How to answer it
- Read the sentences before and after the part in question.
- Name its job in a few words, like “admits a point” or “gives an example.”
- Pick the choice that names that job, not the topic.
Worked example
An original question in the SAT format, already answered.
Many people assume octopuses are solitary. In most species, adults do live alone. But in Jervis Bay, Australia, researchers found dozens of gloomy octopuses sharing one site and signaling to one another with color changes. The finding suggests their social lives are more varied than once thought.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?
- AIt rejects the assumption stated in the first sentence.
- BIt presents the main finding of the research.
- CIt concedes a point that the text goes on to complicate.
- DIt explains how researchers studied octopuses.
Answer: C. The sentence admits the common view is partly right, and the next sentence, starting with “But,” complicates it. It doesn’t reject the assumption, and the finding comes later.
The most common trap
Choices that summarize the content of the sentence instead of its role. The question asks what it does, not what it says.
Practice it
Hourly Prep’s daily sets mix text structure and purpose with the rest of SAT Reading and Writing, and send more of it your way when it’s a weak spot. See how the SAT prep plan works, or browse the other SAT skill guides.