Best Sentence to Achieve a Goal
Question
Which choice best supports the writer's claim that the bridge improved local business?
Answer choices
- Several residents wrote letters of thanks to the city council.
- Foot traffic in the riverside business district doubled within six months of the bridge opening.
- Commute times across the river dropped by fifteen minutes.
- A new coffee shop opened on the east side last spring.
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) 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.
- C) 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.
- D) 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.
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.
More Easy Rhetorical Skills
- Choosing the Best TransitionThe new bridge opened to traffic in March. Furthermore, commute times across the ri
- "Should the Writer Add..." QuestionThe author is considering adding the following sentence: "The bridge was designed by an ar
- Question About the Paragraph's PurposeWhich choice most effectively introduces a paragraph that goes on to describe three benefi
- Matching ToneThe committee found the proposal to be totally bonkers and rejected it unanimously.
- Best Sentence to Achieve a GoalWhich choice best supports the writer's claim that the bridge improved local business?