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RC: Main Point vs Purpose?

LsatTonyLsatTony Alum Member
edited November 2017 in Reading Comprehension 70 karma

Hey everyone,

Can anyone explain the difference between the main point of a passage and a passage's purpose?

I understand that the passage's purpose answers the question "Why is the author writing this?" but to me, the answer to that question seems to be the main point.

For example, if a passage is about how new scientific research techniques have allowed us to definitively conclude that climate change is real, the answer to "why is the author writing this?" would be "to tell me how new scientific research techniques have allowed us to conclude that climate change is real." That would imply that main point and purpose are more or less the same, so I feel like I'm thinking about this wrong.

Thanks!!

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Comments

  • SamiSami Live Member Sage ⭐ 7Sage Tutor
    10774 karma

    Hey,

    You are right on target that they are related and have a lot to do with each other.

    The only thing I can think of is to caution you against pre-phrase. Just because we know the purpose does not mean the LSAT writers will write us main point answer that shows that relation in clear words. Sometimes answer choices on LSAT can be really convolutedly written.

    For example, the main point answer choice might just state the new theory. But the purpose might be to refute an old theory.

  • Rule No 8Rule No 8 Alum Member
    141 karma

    I found myself wondering the same thing recently so I looked for this topic in the discussion forum. It seems to take me a while to come up with the purpose even though the MP seems pretty obvious most of the time. I think the reason for the difficulty, because they are so closely related, is exactly what @Sami was getting at: purpose questions have very abstract answer choices, so yes it is basically the MP, but rather, how that MP fits into an abstracted form. I'm hoping this will become easier as they seem like cookie cutter answer choices if one gets enough exposure to this process (much like many flaw LR questions).

  • Logic GainzLogic Gainz Alum Member ⭐
    edited January 2019 700 karma

    I think of Purpose answers as the low-res summaries of MP answers

    e.g.

    MP a.c. - The author thinks the economists are wrong in assuming the manufacturing industry will soon be gone in America.

    Purpose a.c. - To refute an assumption held by a group of people

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