Question 41·Medium·Text Structure and Purpose
The following passage is from a 1923 short story. Amelia is returning to her childhood town by train.
She leaned against the rattling window and watched the houses sweep past in orderly ranks, as though the whole town had rehearsed this moment of welcome. The city was hers—or so she pretended to believe—and the glittering slate roofs appeared to nod in agreement. For the first time in years, Amelia felt taller than her doubts, yet she kept her suitcase tight against her knees, half-ready to stand and flee if the conductor announced a different stop.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined phrase in the passage as a whole?
For SAT “function of a phrase” questions, first bracket the exact words in the passage, then read one or two sentences before and after to see what idea they modify or interrupt. Paraphrase what the phrase does (for example: adds a contrast, weakens a claim, explains a cause, adds description) without looking at the choices. Then go to the answer options and eliminate any that (1) describe a different job than what you just paraphrased, or (2) introduce ideas that are not clearly supported by the text, such as future events or hidden motivations. Focus on what the phrase literally contributes to the meaning or tone of the nearby sentence, not on what you imagine could happen next.
Hints
Look at what the phrase is interrupting
Reread the full sentence and notice what idea comes right before the underlined phrase and what comes after it. How does the underlined phrase change the meaning of “The city was hers”?
Pay attention to the word “pretended”
Think about what it means to pretend to believe something. Does this show strong certainty, or something more complicated?
Connect the phrase to Amelia’s actions
Look at how Amelia holds her suitcase and is “half-ready to stand and flee.” How do these actions relate to her thoughts about the city and to the underlined phrase?
Test each answer against the phrase itself
Ask: Does the underlined phrase describe the town, hint at the future, explain a reason, or comment on how genuine her thought is? Eliminate any choice that doesn’t match what the words literally do.
Step-by-step Explanation
Locate and paraphrase the key sentence
Find the sentence with the underlined phrase:
"The city was hers—or so she pretended to believe—and the glittering slate roofs appeared to nod in agreement."
First, paraphrase the main claim: "The city was hers" means Amelia is thinking of the city as if it belongs to her or welcomes her back.
Then notice that the underlined phrase interrupts this thought and comments on it.
Understand what “pretended to believe” implies
Focus on the underlined words: “or so she pretended to believe.”
- If you pretend to believe something, you act like you believe it, even though you really don’t.
- So the narrator is telling us that Amelia’s thought, “The city was hers,” is not fully sincere. She is putting on a mental act, trying to convince herself.
This means the phrase is not just describing the town; it is commenting on Amelia’s mindset and how genuine (or not) it is.
Connect the phrase to the rest of the paragraph
Look at the final sentence:
"For the first time in years, Amelia felt taller than her doubts, yet she kept her suitcase tight against her knees, half-ready to stand and flee if the conductor announced a different stop."
This shows a mix of confidence and fear:
- She “felt taller than her doubts,” but
- She is still nervous enough to be “half-ready to stand and flee.”
This tension matches the idea that she is pretending to feel fully confident about “the city was hers,” even though doubt is still present.
Match this understanding to the correct choice
Now compare this understanding to the options:
- The underlined phrase does not add a sensory detail about the town, does not hint at a future event, and does not explain why she came home.
- Instead, it comments on the truth of Amelia’s own thought, revealing that her bold claim about the city is partly an act.
So, the function of the underlined phrase is best described by choice A) It signals the narrator’s doubt about Amelia’s confident claim.