Playwright Maria Santos spent years developing her artistic voice through traditional theatrical forms. She wrote several well-received classical dram...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
Playwright Maria Santos spent years developing her artistic voice through traditional theatrical forms. She wrote several well-received classical dramas that established her reputation in regional theater. _____ her latest work breaks entirely from conventional structure, incorporating multimedia elements and audience interaction. This bold departure has divided critics but attracted new audiences.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
Additionally,
For instance,
However,
Similarly,
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Playwright Maria Santos spent years developing her artistic voice through traditional theatrical forms." |
|
| "She wrote several well-received classical dramas that established her reputation in regional theater." |
|
| "her latest work breaks entirely from conventional structure, incorporating multimedia elements and audience interaction." |
|
| "This bold departure has divided critics but attracted new audiences." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Maria Santos has made a dramatic shift from her established traditional theatrical background to experimental, unconventional work that challenges standard forms.
Argument Flow: We start with Santos' traditional foundation and proven success in classical theater. Then there's a sharp pivot to describe how her current work completely abandons those conventional approaches. The passage concludes by showing this departure has created both controversy and new interest.
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
- Looking at our passage analysis, we need a connector that bridges Santos' traditional, established theatrical background with her complete break from conventional structure
- The sentences before the blank show her success in classical, traditional theater
- The sentence after the blank shows her doing something entirely different - breaking from convention with multimedia and audience interaction
- This is a classic contrast situation
- We're moving from "traditional and established" to "breaks entirely from conventional structure"
- The right connector needs to signal this opposition or shift
- So the right answer should indicate contrast or opposition between her traditional past and her unconventional present work
Additionally,
- "Additionally" suggests we're adding similar information or continuing the same line of thought
- This doesn't work because breaking from convention isn't additional to being traditional - it's the opposite
- What trap this represents: Students might think this works because it's connecting two facts about Santos, missing that the facts are contradictory rather than complementary
For instance,
- "For instance" introduces an example of what was just mentioned
- Her break from convention isn't an example of traditional theater - it's the opposite
- This choice misses the contrasting relationship entirely
However,
- "However" signals contrast, which perfectly captures the shift from traditional success to unconventional experimentation
- This matches our prethinking - we need to show opposition between her established traditional approach and her radical departure
- The word creates the logical bridge: she was successful traditionally, BUT now she's doing something completely different
Similarly,
- "Similarly" suggests the new information resembles what came before
- Breaking from conventional structure is the opposite of similarity to classical dramas
- What trap this represents: Students might focus on both being about Santos' work, missing that the nature of the work is completely different