Question

The writer is considering deleting the underlined portion of sentence 1 (reproduced below), adjusting punctuation as necessary. Popularized by movies and TV shows such as Tiny House Nation, the tiny house movement advocates for more people to live in small homes—typically measuring less than 500 square feet at a time when the average new home in the United States is 2,600 square feet —that efficiently use their limited space. Should the writer keep or delete the underlined portion of sentence 1 ?

A) Keep it, because it provides information that helps define a key concept in the passage.
B) Keep it, because it provides important context for a point the writer refutes later in the passage
C) Keep it, because it provides essential evidence to support the argument made in the thesis statement.
D) Delete it, because it interrupts the flow of the paragraph with nonessential information.
E) Delete it, because it uses language inconsistent with the tone of the rest of the passage.

Answer 1

The underlined portion of sentence 1 should be kept because it defines a key concept in the passage, distinguishing the small size of tiny houses in comparison to the average American home.

Step-by-step explanation:

The underlined portion of sentence 1 should be kept because it provides information that helps define a key concept in the passage. The information about the size of tiny houses compared to the average new home in the United States is crucial to understanding the concept of the tiny house movement. This comparison establishes the significantly smaller size of tiny houses and how they efficiently use their limited space, which is central to the movement's advocacy.

Deleting this portion would remove the context necessary for a reader to grasp the extent of what living in a tiny house entails, especially when contrasted with the average American home. Consequently, option A is the best choice: Keep it because it provides information that helps define a key concept in the passage. Details regarding the size of the homes directly support the purpose of the tiny house movement, making the underlined section essential rather than superfluous.