Primary Purpose, Structure, Tone, and Specific Purpose

Question 1

Simple Story

Answer 1

• Rephrase with your own words
• Simple story should be concise
• Simple story = primary purpose (main idea)

Question 2

Primary Purpose: Thought Questions

Answer 2

• What is the simple story?
• What is the main idea?

Question 3

Primary Purpose: Leading Sentences

Answer 3

It’s common for the leading sentences of the paragraphs in a passage to state the important points of the passage.
→ Tends to work better with passages that have >1 paragraph than it does with those with just 1 paragraph

Question 4

Primary Purpose: Opinions

Answer 4

• Opinions are strongly connected to important points of the passage
• Opinion markers: argue that, assert, believe, content, claim, opinion, propose, clearly, should
• Opinions of people mentioned by passages are generally connected to passage main points

Question 5

Primary Purpose: Strong Language

Answer 5

Strong language often indicates a main point of a passage.

Question 6

Primary Purpose: Conclusion

Answer 6

• Conclusions stated by a passage are always connected to the primary purpose.
• Conclusion markers: therefore, thus, in summary, in conclusion, in closing, in essence, in short, in any event, all things considered, all in all, by and large, for this reason
• A conclusion stated by a passage’s last sentence may be its main point

Question 7

Primary Purpose: Cause and Effect

Answer 7

• Cause-and-effect relationships often take center stage in the primary purpose of a passage.
• Causation markers: caused by, because, due to, attributed to, explanation, explained by, resulted from, as a result of, consequently, reason, thus

Question 8

Primary Purpose: Rhetorical Question

Answer 8

• When an author asks a rhetorical question, he or she asks a question for the sole purpose of telling us the answer
• That question is strongly connected to the primary purpose of the passage

Question 9

Primary Purpose: Tricky

Answer 9

• Different wording: Sometimes answers are written in ways that are different from what we might expect to see, yet at the same time accurately depict a passage’s primary purpose.
• Not obvious: If we’re not sure what the primary purpose of a passage is, we can at least find the important points of the passage.

Question 10

Primary Purpose: Incorrect Answers

Answer 10

1. Too Narrow: The correct answer must describe the primary purpose of the entire passage. An answer choice that only covers part of it (e.g., a paragraph of the passage) is not correct.
2. Mentioned Frequently: Sometimes, an incorrect answer will encompass a concept or concepts that are mentioned frequently in the passage, yet do not constitute the author’s main idea.
3. Wrong Verb: The verbs in Primary Purpose answer choices tend to define what the choices express. Two types of verbs:
   → Argumentative: Argue, prove, demonstrate, challenge, contend, suggest, advocate, propose, support, question, refute, correct
   → Descriptive: Discuss, describe, present, illustrate, explain, examine, identify, explore
   → BUT sometimes descriptive verbs can be used in argumentative choice.
4. Distortion of the Primary Purpose: Sometimes incorrect choices say something close to the primary purpose, except they’re off by just enough to fail to describe it accurately.
5. Stretch Choices: Sometimes incorrect choices go too far. Extreme markers: never, always, all, best, worst, impossible
6. Opposite Choices: Sometimes incorrect choices say something that is in some way the opposite of what is correct.
7. Half Right: Only part of the choice is correct or close to correct. Half right = 100% wrong. Read the entire answer choice!

Question 11

Structural Marker:

Contrast

Answer 11

• Purpose: Indicates a contrast or disagreement
• Markers: However, but, although, yet, conversely, regardless, despite, in contrast, on the other hand, on the contrary, then again, nevertheless, instead
• Usefulness: Often marks transitions (helps with analyzing structure) and are often clues of the primary purpose

Question 12

Structural Marker:

Agreement

Answer 12

• Purpose: Indicates agreement
• Markers: Similarly, likewise, not only…but also, in fact

Question 13

Structural Marker:

Opinion

Answer 13

• Purpose: Indicates that an opinion of the author or someone else is being presented
• Markers: Argue that, assert, believe, claim, contend, opinion, propose, clearly, should
• Usefulness: Helps identify the primary purpose

Question 14

Structural Marker:

Conclusion

Answer 14

• Purpose: Introduces a conclusion
• Markers: Therefore, thus, in summary, in conclusion, in closing, in essence, in short, in any event, all things considered, all in all, by and large, for this reason
• Usefulness: Helpful for identifying the primary purpose and analyzing the structure

Question 15

Structural Marker:

Support

Answer 15

• Purpose: Introduces evidence or an example
• Markers: For instance, in particular, in fact, for example, from the fact that, after all, because, since, as indicated by, due to, for the reason that, given that, this can be seen from, we know this by, the reason is that, as evidenced by, justified by, assuming
• Usefulness: Discerns the relationships between sentences

Question 16

Structural Marker:

Additional Point

Answer 16

• Purpose: Indicates that the purpose of a sentence is to support a conclusion stated by a sentence probably located more than one sentence above
• Markers: Furthermore, additionally, in addition, likewise, moreover, as well, similarly
• Usefulness: Discerns the relationships between sentences.

Question 17

Structural Marker:

Look Above

Answer 17

• Purpose: Indicates that a sentence is referring to something mentioned previously in the passage
• Markers: this X, these X, those X, such X, for example, also

Question 18

Structural Marker:

Causation

Answer 18

• Purpose: Indicates that a cause-and-effect relationship is being discussed or mentioned
• Markers: Caused by, because, due to, attributed to, explanation, explained by, resulted from, as a result of, consequently, reason, thus

Question 19

Structural Marker:

Rhetorical Question

Answer 19

• Purpose: Indicates that a rhetorical question has been asked
• Markers: ?
• Usefulness: The author’s answer to a rhetorical question is often a key point

Question 20

Structural Marker:

Myth

Answer 20

• Purpose: Introduces a widely held view that will be discussed, called into question, or disputed
• Markers: Widely held view, common belief, common perception, prevalent perception, many believe
  → e.g., “Many people believe X. However, Y.”
• Usefulness: Often indicates that one of the main ideas of the passage will soon be presented

Question 21

Structural Marker:

Extreme

Answer 21

• Purpose: Indicates that an extreme statement is being made
• Markers: All, every, only, none, always, never, most, least, best, worst, impossible
• Usefulness: Expresses specific meanings and helps us to determine whether answer choices match what passages say

Question 22

Structural Marker:

Qualifier

Answer 22

• Purpose: Qualifies a fact stated in a passage
• Markers: May, can, could, possibly, probably, likely, some, sometimes, typically, generally, normally, usually, often, perhaps
• Usefulness: Expresses a specific meaning

(Qualify means to make something less severe or extreme)

Question 23

Structure: Overview

Answer 23

RC Structure questions ask about the structure, or organization, of a passage, a paragraph, or about the logical connection between two paragraphs.

Question stems:

• Which of the following best describes the structure of the passage?
• The second paragraph of the passage proceeds in which of the following ways?

Question 24

Structure: Types

Answer 24

• Multiple views: Presents multiple views on a topic and compares and contrasts the views, reconciles the views, or presents the author’s own view.
• Myth: Presents a common view (myth) and then challenges, questions, or discusses that common view.
• Strategy: Presents multiple methods or strategies and then states one or more conclusions about those methods or strategies.
• Experiment: Outlines an experiment, presents the results of the experiment, and discusses the results or states a conclusion based on the results.
• Question: Presents a question and then explores info that helps with answering that question.
• Historical developments: Presents a set of historical developments and states a view of the author’s about those developments.
• Phenomena: Presents one or more innovations, products, or phenomena and then describes effects, events, or consequences associated with what it has presented.

Question 25

Structure: Strategy

Answer 25

* Ask: “Why has the author taken the time to include this sentence or this paragraph?” * **Sentence**: * What does this first sentence really mean? * Why is this second sentence here? * What is the sentence's role? * How does this sentence interact with the first sentence? * **Paragraph**: * What's the point of the first paragraph? * Why is it in the passage? * What role does it play?

Question 26

Structure: Trap Answers

Answer 26

* **Wrong verb**: Pay attention to the verbs * **Distortion**: Consider all aspects of the choice - verbs, nouns, and modifiers - to determine whether the choice accurately describes the organization of the passage. * **Stretch choice**: Stretch choices use extreme markers or strong language to say something that goes beyond what the passage does * **Opposite answer**: Pay attention to the direction in which each part of the choice takes things * **Half right**: Choices that are half right, half wrong

Question 27

Specific Purpose: Overview

Answer 27

Specific Purpose questions ask to identify the specific purpose of a piece of the passage, such as a sentence or something mentioned by the author.

Question 28

Specific Purpose: About a Sentence

Answer 28

1. Reread the specified sentences 2. Reread the sentences around the specified sentence for context 3. Find the answer choice: eliminate clearly wrong ones, then compare potentially correct ones

Question 29

Specific Purpose: About Something in the Passage

Answer 29

The piece of the passage that such a question is about can be a word, phrase, quote, or fact mentioned in the passage. 1. Find the specified piece of the passage in the passage and read the entire sentence in which the specified piece of the passage is located. 2. Reread the sentences around the specified piece of the passage for context (starting with the sentence directly above). 3. Find the answer choice: eliminate clearly wrong ones, then compare potentially correct ones

Question 30

Author's Opinion and Tone: Overview

Answer 30

* Ask us to choose an answer choice that best captures an opinion, belief, or attitude of the author's * The author's tone is the predominant attitude that he/she displays toward the subject matter in her passage * Words and details often serve as “tone clues” * RC passages will typically be written with in a reserved, professional, measured, well-reasoned tone and present opinions in balanced ways.