Which one of the following best expresses the main point of the passage?

Katherine February 22, 2019

Hi @Ceci,

Identifying the “main point” of a passage can be tricky but there are a few tips to help you choose the right answer.

One is to read carefully and look for terms that identify what work particular information is doing in support of the passage’s argument. Is this background context? A counterpoint? A supporting example? Or the main point? Sometimes key words will help you make these distinctions easily.

Let’s take a look at how this applies to this question. You said that you picked Answer E instead of the correct choice, Answer B. Answer E says other areas of women’s history could be used to provide more information about the social context of women’s medical practice during the Middle Ages. If not for the inclusion of the phrase “social context” which limits scope of the study significantly, this answer may have been correct. Instead, this answer focuses on a particular area of study.

The second and third paragraph call into question the methods historians have used to look for evidence of women medical practitioners in the Middle Ages and encourages researchers to redefine the terminology that guides their investigations. The final paragraph presents another way in which researchers can learn more about women’s medical practice in medieval Europe - “Future studies might also” use other areas of women’s history to explore “the social context” of women’s medical practice. This method, examining social context, is another example of how researchers must adopt new methods. Here, the term “Future studies might also” is a good sign that this is another example of the passage’s main point.

Because Answer E focuses too narrowly on this “social context” example instead of the broader main point that the argument is making (researchers must use new methods of study), it is the incorrect choice.

I hope this is helpful. Please reach out with other questions.

Ravi February 22, 2019

@Ceci,

Happy to help. Let's discuss how to
handle main point questions in RC.

If you're getting lots of main point questions wrong, it's likely
because you're not truly comprehending what's going on in the passage.

This could be due to reading too fast, or maybe the topics are boring
for you and hard for you to get into. You need to think of the RC
passages like a puzzle that you're trying to solve.

The first piece of advice I have for you is to make sure you're
understanding each sentence that you're reading. If you don't
understand a sentence, don't just keep reading on because this will
likely cause even less of an understanding because RC sentences build
upon one another. If you don't understand a sentence, re-read it
carefully so that you can digest what's going on.

You might want to try reading a bit slower. RC passages shouldn't be
read like you're reading fun fiction novels. Each sentence needs to be
internalized, and you need to always be thinking of how what you're
reading relates to the previous sentence(s) you've read in the
passage.

Also, while you're reading the passage, think to yourself, "What's
your point?" Engage with the author. Also, try to make predictions. If
the author opens up with a question, try and predict what the answer
will be or how the author will direct the rest of the passage. It
doesn't matter if your prediction is right or wrong; all that matters
is that you're making predictions because it will help you be more
engaged with the passage and will also make you more interested in the
material even if you find the subject matter boring. If you're wrong
about a prediction, you'll remember being wrong about it, and if
you're right, you'll remember it because you guessed correctly. It's a
win-win scenario.

You should view main point questions as a general gauge for "did I get
what was going on in this passage?" The good thing is that you can
totally improve lots on the RC passages if you continue to put in the
work. Try out the steps above on your next RC sections and let us know
how they go!

TimB March 9, 2020

@ravi how long do you generally take to read these passages with that kind of internalization?