Consumer behavior specialists tracking spending patterns during the 2020 pandemic observed a significant increase in home improvement purchases among ...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Consumer behavior specialists tracking spending patterns during the 2020 pandemic observed a significant increase in home improvement purchases among suburban households. Initial surveys suggested that remote work arrangements were the primary driver behind this trend. However, when researchers examined credit card data from major retailers, they found that home improvement spending had actually begun rising three months before widespread remote work policies were implemented. This data indicates that factors beyond remote work contributed to the purchasing surge, prompting analysts to investigate additional economic and psychological motivations.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?
It challenges the initial assumption that remote work caused increased home improvement spending.
It explains how researchers collected credit card data from major retail companies.
It provides evidence that supports further investigation into consumer motivations.
It describes the timeline of when pandemic-related spending changes began.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| Consumer behavior specialists tracking spending patterns during the 2020 pandemic observed a significant increase in home improvement purchases among suburban households. |
|
| Initial surveys suggested that remote work arrangements were the primary driver behind this trend. |
|
| However, when researchers examined credit card data from major retailers, they found that home improvement spending had actually begun rising three months before widespread remote work policies were implemented. |
|
| This data indicates that factors beyond remote work contributed to the purchasing surge, prompting analysts to investigate additional economic and psychological motivations. |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Credit card data reveals that home improvement spending increases began before remote work policies, indicating that multiple factors beyond remote work contributed to pandemic purchasing patterns.
Argument Flow: The passage starts with an observed trend and its proposed cause, then presents data that contradicts the timeline of that explanation, leading to the conclusion that additional factors must be investigated to fully understand consumer behavior during the pandemic.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The function of the underlined sentence within the overall text structure
What type of answer do we need? How this specific sentence contributes to or serves the passage as a whole
Any limiting keywords? 'underlined sentence' focuses us on just that specific sentence, 'in the text as a whole' means we consider its role in the complete argument
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- Based on our analysis, the underlined sentence comes after we've seen contradicting evidence
- The sentence does two things: it interprets what this contradiction means (other factors are involved) and it establishes what should happen next (more investigation needed)
- So the right answer should capture how this sentence draws a conclusion from the data discrepancy and sets up the need for broader research into consumer motivations
It challenges the initial assumption that remote work caused increased home improvement spending.
✗ Incorrect
- This focuses only on challenging the remote work assumption
- The sentence does more than challenge - it draws conclusions and points toward future research
It explains how researchers collected credit card data from major retail companies.
✗ Incorrect
- The sentence doesn't explain data collection methods at all
- It interprets what the data means, not how it was gathered
It provides evidence that supports further investigation into consumer motivations.
✓ Correct
- Perfectly captures both functions: the sentence uses the data discrepancy as evidence that other factors exist
- This evidence supports the need for further investigation into motivations
It describes the timeline of when pandemic-related spending changes began.
✗ Incorrect
- The timeline was described in the previous sentence
- This sentence interprets the significance of that timeline, doesn't describe it