Explanation for Question 21 From the Writing Section on the 2018 May Sat
Okay. Question number 21 is asking us which choice best maintains 2 the tone of the passage. So the tone of the passage usually 3 relates to, um, the word choice that's used. 4 And that's exactly what we're seeing here. Um, 5 the sentence right now reads after nearly eight years, 6 whoever Conan Doyle caved, 7 the word they're using is caved. We're looking to see if there's perhaps a 8 better word choice. So KFC might be something that we use a little bit 9 less formally. Um, generally the tone of any sat passage is going to be 10 somewhat formal, not the way you would necessarily talk to a friend in real 11 life, but the way you would write, um, 12 in a more academic setting. So here caved is a little bit too informal. 13 Um, you might say your friend caved, but you wouldn't necessarily say that an 14 author caved, um, again, 15 B and C sold out or loosened up are much more informal, 16 which is to say that he changed his mind. 17 Um, the most formal form here is choice D relented. 18 This matches the tone of the passage because it's the more formal word choice 19 here and it just fits in better. Um, 20 it's a little bit more, um, disruptive to readers to kind of become 21 accustomed to one tone of a passage and then see a really informal word 22 choice being used. That's disruptive. So we want to make sure that our, 23 our word choice is consistent and it builds a consistent tone. 24 So here choice D relented is the most formal out of the options caved, 25 sold out and loosened up. So that's our correct answer for number 21.