Researcher Dr. Elena Rodriguez has uncovered fresh documentary proof concerning who wrote an anonymous 15th-century verse composition. Her linguistic ...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Researcher Dr. Elena Rodriguez has uncovered fresh documentary proof concerning who wrote an anonymous 15th-century verse composition. Her linguistic examination exposes stylistic elements that challenge the _______ authorship claim: the text exhibits language structures that researchers failed to recognize during the manuscript's original classification in 1892.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
original
believable
methodical
thorough
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Researcher Dr. Elena Rodriguez has uncovered fresh documentary proof concerning who wrote an anonymous 15th-century verse composition." |
|
| "Her linguistic examination exposes stylistic elements that challenge the _______ authorship claim:" |
|
| "the text exhibits language structures that researchers failed to recognize during the manuscript's original classification in 1892." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Dr. Rodriguez's new linguistic analysis provides evidence that challenges a previous claim about who wrote an anonymous 15th-century poem.
Argument Flow: The passage presents a researcher who made a discovery, explains that her analysis challenges some existing claim about authorship, and provides evidence showing that earlier researchers missed important linguistic features when they first classified the manuscript.
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 missing word needs to describe what kind of authorship claim is being challenged
- Looking at our analysis, we see that researchers originally classified this manuscript in 1892, but Dr. Rodriguez's new evidence shows they missed important language structures
- This suggests the word should relate to the timing or nature of that earlier claim from 1892
- The relationship we need is: Her new analysis challenges the [BLANK] authorship claim because it reveals language structures that the 1892 researchers missed
- So the right answer should describe the type of claim that existed before this new evidence came to light - likely referring to the first or earliest claim about authorship
original
✓ Correct
- Fits perfectly with the timeline - the "original" claim would be the one made in 1892 when researchers first classified the manuscript
- Creates logical flow: new evidence challenges what was originally believed about authorship
- Matches our prethinking about needing a word that refers to the earlier, first claim
believable
✗ Incorrect
- Doesn't create the right logical relationship with the timeline
- Would suggest she's challenging claims that seem credible, but the passage is about challenging claims based on new evidence, not credibility
methodical
✗ Incorrect
- Describes how thorough or systematic the claim was, not when or what type it was
- Doesn't connect to the 1892 timeline established in the passage
thorough
✗ Incorrect
- Similar to "methodical" - describes the quality of the claim rather than its temporal relationship
- Students might think this sounds academic and impressive, but it doesn't create the logical connection the sentence needs