SAT Reading & Writing: Explain the purpose of the opening or closing of a passage
16+ practice questions in Praczo
The concept, explained
- 1
Openings usually set up the topic, introduce the central claim, provide background context, or hook the reader with a question or anecdote.
- 2
Closings usually restate the main idea, explain implications, call for action, or extend the argument to a broader context.
- 3
Ask: "If this first/last sentence or paragraph were deleted, what would the passage lose?" The answer names its purpose.
- 4
Don't confuse content with purpose. A closing that mentions policy is not necessarily about advocating policy — it may be drawing implications.
- 5
Be wary of dramatic descriptions ("introduces a shocking revelation") when the passage is measured. Match the answer's tone to the passage's tone.
- ✗ Describing what the opening/closing says rather than what job it does for the passage.
- ✗ Treating every opening as a "thesis statement" — some openings set context or pose a question instead.
- ✗ Mistaking a closing that extends the argument for one that contradicts it.
SAT-style practice
A passage describes research on how bilingual speakers switch languages. The final sentence reads: "What may seem like a simple linguistic habit is, in fact, a window into the brain's capacity for real-time control." What is the purpose of this closing sentence?
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