Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main point of the passage?

on July 21, 2020

Questions

Why is A incorrect here - and how do I avoid making this mistake in the future? Thanks! Anna

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Shunhe on July 22, 2020

Hi @Anna2020,

Thanks for the question! So the key with main point questions is to find an answer choice that is consistent with the passage and one that is actually the main point, not something that’s just briefly touched upon. And thinking about what the main point is before looking at the answer choices can often help with these kinds of questions.

Now let’s take a look at (A), which tells us that the main point of this passage was to tell us that in his role as a lawyer for the NAACP, Thurgood Marshall developed a number of strategies for litigation which were controversial but also highly successful in arguing against certain discriminatory laws. There’s a problem with this being supported by the passage: we’re not really told that Marshall developed the strategies himself, we’re told that Marshall and the NAACP developed the strategies. And also, this definitely isn’t the main point. The answer choice is just too narrow, since it leaves out the part about how the strategies changed the landscape of public interest law, which is a pretty big part of the passage. In other words, it leaves out the effects of what Marshall did. And so (A) is wrong.

Hope this helps! Feel free to ask any other questions that you might have.