Need help with understanding how the correct answer choice for this question is “Option 4”.
My approach: I have tried eliminating the incorrect choices first. Option 1 - No mention of overcoming of issues with efforts Option 2 - No mention of the work being poor in quality Option 3 - (Unsure) No direct mention of challenging existing consensus but can be implied? Option 4 - No mention of efforts leading to increasing scholarly interest. If anything it is the opposite as Hayek spent a decade trying without getting any publishers. Option 5 - No evidence as hayek’s attempt on publishing menger’s work wasn’t successful
I need help with wrapping my head on the approach for this question. Thanks in advance.
Whenever we have an implication question, we cannot assume the answer will be something explicitly mentioned in the passage. We have to be prepared to go beyond what is directly discussed. On top of that, this question relies on our sentence function skills to decode the implication.
In this question, we are asked about Hayek’s “decade-long effort to attract a publisher”. Let’s look for the context:
(Sentence 1) What is surprising is how little scholarship there is on Hayek’s and Menger’s writings on money. (Sentence 2) What makes this even more remarkable is that Hayek was the person who spent a decade trying to get a publisher to be interested in an edition of Menger’s works, including one volume containing Menger’s writings on money.
Using sentence function, how would you describe the relationship between sentences 1 and 2?
Have you watched any of the videos on sentence function? This will be an important, fundamental skill for RC. I recommend watching the PrepSwift videos on sentence function to get started. If you don’t have prep swift, this is a good video that covers the topic: Vince's 80/20 Series: Session 2 -- Sentence Function - GregMat
After you get a hang of sentence function, apply it to the quote I highlighted in my previous reply. Then use the quote to consider what inferences we can make about the author’s beliefs.
Previously I have not followed any course or learnt RC strategies. I have now managed to complete the RC classes series from GregMat’s 2 month study plan (that is what took me time to respond back on this thread) and I am now attempting to make a better deduction on this question.
Doubt:
What makes this even more remarkable is that Hayek was the person who spent a decade trying to get a publisher to be interested in an edition of Menger’s works, including one volume containing Menger’s writings on money.
Doesn’t this mean Hayek didn’t really succeed in getting a publisher as it only mentions about “trying to get a publisher” as there is no evidence of success?
(I have cross checked the same with ChatGPT as well and it is supporting by saying “the text doesn’t imply that Hayek finally succeeded after a decade.”)
I think this is what is making it hard for me to find any matching answer choice. Can you please help with this?
No problem on the timing, and good job for sticking with it!
So, going back the original question I posed, how are the two sentences I quoted (“What is surprising…..writings on money”) related? Right now you’re only asking about the second sentence (and yes, you are correct that Hayek was unsuccessful. But the question only asks about Hayek’s efforts, so he didn’t need to be successful in order for us to answer the question. In fact, since he was unsuccessful, we should take that failure into consideration when answering.).
Following the sentence function approach you have suggested, the relationship between the sentences I think is more of a support.
The sentence 1 is mentioning a surprising fact or information, whereas the sentence 2 is supporting and elaborating further on the same.
Yes, exactly. The author finds it surprising that Menger’s writings weren’t published because Hayek spent so long trying to get them published.
Why would the author use Hayek’s actions to explain his/her surprise? What are we supposed to assume through that example? Essentially, what does the passage imply about Hayek’s decade-long effort to attract a publisher?
