16Hit1600
Craft and StructureVery hardFunction of a final sentence giving an unexpected reason

Craft and Structure practice question

The novel was rejected by twenty publishers before the twenty-first took it. The author kept every rejection letter, and after the book's success she had them framed. She did not, she said, frame them out of spite. She framed them because they were the only reviews the book had received while it was still hers alone.

Which choice best describes the function of the final sentence?

  1. A. It gives the author's own reason for keeping the letters, which differs from the reason a reader might assume.Correct
  2. B. It states that she framed the letters out of spite.
  3. C. It describes the extent of the book's success.
  4. D. It explains why the publishers rejected the book.

Answer: A. It gives the author's own reason for keeping the letters, which differs from the reason a reader might assume.

After ruling out spite, the last sentence supplies her real motive — the letters as the book's first, private reviews.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. It states that she framed the letters out of spite.
The previous sentence explicitly denies spite.
C. It describes the extent of the book's success.
Success is mentioned earlier and not measured.
D. It explains why the publishers rejected the book.
The publishers' reasons never appear.

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