An unearthed manuscript from a 15th-century Italian monastery includes comprehensive accounts of medieval commercial negotiations, indicating that mer...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
An unearthed manuscript from a 15th-century Italian monastery includes comprehensive accounts of medieval commercial negotiations, indicating that merchant guilds utilized more cooperative decision-making approaches than historians had formerly recognized. Prior to this finding, researchers believed that guild management functioned through rigid hierarchical systems controlled by affluent merchant dynasties, however, the manuscript records widespread deliberation with craftspeople and minor merchants in significant business choices.
Which option most accurately describes the role of the underlined section within the entire passage?
It provides context that clarifies the significance of the information that follows in the rest of the sentence.
It introduces the primary thesis that subsequent evidence will support.
It defines a specialized term used in the historical analysis that follows.
It contradicts the research findings presented in the previous sentence.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'An unearthed manuscript from a 15th-century Italian monastery includes comprehensive accounts of medieval commercial negotiations, indicating that merchant guilds utilized more cooperative decision-making approaches than historians had formerly recognized.' |
|
| 'Prior to this finding,' |
|
| 'researchers believed that guild management functioned through rigid hierarchical systems controlled by affluent merchant dynasties,' |
|
| 'however, the manuscript records widespread deliberation with craftspeople and minor merchants in significant business choices.' |
|
Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: A newly discovered manuscript reveals that medieval merchant guilds were more democratically collaborative than historians previously understood.
Argument Flow: The passage presents a classic 'old view vs. new evidence' structure. It opens with the discovery of a manuscript that challenges existing historical understanding, then uses temporal context to clearly separate what researchers believed before from what the new evidence actually shows.
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
- Looking at our passage analysis, 'Prior to this finding' serves as a temporal marker that signals a shift from talking about the new discovery to explaining what people thought before that discovery
- This creates a clear 'then vs. now' structure that helps readers understand why the new manuscript matters—by contrasting it with previous beliefs
- The phrase essentially sets up the significance of the discovery by providing the historical context of what scholars used to believe
It provides context that clarifies the significance of the information that follows in the rest of the sentence.
✓ Correct
- This perfectly captures what 'Prior to this finding' does—it provides temporal context that makes clear why the information about researchers' beliefs matters
- The phrase signals that we're learning about the 'before' state, which clarifies the significance of the 'after' state
It introduces the primary thesis that subsequent evidence will support.
✗ Incorrect
- 'Prior to this finding' doesn't introduce any thesis—the thesis was already introduced in the first sentence about the manuscript's revelations
- This phrase is a context marker, not a thesis statement
It defines a specialized term used in the historical analysis that follows.
✗ Incorrect
- 'Prior to this finding' isn't defining any specialized historical term
- It's simply a temporal transition phrase, not a definition
It contradicts the research findings presented in the previous sentence.
✗ Incorrect
- This phrase doesn't contradict the previous sentence—it provides context for understanding its significance
- The contradiction comes later with 'however,' not with 'Prior to this finding'