Modern/Influential Thinkers Passage (grammar/writing) | Grammar & Writing: Intro and Passage Types

Introduction

This section will apply the DIRECT Method to a CLT Modern/Influential Thinkers passage. As the name implies, this Grammar & Writing passage will feature language familiar to the modern reader. The content is often similar to that found in the Philosophy/Religion passage but typically from a more modern point of view–in some cases, directly addressing an issue of ongoing significance to today’s world.

DIRECT to the Source: The Historical Profile Passage

In this section, you’ll find part of an encyclical from Pope John Paul II, Centesimus Annus, found in the Vatican’s online library. After each paragraph, you’ll find questions tied to the underlined portions in the paragraph. This format does not exactly mimic the format of the CLT, where the entire passage appears on the left and the questions on the right, so be sure to practice with official CLT materials as well.

Towards the end of the last [1] century the Church found herself facing an historical process which had already been taking place for some time, but which was by then reaching a critical point. [2] The way this whole thing came about was a combination of radical changes which had taken place in the political, economic, and social fields, and in the areas of science and technology, to say nothing of the wide influence of the prevailing ideologies. In the sphere of politics, the result of these changes was a *new conception of society and of the State, *and consequently *of authority *itself. A traditional society was passing away and another was beginning to be formed — one which brought the hope of new freedoms but also the threat of new forms of injustice and [3] servitude.

1. century the

A. NO CHANGE
B. century, the
C. century; the
D. century. The

(spoiler)

The answer is B. “Towards the end of the last century” is an introductory phrase–something that can’t stand on its own as a sentence but that introduces the main body of the sentence. Introductory phrases should be followed by a comma. We can confirm this understanding by noting that choices C and D are impossible because the punctuation is not separating two independent clauses (remember the Clause Test). Choice A would result in too many phrases and clauses piled on top of each other without a pause or break in the wording.

2. The way this whole thing came about

A. NO CHANGE
B. The predisposing antecedent for such a modus operandi
C. The determining factor in this process
D. The cause of this stuff

(spoiler)

The answer is C. This is a tone/style question, meaning that we need to match the appropriate style of wording (formal or informal) and the general phrasing with what we’ve seen from the author. It’s a good idea in these cases to read the entire paragraph to a get a sense of how the author writes. We might say that John Paul II writes formally but not stiffly, with clear phrasing. We should be able to look at the choices and disallow those that don’t sound like they could fit in this paragraph.

Usually one of the wrong answers to a tone/style question has so many big words that it sounds quite awkward; choice B is that example here, so we can eliminate it. But the other two wrong answers are on the other extreme; they sound too casual for this writer. Certainly, choice D would not fit well in this author’s mouth, and choice A also sounds a bit too conversational when compared with the right answer. Words like “factor” and “process” fit well in this context.

3. servitude

A. NO CHANGE
B. salvation
C. servant-heartedness
D. salutation

(spoiler)

The answer is A. Which word fits best in this sentence? We need to follow the tone as John Paul II talks about a new society with its contrasts. On the one hand, it brought “new freedoms,” but the end of the sentence is clearly relating some disadvantages to the new society, as shown in the ominous word “threat”. The fact that “injustice” is connected by “and” to the underlined portion tells us we’re looking for a similar word, so choices B and C can be seen as too positive in tone for this answer. A “salutation”, although it comes from the Latin for “salvation”, is just a greeting in modern parlance; nothing negative about that! Servitude, a word that points to a forced status of bondage and abasement, is the word we’re looking for here.

In the sphere of economics, in which scientific discoveries and their practical application come together, new structures for the production of consumer goods had [4] progressive taken shape. A new form of property had appeared — capital; and a new form of labor — labor for wages, characterized by high rates of production which [5] lack due regard for sex, age, or family situation, and were determined solely by efficiency, with a view to increasing profits.

4. progressive

A. NO CHANGE
B. progression
C. progress
D. progressively

(spoiler)

The answer is D. Among our choices for this part of speech question, choice A offers an adjective, choice B a noun, choice C also a noun (or possibly a verb), and choice D an adverb. The underlined word modifies “taken shape,” which is a verbal form. Adverbs are what we want when a verb is modified: the “ly” word is the one!

5. lack

A. NO CHANGE
B. lacks
C. lacked
D. will lack

(spoiler)

The answer is C. This is a long sentence with many parts and multiple verbs. Earlier in the sentence we find the verb form “had appeared”, but there is no “had lacked” for us to choose here. A better clue is the verb that follows the idea of lacking: “were determined.” That part of the sentence is connected to this part with an “and”, so we have parallel structure. This means we should make our form of “lack” consistent with “were determined”. It appears, then, that we need a past tense form, and choice C is our only option for that.

Strategy Insights

Good writing does not “make the reader wait.” What we mean is that if a writer delays the main subject and verb until late in the sentence, the reader is prone to confusion (not to mention impatience!). Imagine someone saying to you, “Yesterday, after I had finished mowing the lawn, before I went inside to get a glass of water, because I was feeling really thirsty, having been outside for nearly three hours …” How exasperating! Get to the point, already! This admittedly extreme example demonstrates why, if given a choice between longer portions of text, we should look for the answer that releases the tension by describing the main action of the sentence.
Make sure to also remember the “Handlebar Rule”: If a word or phrase in a sentence seems not necessary to its grammatical structure, imagine surrounding the word or phrase with commas, then grabbing those commas and pulling out the word or phrase. If the sentence still sounds grammatically correct (even if it has lost a little of its meaning), you have identified a word or phrase that must be preceded and followed by commas.

For Reflection

Rate the difficulty of CLT Grammar & Writing Modern/Influential Thinkers passage for you from 1 (no problem) to 5 (problem!). This will help you decide how much time to spend preparing for this passage.
Did any of the exercises in this lesson reveal areas of grammar or written expression you need to practice further? Note those carefully and practice them at every opportunity.