The following text is adapted from George Eliot's 1857 short story The Sad Fortunes of the Rev. Amos Barton. Mr....
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is adapted from George Eliot's 1857 short story The Sad Fortunes of the Rev. Amos Barton. Mr. Ely is a clergyman in the town of Milby.
By the laity of Milby and its neighbourhood [Mr. Ely] was regarded as a man of quite remarkable powers and learning, who must make a considerable sensation in London pulpits and drawing-rooms on his occasional visit to the metropolis; and by his brother clergy he was regarded as a discreet and agreeable fellow. Mr. Ely never got into a warm discussion; he suggested what might be thought, but rarely said what he thought himself; he never let either men or women see that he was laughing at them, and he never gave any one an opportunity of laughing at him.
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "By the laity of Milby and its neighbourhood [Mr. Ely] was regarded as a man of quite remarkable powers and learning, who must make a considerable sensation in London pulpits and drawing-rooms on his occasional visit to the metropolis;" |
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| "and by his brother clergy he was regarded as a discreet and agreeable fellow." |
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| "Mr. Ely never got into a warm discussion;" |
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| "he suggested what might be thought, but rarely said what he thought himself;" |
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| "he never let either men or women see that he was laughing at them, and he never gave any one an opportunity of laughing at him." |
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Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Mr. Ely maintains his positive reputation through carefully calculated behaviors that avoid conflict and vulnerability.
Argument Flow: The passage first establishes that Mr. Ely enjoys favorable opinions from both laypeople and clergy, then shifts to explaining the specific behavioral strategies he uses to maintain these positive impressions.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The overall structure of the text - how the passage is organized and what its main parts accomplish.
What type of answer do we need? A description that captures the passage's organizational pattern and flow.
Any limiting keywords? "Overall structure" tells us we need to look at the big picture organization, not specific details.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The correct answer needs to capture that the passage has two main parts: first, it shows us the positive opinions different groups have of Mr. Ely, and second, it explains his specific behaviors that allow him to maintain those positive opinions
- The structure moves from "what people think of him" to "how he makes sure they keep thinking well of him"
- Claims his regard "subsided," but the passage never shows his reputation declining
- The passage describes ongoing behaviors that maintain his reputation, not events that damaged it
- Suggests neighbors are more naive than London people, but the passage doesn't contrast their judgment quality
- The passage mentions London only to show how impressive the laity thinks Mr. Ely would be there
- Claims there's a "discrepancy between public and private conduct," but we don't see his private conduct
- The passage shows his public behaviors that maintain his reputation, not a contrast with hidden behavior
- Accurately captures the two-part structure: favorable opinions first, then enabling behaviors
- The "favorable opinion" matches both the laity's and clergy's positive views
- The "behaviors that enable him to maintain that favorable opinion" perfectly describes the second half about avoiding arguments, not stating opinions directly, and managing social perception