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Primary Purpose


Primary purpose questions are very similar to Main Idea questions. They are designed to determine if you have understood the difference between the main points of the passage from all the supporting (but not always important) details. You can expect either a "Primary Purpose" question or a "Main Idea" question, or both, in most reading comprehension exams.

You can usually determine a Primary Purpose question from the following types of question stems:


Because you may be faced with both a Main Idea and a Primary Purpose question, the first thing you need to do is make sure they agree with each other! This may seem like obvious advice, but far too many test takers are so intimidated by test questions that they fail to notice these things. If both question types appear in the question set, but sure that these two answers match.

Here's a trick: Focus on the operative verb. This is often the first word in the answer choice, (remember that verbs are action words; many end with –ing or –tion; and verbs in noun form are called gerunds, just FYI.) Based on the action verb, you can usually eliminate two or three of the five or six choices.

Always, ALWAYS, ALWAYS focus on the author's opinion or perspective. The operative verb in the best response must be consistent with the author's choice of words.

Read the selection. Then, as with the Main Idea, formulate your own Primary Purpose statement. Write it down if you can. Then, look, through the answers for a similar statement. This is your best selection, but be sure to look through to rest to eliminate any wrong choice tricks. Remember, a test maker will never say, "The primary purpose of this passage states..."

More Wrong Answer Tricks


This is fun, isn't it? Figuring out just how a test maker is trying to trick you into selecting a wrong answer!?!

The first wrong answer trick is to totally miss the author's attitude. If the author is really promoting a particular course of action or expressing a very specific opinion, the last selection should be one that implies how objective the author is with respect to the entire situation.

Remember the too narrow scope? Look at what the author spends the most time discussing. If the answer focuses on something that was barely mentioned in the passage or article, it's probably the wrong answer.

Lastly, is the response off-focus? This answer will look at a secondary, or even tertiary, point the author made -- and this is most definitely not a primary focus question answer. Let's say an author covers existing theories about a certain situation, but then proposes an entirely new theory, and expounds on it for a good three paragraphs; the primary focus is certainly not one of the preceding theories that led to the development of the new one.

Remember, Primary Purpose is very closely related to the Main Idea of the passage. Do not allow yourself to be sidetracked by additional details.



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