Two-Blank Sentence Completion: The Overreaching Author
While reviewing a practice set she built from scratch, Maya, an ISEE Upper Level candidate, pauses on a two-blank sentence completion item: 'Although the evidence was ____, the author's conclusion was ____, going far beyond what the data could support.' The five options are (A) flimsy … cautious, (B) sparse … sweeping, (C) robust … modest, (D) ambiguous … tentative, (E) voluminous … restrained. Maya first favors (A) because 'flimsy' sounds like a serious weakness, but then she rereads the final phrase 'going far beyond what the data could support.' She remembers that the two blanks must fit the logical signal at the start and the descriptive clue at the end. She has 90 seconds left and must choose one answer. She writes a quick note: 'The second blank must describe a conclusion that overreaches.'
1. What does the word 'Although' require of the relationship between the two blanks? Use that requirement to evaluate options (A), (C), and (E).
Read the worked answer
'Although' signals contrast: the first blank should name a limitation or weakness in the evidence, while the second blank should name a strong or overreaching conclusion. (A) flimsy … cautious: 'flimsy' fits the first blank, but a cautious conclusion does not contrast with weak evidence; it matches it. A cautious conclusion also would not go 'far beyond' the data. (C) robust … modest: 'robust' is strong evidence, and 'modest' is a restrained conclusion. Those two are consistent, not contrasting, and a modest conclusion does not overreach. (E) voluminous … restrained: 'voluminous' means plentiful, and 'restrained' means held back. The pair lacks the needed contrast, and 'restrained' directly contradicts the clue about going far beyond the data. All three fail on either the logical signal or the final clue.
2. Explain why (B) is the best answer and why (D) is not. Refer to both blanks and the final phrase.
Read the worked answer
(B) sparse … sweeping fits both blanks and the clue. 'Sparse' evidence is thin or limited, which creates the contrast with 'sweeping,' a conclusion that is broad and unsupported. The final phrase 'going far beyond what the data could support' is almost a definition of a sweeping conclusion drawn from sparse evidence. (D) ambiguous … tentative fails at the second blank: 'tentative' means cautious or provisional, so a tentative conclusion would stay within the data rather than go beyond it. 'Ambiguous' evidence might be unclear, but that does not make the conclusion overreach. The second blank alone eliminates (D), which is the fastest path to the answer.
3. Suppose the sentence began 'Because the evidence was ____, the author's conclusion was ____, going far beyond what the data could support.' Would (B) still be the best choice? Explain.
Read the worked answer
No. 'Because' would require a cause-and-effect relationship, not a contrast. Sparse evidence would not logically cause a sweeping conclusion; if anything, limited evidence should lead to caution. The sentence would become illogical with (B) because the second clause would no longer follow from the first. To make a 'Because' sentence work, the first blank would need to describe something that actually invites overreach, such as 'misleading' or 'sensational.' This shows how a single signal word controls the entire answer: 'Although' sets up contrast, while 'Because' sets up causation.