Alexander Lawrence Posey (1873–1908) varied his focus and tone depending on the genre in which he was writing. In his...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
Alexander Lawrence Posey (1873–1908) varied his focus and tone depending on the genre in which he was writing. In his poetry, he used heartfelt language to evoke the beauty and peacefulness of his natural surroundings; in his journalism, ______ he employed humor and satire to comment on political issues affecting his Muskogee Creek community.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
that is,
granted,
similarly,
by contrast,
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| Alexander Lawrence Posey (1873–1908) varied his focus and tone depending on the genre in which he was writing. |
|
| In his poetry, he used heartfelt language to evoke the beauty and peacefulness of his natural surroundings; |
|
| in his journalism, he employed humor and satire to comment on political issues affecting his Muskogee Creek community. |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Alexander Lawrence Posey adapted his writing style and focus depending on whether he was writing poetry or journalism.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes that Posey varied his approach by genre, then shows two different examples: his heartfelt, nature-focused poetry and his humorous, politically-focused journalism.
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 see that Posey's poetry used heartfelt language to focus on beauty and peacefulness of natural surroundings, while his journalism used humor and satire to address political issues
- These are clearly different approaches
- The transition word needs to signal this difference between the two writing styles
- So the right answer should indicate contrast or opposition between these two different approaches
that is,
✗ Incorrect
- This phrase is used for clarification or restatement
- Would suggest the journalism approach explains or restates the poetry approach
- But the approaches are different, not explanations of each other
granted,
✗ Incorrect
- This word acknowledges a point before contrasting it
- Creates awkward structure and doesn't fit the parallel structure of describing two approaches
similarly,
✗ Incorrect
- Would indicate the journalism approach resembles the poetry approach
- But heartfelt/nature writing vs. humor/political satire are opposite approaches
- Trap: Students might focus on both being writing and miss the clear differences in tone and subject matter
by contrast,
✓ Correct
- Explicitly signals the difference between the two writing approaches
- Perfectly captures the opposition: heartfelt/nature vs. humor/politics
- Matches our prethinking about needing a contrast indicator