Best Sentence to Achieve a Goal
Question
Which choice best supports the writer's claim that the bridge improved local business?
Answer choices
- A new coffee shop opened on the east side last spring.
- Foot traffic in the riverside business district doubled within six months of the bridge opening.
- Several residents wrote letters of thanks to the city council.
- Commute times across the river dropped by fifteen minutes.
B Correct answer: B) Foot traffic in the riverside business district doubled within six months of the bridge opening.
The claim is that the bridge improved local business. The strongest direct evidence is a quantified increase in business activity — foot traffic doubling. The other options are nearby in topic but do not directly evidence the business claim.
The other options either introduce a grammatical error or change the intended meaning. The ACT consistently rewards the most concise, grammatically correct option.
Read the sentence with each option substituted in. The version that preserves meaning while obeying the underlying rule is the correct answer; on the ACT, that is almost always the shortest option that still works.
The underlying rule
A "best supports" question asks for the choice that most directly proves the specific claim. Tangentially related details (a coffee shop opening, commute times, gratitude letters) do not directly evidence improved business.
Why each wrong answer is wrong
- A) A new coffee shop opened on the east side last spring.: This option provides a related but indirect detail that does not directly evidence the specific claim about improved local business.
- C) Several residents wrote letters of thanks to the city council.: This option provides a related but indirect detail that does not directly evidence the specific claim about improved local business.
- D) Commute times across the river dropped by fifteen minutes.: This option provides a related but indirect detail that does not directly evidence the specific claim about improved local business.
Study tip
On "best supports" questions, find the option that is most specifically about the exact claim. Quantified evidence usually beats anecdotal evidence; direct evidence beats inferred evidence.
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- Best Sentence to Achieve a GoalWhich choice best supports the writer's claim that the bridge improved local business?