During classroom observations, educational researcher Maria Santos discovered something unexpected about teacher interruption patterns: when instructo...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
During classroom observations, educational researcher Maria Santos discovered something unexpected about teacher interruption patterns: when instructors frequently stopped students mid-presentation to correct minor errors, this practice actually ______ student confidence, as her longitudinal data showed these immediate corrections helped develop stronger public speaking skills and greater self-assurance over time.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
strengthens
evaluates
monitors
challenges
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'During classroom observations, educational researcher Maria Santos discovered something unexpected about teacher interruption patterns:' |
|
| 'when instructors frequently stopped students mid-presentation to correct minor errors,' |
|
| '[MISSING WORD/PHRASE]' |
|
| 'student confidence,' |
|
| 'as her longitudinal data showed these immediate corrections helped develop stronger public speaking skills and greater self-assurance over time.' |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Research revealed that teacher interruptions for corrections actually had a positive effect on student confidence, contrary to what might be expected.
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 key is in the evidence clause - the data showed interruptions helped develop stronger speaking skills and greater self-assurance over time
- The word unexpected suggests the finding went against common assumptions
- The missing word needs to show that interruptions had a positive impact on confidence
strengthens
✓ Correct
- Correct - Creates the logical relationship that interruptions positively affected confidence
- Matches perfectly with the evidence showing stronger skills and greater self-assurance
evaluates
✗ Incorrect
- Incorrect - Evaluates means to assess or judge, which does not describe what happens to confidence
- Does not match the evidence about improved skills
monitors
✗ Incorrect
- Incorrect - Monitors means to observe or track, not to affect or change
- Does not create the cause-effect relationship the sentence structure requires
challenges
✗ Incorrect
- Incorrect - While challenges might seem logical, it does not fit the positive evidence showing stronger skills and greater self-assurance