Working as a jazz composer in New York during the 1940s, Maria Santos gained recognition for avoiding _______ arrangements in...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Working as a jazz composer in New York during the 1940s, Maria Santos gained recognition for avoiding _______ arrangements in her compositions. Rather than relying on predictable chord progressions and familiar melodies, she consistently incorporated unexpected harmonic shifts and unconventional rhythmic patterns.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
conventional
innovative
complex
melodic
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Working as a jazz composer in New York during the 1940s, Maria Santos gained recognition for avoiding ________ arrangements in her compositions." |
|
| "Rather than relying on predictable chord progressions and familiar melodies, she consistently incorporated unexpected harmonic shifts and unconventional rhythmic patterns." |
|
Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Maria Santos gained recognition for avoiding a certain type of arrangement in favor of unexpected and unconventional musical elements.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes Santos as a recognized jazz composer, then sets up a contrast between the type of arrangements she avoided and what she actually incorporated, which was the opposite—unexpected and unconventional rather than predictable and familiar.
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 word we need must describe arrangements that Santos avoided
- From our analysis, we see she avoided arrangements that were "predictable" and used "familiar melodies"
- Instead, she chose "unexpected harmonic shifts and unconventional rhythmic patterns"
- So the missing word should describe arrangements that are the opposite of unexpected and unconventional—arrangements that would be predictable, familiar, or standard
conventional
✓ Correct
- "Conventional" perfectly describes arrangements that would rely on predictable chord progressions and familiar melodies
- Creates the exact contrast the passage establishes—Santos avoided conventional approaches in favor of unexpected and unconventional ones
innovative
✗ Incorrect
- "Innovative" would mean Santos avoided creative, original arrangements
- This contradicts the evidence—she actually embraced innovation by using "unexpected" and "unconventional" elements
complex
✗ Incorrect
- "Complex" refers to difficulty or intricacy, not the predictable vs. unexpected contrast the passage establishes
melodic
✗ Incorrect
- "Melodic" describes music that emphasizes melody, which doesn't fit the contrast pattern