16Hit1600
Craft and StructureHardFunction of a final sentence in a literary passage

Craft and Structure practice question

The following text is from a short story. Marta counted the jars on the pantry shelf as she did every evening: twelve of plums, nine of beans, four of the pears her mother had put up the summer before she died. She had not opened one of the pears. She did not think she ever would.

Which choice best describes the function of the final sentence?

  1. A. It reveals that the pears matter to Marta as a keepsake rather than as food.Correct
  2. B. It explains why Marta counts the jars every evening.
  3. C. It suggests that the pears have spoiled.
  4. D. It shows that Marta dislikes pears.

Answer: A. It reveals that the pears matter to Marta as a keepsake rather than as food.

Never to be opened, put up by her mother before she died: the jars are kept, not eaten.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. It explains why Marta counts the jars every evening.
The counting is described, not explained.
C. It suggests that the pears have spoiled.
Nothing suggests spoilage.
D. It shows that Marta dislikes pears.
Dislike would not explain the careful counting of them.

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