The following text is adapted from Jason Reynolds's 2016 novel Ghost. The narrator, who is in middle school, is at...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The following text is adapted from Jason Reynolds's 2016 novel Ghost. The narrator, who is in middle school, is at a bus stop.
I just go there [to the bus stop] to look at the people working out. See, the gym across the street has this big window—like the whole wall is a window—and they have those machines that make you feel like you walking up steps and so everybody just be facing the bus stop, looking all crazy like they're about to pass out. And trust me, there ain't nothing funnier than that. So I check that out for a little while like it's some kind of movie: The About to Pass Out Show, starring stair-stepper person one through ten.
©2016 by Jason Reynolds
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
To give a reason why the narrator is excited to start middle school
To describe an activity that the narrator finds amusing
To explain a problem that the narrator has overcome
To discuss a movie that the narrator saw in a theater
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'I just go there [to the bus stop] to look at the people working out.' |
|
| 'See, the gym across the street has this big window—like the whole wall is a window—and they have those machines that make you feel like you walking up steps and so everybody just be facing the bus stop, looking all crazy like they're about to pass out.' |
|
| 'And trust me, there ain't nothing funnier than that.' |
|
| 'So I check that out for a little while like it's some kind of movie: The About to Pass Out Show, starring stair-stepper person one through ten.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The narrator goes to the bus stop not to catch a bus, but because he finds it entertaining to watch people exercising in the gym across the street who look like they are about to pass out.
Argument Flow: The narrator first states his reason for going to the bus stop, then describes the physical setup that makes this observation possible, and finally reveals his amused reaction to what he sees, comparing it to watching a comedy show.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
- What's being asked? The main purpose of the entire text
- What type of answer do we need? A statement about the overall function or goal of what the author wrote
- Any limiting keywords? 'main purpose' tells us to focus on the primary function, not secondary details
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The passage walks us through why the narrator goes to the bus stop and what he does there
- The key elements are that he goes there specifically to watch people exercise, he finds their exhausted expressions hilarious, and he treats the whole thing like entertainment
- The purpose is not to discuss transportation, school, or problems - it is to share this amusing activity that the narrator engages in
- So the right answer should explain that the text describes something the narrator finds entertaining or funny about watching people exercise
To give a reason why the narrator is excited to start middle school
✗ Incorrect
- Claims the text explains excitement about starting middle school
- The passage mentions the narrator is in middle school but says nothing about being excited to start it
- The bus stop is not connected to school - he goes there to watch people exercise
To describe an activity that the narrator finds amusing
✓ Correct
- Accurately identifies that the text describes an activity the narrator finds amusing
- Matches our analysis - the narrator explicitly says 'there ain't nothing funnier than' watching exercisers
- Covers the main elements: it is an activity (watching people work out) that he finds entertaining
To explain a problem that the narrator has overcome
✗ Incorrect
- Suggests the text explains overcoming a problem
- No problem is mentioned anywhere in the passage
- The narrator is not struggling with anything - he is enjoying his entertainment
To discuss a movie that the narrator saw in a theater
✗ Incorrect
- Claims the text discusses a movie seen in a theater
- The narrator uses movie language metaphorically ('like it's some kind of movie') but he is describing real people exercising, not discussing an actual movie