Question 125·Medium·Text Structure and Purpose
The following text is from an 1872 diary entry by naturalist Maria Sánchez.
This morning I rose before the town’s first chimney sent up its pale ribbon of smoke.
The river mist lingered like a shy guest, unwilling to depart.
I walked the meadow path, dew beading my boots, and counted three herons
standing as still as fence posts at the water’s edge.
How quickly the hushed violet of dawn yields to the noisy brass of day!
Yet in those fleeting minutes, the world seems to remember its own beginnings,
and I, privileged witness, feel newly minted myself.
Which choice best describes the primary purpose of the text?
For primary-purpose questions, first ignore the choices and summarize the passage in your own words: ask what the author is mainly doing (describing a scene, making an argument, telling a story, explaining a concept, etc.), then note how the beginning sets it up and how the ending brings it home. Next, eliminate any answers that (1) describe a task the passage never really carries out (like arguing or comparing several things), (2) focus on a minor detail instead of the whole text, or (3) add strong ideas or criticisms that aren’t actually stated. Finally, choose the option that best matches your one-sentence summary of the passage’s overall role or effect.
Hints
Look at the whole passage, not just one detail
Before checking the choices, ask yourself in one short sentence: what is this diary entry mainly doing—describing, arguing, explaining, or something else?
Pay special attention to the last sentence
Reread the final two lines. What contrast does the writer draw, and what does she say about herself in that moment?
Match the overall effect, not added ideas
When you look at the choices, cross out any that introduce a purpose (like a strong argument, a comparison of many things, or a full daily routine) that you don’t actually see carried out in the passage.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the type of passage and its tone
Read through the diary entry once to get a general sense of what it is doing.
This is a short, first-person description of an early morning: the smoke from chimneys, river mist, dew, and herons in the meadow. The language is poetic and reflective ("shy guest," "hushed violet of dawn," "noisy brass of day"), not factual or argumentative. The tone is calm, appreciative, and thoughtful.
Focus on the beginning and ending to find the main purpose
On SAT Reading & Writing, the main purpose is usually clearest from how a passage begins and ends.
- The beginning: "This morning I rose before the town’s first chimney sent up its pale ribbon of smoke" sets the time (very early) and scene.
- The ending is crucial: "Yet in those fleeting minutes, the world seems to remember its own beginnings, and I, privileged witness, feel newly minted myself."
Here, the writer contrasts the quiet dawn with the coming "noisy brass of day" and then describes how, during this brief time, the world feels fresh and she herself feels "newly minted"—like a new coin, just made. That last sentence shows the emotional effect of observing dawn on her.
Check which general task the passage is doing
Ask yourself: Is the writer trying to prove something, compare things, give instructions, or share a personal experience and reaction?
- There is no clear claim with reasons or evidence meant to convince the reader of something, so it’s not really an argument.
- The writer is not organizing information about multiple items to compare them in detail.
- Instead, she is describing a specific moment and how it feels to her.
This points toward a purpose centered on personal observation and inner response.
Eliminate answer choices that don’t match the passage
Now test each option against the whole passage:
- A) To argue that urban life prevents people from appreciating nature: The passage mentions the town and chimneys but never argues that urban life prevents appreciation of nature. There is no clear claim or reasoning against urban life.
- B) To compare the habits of various bird species found near the river: The text only mentions herons briefly and does not compare multiple species or detail their habits.
- D) To narrate a typical workday schedule of townspeople: We only see a single moment before most people are active; there is no schedule or description of a full workday.
These three do not fit the passage’s overall focus.
Match the remaining idea to the best choice
What is left is that the writer uses rich, sensory description of dawn (mist, dew, light, quiet vs. noise) to show how this brief time of day affects her—especially in the final line, where she says she feels "newly minted" while witnessing the world’s "beginnings."
That means the primary purpose is to show how observing dawn makes the writer feel refreshed and renewed. The answer that best captures this is:
C) To illustrate the writer’s sense of renewal inspired by observing dawn.