SAT OwlQuestion bank / Text Structure and Purpose
The following text is from a 1912 novel by Margaret Thorne. Ellen is waiting at a railway station for her brother, who has been away for two years.
The train was already twenty minutes late. Ellen walked the length of the platform and back, read the timetable by the ticket window for the fourth time, and twice took her brother's letter from her pocket to check a date she knew by heart. Each time a whistle sounded in the distance, she hurried to the edge of the platform and leaned out over the tracks, only to step back when the sound faded.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
To portray Ellen's restless eagerness as she waits for her brother to arrive
To explain why the train carrying Ellen's brother is late
To suggest that Ellen has misread the date in her brother's letter
To describe the layout of the railway station in detail
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A
Every action in the text shows Ellen unable to keep still: pacing, rereading the timetable, checking the letter, and rushing to the tracks at each whistle. The text's purpose is to convey her impatience and eagerness, as choice A says.
Choice C is tempting because Ellen checks the letter, but the text says she already knows the date "by heart," so the checking shows nervousness, not a mistake.
Why the other choices are wrong
- B. The text never provides a reason for the delay; it only notes the train is twenty minutes late while focusing on Ellen's reactions.
- C. The passage states Ellen knows the date by heart, so checking it shows nervousness rather than a misunderstanding of the letter.
- D. The text mentions only the platform and ticket window briefly to frame Ellen's actions, not to provide a detailed description of the station's layout.
Got it wrong? On SAT Owl, Owl looks at the answer you chose and explains the exact mistake, then gives you similar questions until it sticks. Get your predicted SAT score free, or take a free full-length practice test.