These handwritten records became more than documentation—they were acts of deep attention, moments of interpretive engagement, and bridges between obs...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
These handwritten records became more than documentation—they were acts of deep attention, moments of interpretive engagement, and bridges between observation and understanding.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?
It explains why handwritten notes are more reliable than digital recordings.
It describes the time-consuming nature of ethnographic research methods.
It shows that the practice serves purposes beyond simple data collection.
It establishes that researchers must choose between different recording techniques.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'During my ethnographic study, I maintained a daily practice of handwriting field notes rather than using digital recording devices.' |
|
| 'I wrote continuously, even during brief conversations and informal observations.' |
|
| 'These handwritten records became more than documentation—they were acts of deep attention, moments of interpretive engagement, and bridges between observation and understanding.' |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
- Main Point: The researcher's choice to handwrite field notes served multiple important purposes beyond simple data recording.
- Argument Flow: The author first establishes the methodological choice (handwriting over digital), then shows how extensively this practice was applied, and finally reveals that this practice served deeper intellectual and interpretive functions rather than just documentation.
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 underlined portion takes the handwriting practice that was introduced and described, and reveals its deeper meaning.
- It shows that what might seem like a simple methodological choice actually serves multiple sophisticated intellectual purposes.
- The sentence transforms our understanding from 'researcher chose handwriting' to 'handwriting serves complex analytical functions.'
- The right answer should recognize that this sentence expands or deepens our understanding of the practice beyond its surface-level description.
It explains why handwritten notes are more reliable than digital recordings.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims it explains why handwritten notes are more reliable than digital recordings.
- The passage never compares reliability between the two methods.
- The underlined portion focuses on the intellectual functions of handwriting, not comparative reliability.
It describes the time-consuming nature of ethnographic research methods.
✗ Incorrect
- Says it describes the time-consuming nature of ethnographic research.
- The underlined portion doesn't mention time or duration at all.
- Instead, it focuses on the qualitative aspects of what the notes accomplish.
It shows that the practice serves purposes beyond simple data collection.
✓ Correct
- Recognizes that the sentence shows the practice serves purposes beyond simple data collection.
- Matches our analysis: the sentence reveals that handwriting became 'more than documentation.'
- The three functions listed all represent purposes beyond basic data collection.
It establishes that researchers must choose between different recording techniques.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims it establishes that researchers must choose between different recording techniques.
- The underlined portion doesn't discuss choice or establish necessity of choosing.
- It focuses on what the handwritten records accomplished, not on the decision-making process.