Main Idea and Primary Purpose

• Turn a topic into a claim by stating what the author says about it.
• Distinguish background, examples and other people’s views from the author’s main point.
• Track contrast, concessions and limits expressed by words such as yet, only if and may.
• Use two or more parts of the passage to confirm its scope, aim or conclusion.

1. Read the stem first. Identify what you need to find and whether the question covers the whole passage or one paragraph. Read the choices after you have a provisional answer.
2. Read for the author’s point. Notice how the ideas connect. Put the claim in one short sentence, or start with a verb such as to explain, to challenge or to compare for purpose questions.
3. Check the fit. Compare your prediction with all five choices. Test the best match against the relevant text and keep any important limits on the claim.

Pro tip. When two choices look right, ask which one accounts for the examples and the author’s final judgement. For a paragraph summary, apply that check only to the named paragraph.

• Picking a memorable fact that explains only one part of the passage.
• Repeating the opening view after the author has revised it.
• Choosing a broad topic that leaves out what the author says about it.
• Turning a qualified finding into a general rule or adding an unsupported cause.
• Describing the passage’s subject when the stem asks what the author is trying to do.