Text structure and purpose
Craft and Structure is about 28% of Reading and Writing (13–15 of 54 questions). Text Structure and Purpose questions ask about the main purpose of a text, the function of one sentence (underlined on the real test), or the overall structure.
Three question types
Purpose questions ask why the whole text was written. Function questions ask what one sentence does in the text. Structure questions ask how the text is organized from beginning to end. On the real test the sentence in a function question is underlined; here we put it in quotation marks inside the question. All three ask about how the text works, not about what it says, so answer with an action verb: describes, explains, argues, compares, introduces, gives an example.
| Question | Ask yourself | Answer starts with |
|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | Why did the author write all of this? | To describe / explain / argue / tell… |
| Function of a sentence | What job does this sentence do for its neighbors? | It gives an example / introduces / contrasts… |
| Overall structure | What are the moves, in order? | It presents a problem and then… |
Purpose: the verb matters
Read the whole passage and decide what the author is doing. Is the author describing something (telling what it is like), explaining a process or cause, arguing for an opinion, telling a story, or comparing two things? Then choose the option with the right verb and the right topic. A wrong choice often has the right topic but the wrong verb (“to argue” when the text only explains), or a verb that is too strong (“to prove”, “to criticize”).
Function of a sentence
To find the function, read the sentence before it and the sentence after it. Ask what the sentence does for them. Common jobs: it states the claim, gives background, gives an example, gives evidence, adds a detail, admits a limitation (concession), introduces a contrast, or sums up. The words at the start of a sentence (for example, however, in fact, still) are strong clues.
Overall structure
For structure, mark the moves of the passage: what comes first, what comes next and what comes last. Common patterns: a problem and then a solution; an old idea and then a new idea; a claim and then evidence; a general statement and then examples; a story told in order; a comparison of two things. Choose the option that matches the moves, in the right order, not one that names only one move.
Stories and poems
In literature the purpose is often to show how a character thinks or feels, or to describe a place or a moment. The author may use comparison (the well is like a person) to make an idea vivid. Choose a verb such as “to portray”, “to depict”, “to convey”, and make sure the feeling you name is in the text.
Avoiding the common traps
Wrong choices usually do one of these things: they name the topic correctly but give the wrong purpose; they describe a detail instead of the whole text; they use a verb that is too strong; or they say something that is true in life but not what the author is doing. Eliminate choices until only one is left that names both the right action and the right topic.
Each summer, families in the valley spread freshly cut apricots on rooftops to dry in the sun. The fruit loses its water slowly, becoming sweeter and lasting through the winter. By October, the rooftops are bare again, and the jars in the pantry are full.
- The text tells us what families do (spread apricots), how the fruit changes and the result.
- The verb is “describe”: there is no opinion, no comparison and no advice.
- A, B and D use verbs (argue, compare, advise) that the text never performs.
Many people think that cats always land on their feet by luck. In fact, a cat twists its body in mid-air, turning its front half first and then its back half. This quick movement, called the righting reflex, usually lets it land safely.
- Before: a common belief (luck).
- The sentence begins “In fact”, a signal that it will correct that belief.
- It then explains what really happens.
- No exception, no story and no opinion.
Solar panels are often described as a perfect energy source. They do have drawbacks: the panels are costly to make, and they produce less power on cloudy days. Still, their running costs are low, and many households recover the initial price within a few years.
- The first sentence gives a very positive view.
- The second sentence lists drawbacks (a concession).
- “Still” in the third sentence turns back to the benefits.
- So the sentence admits limits before the text balances them with advantages.
For centuries, sailors could find their latitude by measuring the height of the sun, but they had no reliable way to find their longitude. Ships were lost for want of an answer. In the eighteenth century, clockmakers built a ship’s clock that kept accurate time at sea, so that by comparing it with the time at home, sailors could finally calculate how far east or west they were.
- Move 1: a problem that lasted for centuries (no way to find longitude).
- Move 2: its cost (ships lost).
- Move 3: the solution (an accurate clock).
- That is a problem followed by a solution.
- Right topic, wrong verbUnderline what the author does: describes, explains, argues, compares or narrates. Match that verb, not only the topic.
- Choosing a verb that is too strong“Proves”, “criticizes” and “demands” need strong evidence in the text. If the text only presents information, choose “explains” or “describes”.
- Answering what the sentence says instead of what it doesA function answer begins with an action: “It gives an example…”. Reread the sentences next to it.
- Ignoring the signal words“For example” gives an example; “however” and “still” contrast; “in fact” corrects or strengthens; “therefore” gives a result.
- Describing only one part of the textIn purpose and structure questions, the answer must cover the whole text, not only the first or last sentence.
- Using outside knowledgeThe correct choice describes what the author does in this passage, not what you know about the topic.