Main Point and Primary Purpose Flashcards
7 cards from real LSAT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Main Point and Primary Purpose flashcards as text
A passage argues that urban heat islands are worsening due to reduced green space, then proposes mandatory tree-planting ordinances as a remedy. What is the primary purpose of this passage?
Answer: To advocate for a policy solution to a documented environmental problem
The passage identifies a problem (urban heat islands) and argues for a specific policy remedy (tree-planting ordinances), making advocacy for that solution its primary purpose.
When a Reading Comprehension passage presents multiple viewpoints on a controversy and then explicitly endorses one, the main point is most likely:
Answer: The author's preferred position among those debated
When an author presents competing views and then endorses one, that endorsed position constitutes the main point of the passage.
A Logical Reasoning argument concludes: 'Therefore, the city should not build the new stadium.' This conclusion is best described as:
Answer: The main point the argument is designed to establish
In Logical Reasoning, the conclusion—signaled by 'therefore'—is the main point the argument's premises are intended to support.
An author spends the first paragraph describing a scientific puzzle, the second presenting two competing hypotheses, and the final paragraph explaining why one hypothesis better fits the data. The primary purpose is to:
Answer: Argue that one hypothesis better explains the available evidence
The structure—puzzle, competing explanations, evaluation—culminates in the author arguing that one hypothesis is superior, which is the primary purpose.
Which of the following most accurately expresses the main point of an argument that states: 'Since all mammals are warm-blooded and dolphins are mammals, dolphins must be warm-blooded'?
Answer: Dolphins are warm-blooded because they are mammals
The conclusion drawn from the premises—that dolphins are warm-blooded—is the main point of this syllogistic argument.
A passage criticizes a popular diet trend by examining its scientific basis, surveying contrary studies, and concluding that its benefits are overstated. The primary purpose is to:
Answer: Challenge the scientific credibility of a popular dietary claim
The passage systematically dismantles the scientific basis of the diet trend, making its primary purpose one of critical challenge.
On the LSAT, a question asks: 'Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main point of the argument?' The best answer will:
Answer: Capture the conclusion the premises are meant to support
Main point questions require identifying the conclusion—the claim the premises support—not restating premises or adding new information.