For a function question, determine what the underlined text does in relation to the sentences before and after it. Pay special attention to whether it introduces evidence, states a conclusion, acknowledges a limitation, or establishes a framework that later details apply. Then reject choices that accurately mention the topic but misstate the sentence’s role or scope.
Hints
- Hint 1
Consider placement
Notice that the underlined sentence appears after an alternative explanation is introduced but before Moreno’s findings are presented.
- Hint 2
Trace the contrast
Identify the two kinds of patterns described in the underlined sentence, then look for those patterns in the following sentences.
- Hint 3
Distinguish framework from conclusion
Ask whether the underlined sentence reports what Moreno found or provides a way to interpret what she later reports.
Step-by-step
- Step 1
Locate the sentence in the argument
The sentence follows Moreno’s introduction of an alternative to the usual authorial-revision explanation and precedes the evidence from her comparison.
- Step 2
Identify the distinction
The sentence contrasts the irregular pattern expected from copying with the consistent pattern expected from deliberate revision.
- Step 3
Connect the distinction to the evidence
The following sentences apply this contrast: scattered, awkward changes are attributed to printing-house intervention, while consistent, syntactically sound changes are considered compatible with authorial revision. Thus, the underlined sentence establishes the analytical framework for interpreting the evidence.