Text Structure & Purpose questions ask why the author wrote something — the function of a sentence, or the overall structure of a passage. You're analyzing the role text plays, not just what it says.
Key question to ask: "What job is this sentence doing for the paragraph?" Introducing? Countering? Illustrating? Qualifying a claim?
Common function words in answer choices
- Illustrate / exemplify — gives a concrete example of a general point.
- Qualify / concede — admits a limitation or exception to a claim.
- Contrast / counter — presents an opposing idea.
- Contextualize — provides background before the main point.
Strategy: Read the sentence in the context of the one before and after it. Function is always about relationship — a sentence never has a purpose in isolation.
Worked examples
How do you find a sentence's function?
- Read the sentence BEFORE and AFTER it — function is always about relationship.
- Ask: what job does this do? Introduce, illustrate, contrast, concede, explain a result, or conclude?
- Match your answer to the choice with the same job verb.
- Beware choices that accurately summarize the sentence but misname its role.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Describing what the sentence says instead of what it DOES.
- Ignoring signal words: 'however' (contrast), 'for example' (illustration), 'therefore' (result), 'admittedly' (concession).
- Choosing 'introduces a new topic' when the sentence actually develops the existing one.
- Overlooking a concession — when an author admits a limitation, that's qualifying, not contradicting.