Question 27·Hard·Command of Evidence
Swahili Speakers in Three African Countries
| Country | Approximate number of speakers (in millions) | Estimated % of population |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 22 | 25 |
| Kenya | 55 | 100 |
| Tanzania | 61 | 100 |
Swahili is estimated to be the first language of up to 15 million people worldwide. It’s also an officially recognized language in Tanzania, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which means these countries use Swahili in government documents and proceedings. But even in countries where almost everyone speaks Swahili, for many it isn’t their first language but is instead their second, third, or even fourth language.
Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to support the bolded claim?
For SAT Reading & Writing questions that ask which choice best uses data to support a claim, first restate the claim in your own words so you know exactly what needs to be proven (for example, that many speakers are using a language as a second language). Next, pull out the specific numbers in the passage and any tables or graphs that are directly related to that idea. Then, look for the answer that both (1) uses those numbers accurately and (2) clearly connects them back to the claim’s main point; ignore tempting options that either misuse the data or simply restate numbers without showing how they prove the claim.
Hints
Focus on the bolded sentence
Reread the bolded sentence. What is it trying to show about how Swahili is used even in countries where almost everyone speaks it?
Identify the key numbers mentioned
Notice the statement that Swahili is the first language of up to 15 million people worldwide. Then look in the table at the countries where about 100% of the population speaks Swahili.
Compare a country’s speakers to the worldwide first-language total
Think about how the number of Swahili speakers in one of the 100% countries compares to the 15 million worldwide first-language speakers. Which answer choice clearly uses that contrast?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the bolded claim is saying
The bolded sentence says that even in countries where almost everyone speaks Swahili, many people are using it as a second, third, or fourth language rather than as their first language.
So the evidence we want should show a gap between:
- how many people in a country speak Swahili at all, and
- how many people worldwide speak it as a first language.
Pull out the key numbers from the passage and table
From the paragraph above the table:
- Swahili is the first language of up to 15 million people worldwide.
From the table (Approximate number of speakers, in millions):
- Democratic Republic of the Congo: 22 million speakers, 25% of population
- Kenya: 55 million speakers, 100% of population
- Tanzania: 61 million speakers, 100% of population
Countries where almost everyone speaks Swahili are the ones with 100% listed: Kenya and Tanzania.
Decide what kind of comparison would prove the claim
To prove that many people in such a country are using Swahili as an additional language (not first language), we need a situation like this:
- A single country where almost everyone speaks Swahili has more total Swahili speakers than the 15 million people worldwide who speak it as their first language.
If one country alone has far more Swahili speakers than there are first-language speakers in the whole world, then most of that country’s Swahili speakers must be using it as a second (or third, etc.) language. So we want an answer choice that explicitly makes that kind of comparison using the numbers given.
Match the correct comparison to an answer choice
Look at each option and ask: Does it correctly use the numbers from the table and the 15 million worldwide first-language figure to show that many speakers in a country must be using Swahili as an additional language?
Only choice D does this. It states that Tanzania has approximately 61 million Swahili speakers, and that this is much more than the estimated 15 million people worldwide who speak Swahili as their first language. Since 61 million is far larger than 15 million, this directly supports the bolded claim that, even in a country where almost everyone speaks Swahili (Tanzania), many people are using it as a second, third, or fourth language rather than as their first language.
Correct answer: D) Tanzania has approximately 61 million Swahili speakers, which is much more than the estimated total number of people worldwide for whom Swahili is their first language.