The Real Challenge of Structure & Purpose Questions

• Most students find these questions ambiguous — the answer choices all sound kind of true.
• But your job isn’t to find the “perfect” answer. It’s to eliminate the ones that are clearly wrong.
• Sometimes none of the choices sound great. Focus on removing choices that contradict the passage, go out of scope, or zoom in on an irrelevant detail.
• The trap is often a **half-truth** — a choice that gets one part right and the other part wrong.
• Solution: Summarize the paragraph or sentence in your own words before reading the choices. You need your own standard before evaluating theirs.

What Are They Really Asking?

• Structure & Purpose questions usually boil down to this: Why did the author write this part?
• Ask yourself: What’s the point of this paragraph? Why is this sentence here?
• Your answer should include an **active verb** — like explain, introduce, criticize, support, describe, etc.

Common Purpose Verbs

• To explain
• To introduce
• To summarize
• To support
• To argue
• To criticize
• To describe
• To contrast

Using Structure to Your Advantage

• Structure questions ask: How does this sentence or paragraph fit into the larger passage?
• Pay attention to transition words — they often reveal the shape of the text.
• Transitions signal contrast (however, although), continuation (moreover, in addition), example (for instance), or conclusion (thus, therefore).
• Look at where the focus shifts — that’s often where the author's purpose becomes clearer.

Wrong Answer Patterns to Watch For

• Out of Scope: Brings up ideas the passage never mentions.
• Too Narrow or Too Broad: Doesn’t match the passage’s focus.
• Judgment or Bias: Adds tone or opinion not supported by the text.
• Assumes Cause-Effect or Comparison: Even when the passage never made that argument.
• Focuses on a Minor Detail: Instead of the author’s main point.

Key Takeaways

• Summarize each paragraph in your own words first.
• Use active verbs to describe what the author is doing.
• Look for transitions and focus shifts to reveal structure.
• Raise your standards for what counts as a good answer — don’t settle for "kinda right."
• Practice eliminating wrong answers based on common traps.