 3, 1991, Switzerland's government lowered the minimum voting age for its citizens from 20 to 18 years old. _____ many people in Switzerland gained a new opportunity to participate in their country's political process.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
Nevertheless,
As a result,
By contrast,
Similarly,
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "On March 3, 1991, Switzerland's government lowered the minimum voting age for its citizens from 20 to 18 years old." |
|
| [MISSING TRANSITION] |
|
| "many people in Switzerland gained a new opportunity to participate in their country's political process." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Switzerland's decision to lower the voting age expanded political participation opportunities for its citizens.
Argument Flow: The passage presents a straightforward cause-and-effect sequence. First, we learn about a specific government action (lowering the voting age), and then we see what happened as a direct result of that action (more people gained voting opportunities).
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- From our analysis, we can see that the first sentence describes a government action (lowering the voting age), and the second sentence describes what happened because of that action (more people got voting opportunities)
- We need a transition that shows this cause-and-effect relationship
- The right answer should signal that the second sentence is a direct consequence or result of the first sentence
- It should connect the government's policy change to the outcome for Swiss citizens
Nevertheless,
Nevertheless,
✗ Incorrect
- "Nevertheless" signals contrast or opposition
- This would suggest the expanded voting opportunities happened despite the age change, not because of it
As a result,
As a result,
✓ Correct
- This phrase directly signals cause and effect
- It perfectly connects the government action (lowering voting age) to its consequence (more people can vote)
- Matches our prethinking exactly - we need a connector showing that the second sentence flows logically from the first
By contrast,
By contrast,
✗ Incorrect
- "By contrast" signals comparison or difference
- This would suggest the expanded voting opportunities are different from or opposite to the age change
- Makes no logical sense since both sentences are about the same policy and its effects
Similarly,
Similarly,
✗ Incorrect
- "Similarly" suggests likeness or comparison to something else
- There's nothing in the first sentence for the second sentence to be "similar" to