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Description:

ACT Reading 2.4 Humanities Passage. Which of the following is the best definition for the word "pedantic"?

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:04

Here's your Shmoop du jour, brought to you by Piano Teachers. You have to give them props

00:08

for not totally losing it every time they hear the song "Ladybird."

00:33

Which of the following is the best definition for the word "pedantic" in line 10?

00:40

If we don't already know the meaning of "pedantic," a little detective work will

00:43

help us narrow down our options.

00:46

We wish we could just hire Magnum P.I., but he got canceled years ago.

00:49

Ask your parents about him.

00:50

In lieu of Magnum's help, we'll just have to check out the context in and around line 10.

00:55

We know from the passage that "pedantic" is used to describe Schumann's first piano

00:59

teacher, whose teaching is described as "inadequate."

01:02

The prefix "in" means "not" in this case, letting us know that this guy was not

01:07

adequate at all. So basically the dude wasn't winning any piano teacher of the year awards.

01:11

Knowing this allows us to nix choice (C). There's no way the author would describe

01:14

Schumann's first teacher in a positive way, and she certainly wouldn't call him "gifted."

01:18

Now let's see what choice (B) has up its sleeves...

01:21

Well, yeah, Schumann's teacher was old. We know this because the line in the passage

01:26

is: an "old, pedantic professor."

01:29

If "pedantic" meant "old," however, this would be a pretty unimaginative sentence.

01:34

It'd be like calling the guy an "old old professor."

01:38

We'll give the author the benefit of the doubt and assume she knows how to avoid redundancy.

01:41

Choice (B) is out of consideration.

01:43

Choices (A) and (D) are a little harder to choose between. Neither description is particularly

01:48

positive, which matches up with the idea that the teacher was "inadequate."

01:52

We're leaning toward choice (A), however. If the teacher were completely "useless,"

01:56

as (D) says, then we doubt Schumann would've been able to compose those dances at 7 or 8 years old.

02:01

"Pedantic" also sounds a whole lot like the word "pedagogue," which describes

02:05

a strict, super by-the-book teacher. This seals the deal for us, so we dub (A) the correct answer.

02:10

If we were this poor piano teacher, we'd sue the author for slander.

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