The extensive correspondence between Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West, spanning nearly two decades, allows literary scholars not only to _____...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
The extensive correspondence between Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West, spanning nearly two decades, allows literary scholars not only to _____ the personal dynamics that influenced their individual works but also to understand the broader context of modernist literary networks in early twentieth-century Britain.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
analyze
exploit
document
assume
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "The extensive correspondence between Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West, spanning nearly two decades," |
|
| "allows literary scholars not only to" |
|
| "[MISSING WORD]" |
|
| "the personal dynamics that influenced their individual works" |
|
| "but also to understand the broader context of modernist literary networks in early twentieth-century Britain." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: The Woolf-Sackville-West correspondence provides scholars with valuable material for studying both personal influences on individual works and wider modernist literary networks.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes a rich source of correspondence, then explains how this material serves dual scholarly purposes - examining personal dynamics and understanding broader literary contexts.
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 scholars do with "personal dynamics that influenced their individual works"
- Since we're talking about scholarly work with correspondence, the word should represent some form of systematic academic examination
- The word must be something scholars would logically do when they have access to personal letters - they would examine, study, or investigate the relationships and influences revealed in that correspondence
- So the right answer should be an academic action word that means to examine or study systematically
analyze
✓ Correct
- Perfect fit for scholarly work - scholars would systematically examine personal dynamics
- Makes complete sense with the object "personal dynamics"
- Matches the academic tone and purpose described
exploit
✗ Incorrect
- Has negative connotations of taking unfair advantage
- Doesn't fit the respectful, academic context of literary scholarship
document
✗ Incorrect
- The correspondence already exists as documentation
- Scholars wouldn't "document" dynamics that are already documented in letters
- Doesn't capture the analytical work scholars would do
assume
✗ Incorrect
- Scholars don't just assume things - they study evidence
- Goes against the whole premise that correspondence provides actual evidence to work with