Question 156·200 Super-Hard SAT Reading Questions·Information and Ideas
Literary scholars disagree about the irregular dashes in the first edition of poet Mira Sen's collection. Some interpret the dashes as deliberate devices for controlling pace, while others suspect that some originated in the printshop. In three poems for which handwritten drafts survive, most discrepancies between the drafts and the edition occur at line endings where the typesetter adjusted spacing to fit the page, though several line-end dashes do match the drafts; away from line endings, nearly all dashes agree. In a corrected proof of a fourth poem, Sen deleted two line-end dashes that printshop records identify as additions made during typesetting but retained midline dashes also present in an earlier draft. Although a letter from Sen praises the “hesitations” punctuation can create, it identifies no particular mark. Taken together, this evidence suggests that _____
Which choice most logically completes the text?
For a difficult inference question, compare the scope and strength of each piece of evidence. Track quantifiers carefully, distinguish evidence about specific cases from general statements, and reject choices that convert a limited observation into a universal claim.
Hints
Track the quantifier
Notice exactly what the word “most” describes: all dashes, or only discrepancies between two versions?
Rank the evidence
Compare evidence concerning particular punctuation marks with Sen's broad statement about the possible effect of punctuation.
Avoid overgeneralizing
Do not turn decisions about two typesetter-added marks into a rule about every dash in a particular position.
Step-by-step Explanation
Distinguish dashes from discrepancies
Most discrepancies occur at line endings, but the passage does not say that most line-end dashes differ from Sen's drafts. Indeed, several line-end dashes match the drafts, while nearly all midline dashes do.
Examine the proof corrections
Sen deleted two line-end dashes known to have been added during typesetting and retained midline dashes also found in an earlier draft. These actions provide evidence about particular marks rather than establishing a universal rule based only on position.
Assess the letter's scope
Sen's letter confirms that she valued punctuation-induced hesitation in general, but it does not identify which printed dashes she intended. Thus, a draft or proof that supports a specific dash is stronger evidence of authorial intention than the letter alone.