At first glance, medieval manuscript illumination may appear random and without system, however, scholarly investigation demonstrates that individual ...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
At first glance, medieval manuscript illumination may appear random and without system, however, scholarly investigation demonstrates that individual monasteries created unique patterns of pigments, motifs, and decorative elements. Such distinctive _____ allowed researchers to determine the source of unsigned manuscripts.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
substances
markers
copyists
dialects
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'At first glance, medieval manuscript illumination may appear random and without system,' |
|
| 'however, scholarly investigation demonstrates that individual monasteries created unique patterns of pigments, motifs, and decorative elements.' |
|
| 'Such distinctive _______ allowed researchers to determine the source of unsigned manuscripts.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: While medieval manuscript illumination appears chaotic, research reveals that each monastery developed distinctive visual patterns that now help scholars identify unsigned manuscripts.
Argument Flow: The passage moves from appearance to reality - first presenting the surface impression of randomness, then revealing the underlying systematic organization discovered through research, and finally explaining how this discovery serves a practical scholarly purpose.
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
- The blank needs to refer back to the 'unique patterns of pigments, motifs, and decorative elements' that each monastery created
- We need a word that captures how these patterns function as identifying features - they're like signatures or fingerprints that help researchers trace manuscripts back to their origins
- The word should emphasize their role as distinguishing characteristics that serve an investigative purpose
substances
✗ Incorrect
- This only covers the 'pigments' part and ignores motifs and decorative elements entirely
- Too narrow
markers
✓ Correct
- Perfectly captures how these patterns serve as identifying signs
- 'Markers' suggests features that mark or identify something specific and encompasses all three elements as identifying characteristics
copyists
✗ Incorrect
- Refers to people (the monks who created manuscripts), not the patterns themselves
- The sentence structure requires a word that refers back to the visual patterns
dialects
✗ Incorrect
- Refers to language variations, but the passage discusses visual patterns
- Completely misses that we're talking about artistic/decorative elements, not linguistic features