A unique dialect, or regional variety, of Spanish is spoken in Puerto Rico. It contains many words borrowed from the...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
A unique dialect, or regional variety, of Spanish is spoken in Puerto Rico. It contains many words borrowed from the language of the Taínos, the Indigenous people of Puerto Rico. African languages also made important contributions to the Puerto Rican dialect. For example, the way certain vowel sounds are pronounced in it can be _______ to how they are pronounced in Yoruba, a West African language.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'A unique dialect, or regional variety, of Spanish is spoken in Puerto Rico.' |
|
| 'It contains many words borrowed from the language of the Taínos, the Indigenous people of Puerto Rico.' |
|
| 'African languages also made important contributions to the Puerto Rican dialect.' |
|
| 'For example, the way certain vowel sounds are pronounced in it can be _______ to how they are pronounced in Yoruba, a West African language.' |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Puerto Rican Spanish is a unique dialect that has been shaped by multiple language influences, particularly from Indigenous Taíno and African languages.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes Puerto Rican Spanish as distinctive, then systematically presents two major influences that shaped it. It moves from general (borrowed words) to specific (vowel pronunciation), using Yoruba as a concrete example of African language contribution.
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
- We need a word that shows the connection between Puerto Rican Spanish vowel sounds and Yoruba vowel sounds
- Indicates that you can find the origin or source of the Puerto Rican sounds in Yoruba
- Fits the grammatical pattern 'can be [verb] to'
✓ Correct
- 'Traced' means to find or follow the origin/source of something
- Fits perfectly - Puerto Rican vowel sounds can be 'traced to' Yoruba, meaning their origin can be found in Yoruba
✗ Incorrect
- 'Surrendered' means to give up or yield something
- Makes no logical sense - vowel sounds don't 'give up' to other vowel sounds
✗ Incorrect
- 'Announced' means to make publicly known or declare
- Illogical - vowel sounds cannot 'announce' themselves to other vowel sounds
✗ Incorrect
- 'Offered' means to present something for acceptance
- Doesn't make sense - vowel sounds don't 'offer' themselves to other sounds