Literary scholars have long observed that Jane Austen and other Regency-era novelists frequently employed free indirect discourse—a narrative techniqu...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Literary scholars have long observed that Jane Austen and other Regency-era novelists frequently employed free indirect discourse—a narrative technique blending third-person narration with characters' internal thoughts—throughout their major works. This consistent stylistic feature led some experts to propose that a recently discovered anonymous manuscript from the same period might also be Austen's work, given its similar use of the technique. However, detailed computational analysis of sentence structure patterns, vocabulary frequency, and syntactic complexity in the manuscript reveals significant departures from Austen's established linguistic fingerprint, particularly in modal verb usage and subordinate clause construction, suggesting the work originated from a different author entirely.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined statement in the text as a whole?
It presents evidence about linguistic patterns in order to support a theory about authorship that is confirmed by analysis described later in the text.
It identifies a shared stylistic feature among certain writers in order to explain why experts proposed an attribution that turned out not to be supported by evidence described later in the text.
It describes a narrative technique used by certain authors in order to demonstrate why a method described later in the text was inadequate for determining authorship.
It establishes a connection between different writers in order to introduce a hypothesis about the evolution of that connection that is developed later in the text.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| Literary scholars have long observed that Jane Austen and other Regency-era novelists frequently employed free indirect discourse—a narrative technique blending third-person narration with characters' internal thoughts—throughout their major works. |
|
| This consistent stylistic feature led some experts to propose that a recently discovered anonymous manuscript from the same period might also be Austen's work, given its similar use of the technique. [UNDERLINED] |
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| However, detailed computational analysis of sentence structure patterns, vocabulary frequency, and syntactic complexity in the manuscript reveals significant departures from Austen's established linguistic fingerprint, particularly in modal verb usage and subordinate clause construction, suggesting the work originated from a different author entirely. |
|
Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: While experts initially attributed an anonymous manuscript to Jane Austen based on shared stylistic features, computational analysis ultimately revealed it was written by someone else.
Argument Flow: The passage moves from established scholarly knowledge about Austen's technique to explaining how that knowledge led to a mistaken attribution, then provides evidence that contradicts that attribution.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The function of the underlined statement within the overall text
What type of answer do we need? How this specific sentence contributes to the passage's structure and argument
Any limiting keywords? We're focusing only on that specific sentence and need to consider its role in the complete argument
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The underlined statement explains that because experts saw this same technique in the anonymous manuscript, they thought it might be Austen's work
- The passage goes on to show that computational analysis proved this attribution wrong
- The underlined statement should explain why experts made their initial attribution (because of the shared stylistic feature)
- It connects to the fact that this reasoning was later proven incorrect by the computational analysis
- It shows the logical connection between the shared technique and the proposed attribution
It presents evidence about linguistic patterns in order to support a theory about authorship that is confirmed by analysis described later in the text.
- Claims the statement presents evidence to support a theory about authorship that is confirmed by analysis
- The underlined statement doesn't present evidence—it explains expert reasoning
- More importantly, the analysis described later contradicts rather than confirms the attribution theory
It identifies a shared stylistic feature among certain writers in order to explain why experts proposed an attribution that turned out not to be supported by evidence described later in the text.
- Accurately identifies that the statement explains how a shared stylistic feature led to an attribution proposal
- Correctly notes that this attribution turned out not to be supported by evidence described later
- Perfectly captures the logical flow: shared feature leads to expert reasoning which is later contradicted
It describes a narrative technique used by certain authors in order to demonstrate why a method described later in the text was inadequate for determining authorship.
- Claims the statement demonstrates why a method described later in the text was inadequate
- The underlined statement doesn't critique any method—it simply explains expert reasoning
It establishes a connection between different writers in order to introduce a hypothesis about the evolution of that connection that is developed later in the text.
- Suggests the statement introduces a hypothesis about the evolution of that connection that is developed later
- The statement doesn't discuss evolution or development—it explains a one-time attribution decision