PSAT Writing and Language Question 20: Answer and Explanation

Question: 20

The writer is considering deleting the phrase but fundamentally irrelevant. Should the phrase be kept or deleted?

• A. Kept, because it shows James's sense of humor as displayed in his writings.
• B. Kept, because it sets up the subject of the remainder of the paragraph.
• C. Deleted, because it dismisses the importance of Pragmatism as a movement.
• D. Deleted, because the paragraph as a whole is focused on relevant subjects.

Correct Answer: B

Explanation:

Note the question! The question asks whether a phrase should be deleted, so it tests consistency. If the content of the phrase is not consistent with the ideas surrounding it, then it should be deleted. The paragraph discusses James's approach to one of life's big questions. It ends by saying that the answer to the question doesn't matter, because the distinction won't create practical differences. The underlined portion describes the question as fundamentally irrelevant, meaning that it does not matter to James. This matches the idea that the answer to one of life's big questions doesn't matter to James, so it is consistent with ideas in the text; the phrase should not be deleted. Eliminate (C) and (D). Eliminate (A) because the underlined portion does not describe James's sense of humor. Keep (B) because it accurately states that the underlined portion sets up the subject of the remainder of the paragraph. The correct answer is (B).