Although the playwrights hoped that their play would be _______ when performed live, critics generally agreed that the production and...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Although the playwrights hoped that their play would be _______ when performed live, critics generally agreed that the production and performances had the opposite effect, wearying audiences instead of energizing them.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
multifaceted
realistic
rousing
subtle
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Although the playwrights hoped that their play would be' |
|
| [MISSING WORD] |
|
| 'when performed live,' |
|
| 'critics generally agreed that the production and performances had the opposite effect,' |
|
| 'wearying audiences instead of energizing them.' |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The playwrights intended their play to have one effect on audiences, but critics found it produced the completely opposite result.
Argument Flow: We start with the creators' intention for their play's impact, then learn that critics observed the exact reverse happening - instead of the hoped-for energizing effect, audiences were wearied by the performance.
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
- Based on our passage analysis, we know the critics said the play had the 'opposite effect' from what was intended, specifically that it wearied audiences 'instead of energizing them.'
- This gives us a crucial clue about what the playwrights originally hoped for.
- The word should describe something that would energize rather than weary audiences
- It should be the logical opposite of 'wearying'
- It should make sense as something playwrights would hope their live performance would be
- So the right answer should describe something stimulating, exciting, or energizing that would be the natural opposite of making audiences tired.
multifaceted
✗ Incorrect
- 'Multifaceted' means having many different aspects or sides.
- This doesn't create any meaningful contrast with 'wearying audiences' and has no logical connection to the energizing vs. tiring contrast the passage sets up.
realistic
✗ Incorrect
- 'Realistic' means portraying things as they actually are in real life.
- This has no relationship to whether audiences would be energized or wearied and doesn't create the needed opposite relationship with tiring the audience.
rousing
✓ Correct
- 'Rousing' means stirring, exciting, or energizing.
- Creates perfect contrast: playwrights hoped for 'rousing' (energizing) but got 'wearying' instead.
- Matches exactly with the 'energizing' mentioned later as the intended opposite of what actually happened.
subtle
✗ Incorrect
- 'Subtle' means delicate, understated, or not obvious.
- While subtle performances might potentially weary audiences, this doesn't create the clear energizing vs. tiring contrast needed.