While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:Shaun Tan is an Australian author.In 2008, he published Tales...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Shaun Tan is an Australian author.
- In 2008, he published Tales from Outer Suburbia, a book of fifteen short stories.
- The stories describe surreal events occurring in otherwise ordinary suburban neighborhoods.
- In 2018, he published Tales from the Inner City, a book of twenty-five short stories.
- The stories describe surreal events occurring in otherwise ordinary urban settings.
The student wants to emphasize a similarity between the two books by Shaun Tan. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Shaun Tan's book Tales from Outer Suburbia, which describes surreal events occurring in otherwise ordinary places, contains fewer short stories than Tales from the Inner City does.
Tales from Outer Suburbia was published in 2008, and Tales from the Inner City was published in 2018.
Unlike Tales from the Inner City, Shaun Tan's book Tales from Outer Suburbia is set in suburban neighborhoods.
Shaun Tan's books Tales from Outer Suburbia and Tales from the Inner City both describe surreal events occurring in otherwise ordinary places.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Shaun Tan is an Australian author." |
|
| "In 2008, he published Tales from Outer Suburbia, a book of fifteen short stories." |
|
| "The stories describe surreal events occurring in otherwise ordinary suburban neighborhoods." |
|
| "In 2018, he published Tales from the Inner City, a book of twenty-five short stories." |
|
| "The stories describe surreal events occurring in otherwise ordinary urban settings." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Visual Structure Map:
SHAUN TAN (Australian author)
├── Book 1: Tales from Outer Suburbia (2008)
│ ├── 15 short stories
│ └── Surreal events in ordinary suburban neighborhoods
└── Book 2: Tales from the Inner City (2018)
├── 25 short stories
└── Surreal events in ordinary urban settings
Main Point: The notes provide information about two books by Shaun Tan that both feature surreal events in ordinary settings, with one set in suburbs and one in cities.
Argument Flow: The notes establish Tan as an Australian author, then present details about each of his two books in chronological order, describing their publication dates, lengths, and shared thematic approach of combining surreal events with ordinary settings.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? The student wants to emphasize a SIMILARITY between the two books by Shaun Tan.
What type of answer do we need? A sentence that highlights what the two books have in common, not their differences.
Any limiting keywords? "Similarity" is the key limiting word - we need to focus on what's the same, not what's different.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The key similarity between the two books is that they both describe "surreal events occurring in otherwise ordinary" places
- One is set in suburban neighborhoods, the other in urban settings, but both combine the surreal with the ordinary
- The right answer should emphasize this shared thematic approach rather than focusing on their differences (like number of stories, publication dates, or specific settings)
- The right answer should highlight that both books share the same basic concept of surreal events happening in ordinary places
Shaun Tan's book Tales from Outer Suburbia, which describes surreal events occurring in otherwise ordinary places, contains fewer short stories than Tales from the Inner City does.
- This choice focuses on a difference (fewer vs more stories) rather than a similarity
- While it mentions that Tales from Outer Suburbia "describes surreal events occurring in otherwise ordinary places," it immediately contrasts this with the number of stories, which emphasizes difference, not similarity
- What trap this represents: Students might be attracted to this choice because it does mention the surreal/ordinary theme, but they need to focus on the question's goal of emphasizing similarity, not difference
Tales from Outer Suburbia was published in 2008, and Tales from the Inner City was published in 2018.
- This choice only provides publication dates (2008 vs 2018)
- It presents no similarity between the books at all
- This completely fails to address the student's goal of emphasizing what the books have in common
Unlike Tales from the Inner City, Shaun Tan's book Tales from Outer Suburbia is set in suburban neighborhoods.
- This choice explicitly emphasizes a difference by using "Unlike"
- It contrasts suburban vs urban settings rather than finding common ground
- This is the opposite of what the question asks for - it highlights difference, not similarity
Shaun Tan's books Tales from Outer Suburbia and Tales from the Inner City both describe surreal events occurring in otherwise ordinary places.
- This choice directly states that "both" books share the same characteristic
- It identifies the key similarity from our analysis: both describe "surreal events occurring in otherwise ordinary places"
- It perfectly matches our prethinking by emphasizing what the books have in common rather than how they differ