Identify author’s purpose (to explain, argue, narrate, critique, compare, etc.).
Match the answer to what the author is doing, not just the topic.
Core Idea
Author purpose questions are about the job of the passage or excerpt. Match the answer to what the writer is doing overall, not just to one detail.
Understanding
Purpose is the passage's job, not its topic. Look at the pattern of details. A writer who lists flaws and weak evidence is probably critiquing; a writer who defines terms and walks through causes is probably explaining.
Use whole-passage scope as a check. Many wrong answers describe one vivid sentence or example, while the correct answer describes what the excerpt as a whole is trying to accomplish.
Step by Step
- Ask what the author is doing with the material: explaining, arguing, narrating, comparing, or critiquing.
- Use tone and detail selection to rule out answers that are too neutral or too strong.
- Choose the answer that covers the whole excerpt, not just one line.
Misconceptions
- Picking an answer that names the topic instead of the author's purpose with that topic.
- Choosing a purpose that matches one vivid detail but not the overall movement of the passage.
- Confusing a critical tone with a neutral explanation.
Worked Example
Excerpt: "Rather than celebrating the new rail line, the writer lists its costs, notes the neighborhoods it bypasses, and questions whether the promised ridership estimates are realistic."
The author's primary purpose is to:
Select an answer to see the explanation