16Hit1600
Craft and StructureVery hardFunction of a final sentence that withholds a verdict

Craft and Structure practice question

The city's decision to make its buses free has been called both a triumph and a waste. Ridership is up by a third, which supporters cite; the buses are more crowded and slower, which opponents cite. Both facts are true, and neither settles the question, which turns on what the city wanted the buses for.

Which choice best describes the function of the final sentence?

  1. A. It accepts both sides' evidence and argues that the dispute cannot be settled without first clarifying the policy's goal.Correct
  2. B. It declares the policy a triumph on the strength of the ridership figures.
  3. C. It dismisses the opponents' evidence as unreliable.
  4. D. It proposes reversing the decision to make the buses free.

Answer: A. It accepts both sides' evidence and argues that the dispute cannot be settled without first clarifying the policy's goal.

'Both facts are true, and neither settles the question, which turns on what the city wanted' — the sentence grants the evidence and points to the missing criterion.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. It declares the policy a triumph on the strength of the ridership figures.
The sentence takes no side.
C. It dismisses the opponents' evidence as unreliable.
It says both facts are true.
D. It proposes reversing the decision to make the buses free.
No reversal is proposed.

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