The following text is from Reyna Grande's 2012 memoir The Distance Between Us. In the text, Grande reflects on a...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is from Reyna Grande's 2012 memoir The Distance Between Us. In the text, Grande reflects on a time when she and her older sister Mago were children. A Barbie is a type of doll.
I begged Mago to come play with me. She wasn't as interested in my Barbie as she had been just two months before, which made me sad because that was the only thing Mago had envied me for. Usually, it was me doing the envying. After I pestered her relentlessly, she finally put her notebook down and came over to me.
©2012 by Reyna Grande
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text?
It indicates Grande's unhappiness over Mago's disinterest in Grande's doll.
It expresses Grande's anger over Mago's refusal to spend time with her.
It presents an example of how Mago and Grande generally played together as children.
It provides a reason for why Mago is unwilling to play with Grande.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "I begged Mago to come play with me." |
|
| "She wasn't as interested in my Barbie as she had been just two months before," |
|
| "which made me sad because that was the only thing Mago had envied me for. Usually, it was me doing the envying." |
|
| "After I pestered her relentlessly, she finally put her notebook down and came over to me." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Grande reflects on feeling sad when her sister Mago lost interest in Grande's Barbie doll, which had been the one thing that made Mago envious of her.
Argument Flow: Grande sets up a scene where she wanted to play with Mago, explains that Mago had lost interest in the Barbie, reveals her sadness about this because it disrupted their usual dynamic where Mago envied her, and concludes with Mago eventually agreeing to play after persistent requests.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The function of the underlined portion in the text
What type of answer do we need? What job or purpose the underlined portion serves within the passage
Any limiting keywords? "underlined portion" - we need to focus specifically on that sentence fragment, not the entire passage
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The underlined portion does two main things: it tells us Grande's emotional state (she felt sad) and explains why she felt that way (because the Barbie was special - it was the only thing Mago envied her for, which was unusual since Grande usually did the envying)
- The key elements we need are:
- It should recognize that this portion explains Grande's sadness
- It should connect to Mago's disinterest in the Barbie
- It should understand this is about Grande's emotional response to the situation
It indicates Grande's unhappiness over Mago's disinterest in Grande's doll.
✓ Correct
- This directly matches what the underlined portion does - it explicitly states "which made me sad" and explains this sadness stems from Mago's disinterest
- The word "indicates" perfectly captures how the text reveals Grande's emotional state
- "Unhappiness" aligns with "made me sad" and "disinterest in Grande's doll" matches the context about Mago not being interested in the Barbie anymore
It expresses Grande's anger over Mago's refusal to spend time with her.
✗ Incorrect
- The underlined portion mentions sadness, not anger - "which made me sad" is explicitly about being sad, not angry
- It's not about Mago "refusing" to spend time - Mago actually does come play at the end, and the issue is specifically about interest in the Barbie, not spending time together
It presents an example of how Mago and Grande generally played together as children.
✗ Incorrect
- The underlined portion doesn't present an example of them playing together - it explains why Grande felt sad about Mago's disinterest
- This is about their emotional dynamic and relationship, not their play activities
It provides a reason for why Mago is unwilling to play with Grande.
✗ Incorrect
- The underlined portion explains why Grande is sad, not why Mago is unwilling to play
- Mago does eventually come play, so she's not unwilling - she's just less interested than before