The following text is adapted from Charles Dickens's 1854 novel Hard Times. Coketown is a fictional town in England. [Coketown]...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is adapted from Charles Dickens's 1854 novel Hard Times. Coketown is a fictional town in England. [Coketown] contained several large streets all very like one another, and many small streets still more like one another, inhabited by people equally like one another, who all went in and out at the same hours, with the same sound upon the same pavements, to do the same work, and to whom every day was the same as yesterday and tomorrow, and every year the counterpart of the last and the next.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
To emphasize the uniformity of both the town and the people who live there
To explain the limited work opportunities available to the town's residents
To reveal how the predictability of the town makes it easy for people lose track of time
To argue that the simplicity of life in the town makes it a pleasant place to live
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| [Coketown] contained several large streets all very like one another, and many small streets still more like one another, |
|
| inhabited by people equally like one another, |
|
| who all went in and out at the same hours, with the same sound upon the same pavements, to do the same work, |
|
| and to whom every day was the same as yesterday and tomorrow, and every year the counterpart of the last and the next. |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Dickens presents Coketown as a place where complete uniformity dominates every aspect of life—from the physical structures to the people to their daily routines and the passage of time itself.
Argument Flow: The passage moves systematically from the physical uniformity of the town's streets to the sameness of its people, then to their identical routines, and finally to how this uniformity extends across all time periods. Each element builds on the previous one to create a comprehensive picture of total sameness.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The main purpose of the text—why Dickens wrote this particular description
What type of answer do we need? The author's primary intention or goal in writing this passage
Any limiting keywords? Main purpose tells us we need the overarching reason, not a minor detail
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- From our analysis, we can see that Dickens systematically builds a picture where everything is described as like one another or the same.
- The passage moves through different aspects—streets, people, routines, time—but consistently emphasizes identical, uniform characteristics.
- The repetitive language structure reinforces this theme of sameness.
- The right answer should capture this emphasis on uniformity and sameness that applies to both the physical town and its inhabitants.
To emphasize the uniformity of both the town and the people who live there
✓ Correct
- Directly matches our passage analysis showing uniformity in both town and people
- Captures the systematic way Dickens builds this theme throughout the entire passage
To explain the limited work opportunities available to the town's residents
✗ Incorrect
- Focuses specifically on work opportunities being limited but the passage mentions work without suggesting opportunities are limited—just that everyone does the same work
To reveal how the predictability of the town makes it easy for people lose track of time
✗ Incorrect
- Suggests the main point is about people losing track of time
- While the passage discusses time, it's about uniformity across time, not confusion about time
To argue that the simplicity of life in the town makes it a pleasant place to live
✗ Incorrect
- Claims Dickens argues the town is pleasant due to simplicity
- The passage describes uniformity but makes no value judgment about whether this is pleasant