Question 49·Easy·Text Structure and Purpose
The following text is from an unpublished memoir.
Some mornings the lake is empty, no fishermen, no rowboats—only the thin call of loons. Those are the mornings I like best, when the water lies still enough to reflect every cloud and I can imagine the entire shoreline is mine alone. Dad says it's selfish to want a place to yourself, that lakes are for sharing. I nod, but I also notice how quiet he grows on the dock before anyone else arrives.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
For main-purpose questions, first read the passage and, before looking at the choices, briefly state in your own words what the whole passage is mainly doing (for example, "describing a peaceful morning" or "arguing that a rule is unfair"). Then compare that core idea to each answer choice and eliminate any option that focuses on a minor detail, adds ideas that aren’t in the text, or changes the passage from description to argument (or vice versa). Finally, pick the choice that best matches both the topic and the tone of the entire passage, not just a single sentence.
Hints
Focus on repetition and emphasis
Look for what part of the situation gets the most description and emphasis: the fishermen, the father, the birds, or something else?
Ask what the narrator prefers
Pay attention to the sentence that starts with "Those are the mornings I like best." What kind of mornings is the narrator talking about there?
Check whether the passage argues or just describes
Decide if the author is trying to persuade you of something (like a policy idea) or mainly describe an experience and a feeling.
Eliminate answers that are too specific to a small detail
See if any answer choices focus on something that is only mentioned briefly (like a single bird or a single comment) rather than the main idea of the whole paragraph.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify what the narrator is talking about most
Read the whole passage and ask: What is the narrator mainly describing or focusing on?
Most of the description centers on the lake in the morning: it is empty, still, and quiet. The narrator describes how the water reflects clouds and mentions loons and the shoreline. This is not a list of events over time; it’s a snapshot of a particular kind of moment at the lake.
Notice the narrator’s attitude and tone
Look at the words that show how the narrator feels about this scene.
- "Those are the mornings I like best" shows a clear preference.
- Descriptions like "the water lies still enough to reflect every cloud" and imagining "the entire shoreline is mine alone" create a peaceful, almost dreamy feeling.
- The father calls wanting a place to yourself "selfish," but the narrator also notices that he becomes quiet before others arrive, hinting he may share that feeling.
Overall, the tone toward these quiet mornings is positive and appreciative, not critical or argumentative.
Distinguish the main purpose from side details
Now, think: Why did the author include all these details? Is the goal to teach a skill, make an argument, or capture a feeling/experience?
- The passage does not give step-by-step instructions or a story about learning something.
- It does not list many types of birds or focus on wildlife variety.
- It briefly mentions the father’s opinion, but the passage doesn’t develop a debate or argument about public vs. private lakes.
Instead, the description and the narrator’s preference (“mornings I like best”) are used to show how much the narrator enjoys the quiet, lonely feel of the lake at that early time.
Match your understanding to the best answer choice
Choose the option that best captures this overall purpose.
The passage mainly uses description to show how the narrator feels about those peaceful, empty mornings on the lake. The answer that matches this idea is: D) to illustrate the narrator's fondness for the lake's early-morning solitude.