178 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT
The Structure of an Argument
There are many ways to prove a point. For instance,
if you want to persuade your readers to support gun
control, you might tell a tragic story of a gun-related
death, cite government statistics about gun violence,
refer to a study about the behavior of people when
they have guns versus when they don’t, or discuss the
effectiveness or ineffectiveness of past gun policies
and education programs. Each of these is a different
rhetorical devicefor persuading the reader. Noticing
the choices a writer makes when constructing an
argument makes you not only a better reader but also
a better writer.When reading an argument, pay attention to
the rhetorical devices the author uses with a
critical eye. Are they convincing to you? Are
the examples strong? Is the reasoning sound?
Asking these questions helps you to read more
actively. Furthermore, reading critically pre-
pares you to answer higher-order questions
such as “Which of the following, if true, would
suggest a basic flaw in the author’s reasoning?”
or “Which of the following elements is NOT
used in this passage?”The Structure of a Narrative
As we discussed in the last lesson, every narrative has
the same basic skeleton: The conflict is introduced,
then developed, and then resolved. This is helpful to
remember because paragraphs don’t work the same
way in narratives as they do in other kinds of prose.
For instance, in an essay, a new paragraph signals the
start of a new idea, but in a narrative, it also may
signal a new line of dialogue or a new scene.To understand the structure of a narrative,
continually ask “How does this dialogue or
description introduce, explain, develop, or
resolve the conflict?” For instance, a descrip-
tion of a fight between friends establishesa
conflict. A paragraph about a character’s inner
thoughts about the fight developsthe conflict.
And a dialogue in which the friends make up
resolvesthe conflict. Look for such key points
in every narrative you read.Lesson 3:
Finding Patternsin the Structure of the Passage
Finding the Structure of the Passage
Many SAT CR questions are structureques-
tions such as “Which of the following best de-
scribes the overall structure of this passage?”
or “What is the relationship between the third
paragraph and the fourth paragraph?” They
ask you to focus on the relationships between
paragraphs and how they work together to
convey the central idea. After you’ve found the
purpose and central idea of the passage, ask
“What does each paragraph or section do to
support the central idea?”A good piece of prose is like a good painting: It
has an effective structure—the parts work together to
create an overall effect. The basic unit of structure in
a passage is the paragraph. To give another analogy,
a paragraph is like a stepping-stone on a journey.
Good writers make sure that each paragraph takes
the reader further on the journey. No paragraph
should deviate from the goal of developing the cen-
tral idea.
The Structure of an Analysis
Most analytical essays have three basic parts: the intro-
duction, the development, and the conclusion. The first
paragraph of an analytical essay usually introduces the
topic. A good introduction shows why the topic is
worth exploring and draws the reader in by revealing
interesting facts. It might describe an interesting
phenomenon, a theory, or concept. If it describes a
phenomenon, then the next paragraphs might give
examples of it, present a theory to explain it, or describe
its discovery. The passage also may describe a prob-
lem or debate related to that phenomenon.
There are many ways to structure an analysis,
so pay attention. As you read, focus on the role
each paragraph is playing and what devices
the author uses to support the central idea.
SAT questions often ask about devices, as in
“The author’s reference to the ‘maze’ (line 32)
serves the same illustrative purpose as which
of the following?”