Before the 1847 introduction of the US postage stamp, the cost of postage was usually paid by the recipient of...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
Before the 1847 introduction of the US postage stamp, the cost of postage was usually paid by the recipient of a letter rather than the sender, and recipients were not always able or willing to pay promptly. ________ collecting this fee could be slow and arduous, and heaps of unpaid-for, undeliverable mail piled up in post offices.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
Regardless,
On the contrary,
Consequently,
For example,
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Before the 1847 introduction of the US postage stamp, the cost of postage was usually paid by the recipient of a letter rather than the sender" |
|
| "and recipients were not always able or willing to pay promptly." |
|
| "[MISSING TRANSITION] collecting this fee could be slow and arduous" |
|
| "and heaps of unpaid-for, undeliverable mail piled up in post offices." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The pre-1847 postal system, where recipients paid for mail, created serious operational problems due to collection difficulties.
Argument Flow: The passage explains how the old postal system worked, identifies the core problem (recipients' inability or unwillingness to pay promptly), then shows how this problem created a cascade of difficulties for postal operations.
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 have recipients who cannot or will not pay promptly, and then we learn that collecting fees is slow and arduous
- The blank needs to show that the second part happens BECAUSE of the first part
- This is a clear cause-and-effect relationship where the recipients' payment problems directly lead to collection difficulties
Regardless,
Regardless,
- This word dismisses or minimizes the importance of what came before
- It would suggest that collection was difficult despite or independent of the payment problems
- This contradicts the logical flow
- ✗ Incorrect
On the contrary,
On the contrary,
- This signals opposition or contradiction to the previous statement
- Would suggest that collection being slow contradicts recipients not paying promptly
- Makes no logical sense
- ✗ Incorrect
Consequently,
Consequently,
- Signals a direct cause-and-effect relationship
- Shows that difficult fee collection is the logical result of recipients not paying promptly
- This matches our prethinking perfectly
- ✓ Correct
For example,
For example,
- This introduces a specific instance or illustration
- Would suggest that collecting fees is just one example of recipients not paying promptly
- Does not make logical sense
- ✗ Incorrect