Question 83·Medium·Text Structure and Purpose
The following text is from a fictional memoir set in a small coastal town:
The newly appointed constable wasted no time in pacing the market square. Twice he measured its length, consulted a notebook, and then declared the haphazard stalls unsafe. For the next hour he directed vendors to shift their tables inch by inch until every booth formed a precise grid. Some muttered at the inconvenience, but when the noon bell sounded, the market looked startlingly orderly, and customers drifted through the aisles with unexpected ease. Watching from the bakery window, I realized the constable’s fussiness had not been meddling after all; it was foresight, neatly disguised as irritation.
Which choice best describes the main purpose of the text?
For main-purpose questions, first summarize in one simple sentence what happens in the passage and how the narrator feels by the end. Pay special attention to the last sentence or two, since authors often state or hint at the main point there. Then quickly scan each choice and eliminate any that (1) contradict the passage’s overall tone, (2) focus on details that are mentioned but not central, or (3) introduce ideas not in the text. Finally, choose the option that best captures the passage’s overall effect or message, not just one moment or detail.
Hints
Focus on the beginning vs. the end
Compare how the constable’s actions are described at the start of the passage with how the market and his actions are described by the end. What changes?
Pay attention to the narrator’s reflection
The final sentence starting with “Watching from the bakery window, I realized…” is the narrator’s direct commentary. What does the narrator say they realized about the constable’s behavior?
Determine whether the effect is positive or negative
By noon, how is the market functioning, and how do customers move through it? Does this outcome seem like a good thing or a bad thing?
Eliminate answers that don’t fit the whole passage
Ask yourself: Does this choice describe what the entire paragraph is mainly doing, or is it about something that’s only hinted at—or not mentioned at all?
Step-by-step Explanation
Summarize what happens in the passage
First, restate the basic events in your own words. A new constable inspects the market, measures the square, and decides the stalls are unsafe. He then makes vendors move their tables little by little into a precise grid. Vendors are annoyed at first, but by noon the market is very orderly and customers move easily through the aisles. The narrator, watching from the bakery, reflects on what this means.
Notice the narrator’s attitude and how it changes
Look closely at descriptive words and the final reflection. At first, the constable’s behavior is described as “fussiness” and seems like “meddling,” which suggests annoyance or irritation. However, by the end, when the market is “startlingly orderly” and customers move with “unexpected ease,” the narrator recognizes that the constable’s actions were actually “foresight.” This shows a shift from seeing the constable as a nuisance to seeing him as wise and helpful.
Identify the central message or lesson
Main-purpose questions ask what the whole passage is doing. The last sentence is especially important: the narrator realizes that what seemed like irritation and unnecessary interference was actually planning that benefited everyone. So the key idea is that planning and order, even when they feel inconvenient, can lead to positive results.
Match that central idea to the best answer choice
Now compare each answer with the passage’s overall idea. Choices about historical background or profits are not supported, and the passage’s ending clearly presents the constable’s actions as helpful, not harmful to the community. The only choice that matches the narrator’s final realization—that the constable’s careful, even fussy planning ends up improving the market—is B) To illustrate how careful planning can ultimately improve a situation.