Introduction
The digital SAT Reading and Writing section tests your ability to analyze how a text is built, not just what it says. "Function of a Sentence or Phrase" questions belong to the Craft and Structure domain, which accounts for roughly 28% of the section's operational questions. These questions present a short passage with one sentence (sometimes a phrase) underlined or bracketed, then ask what rhetorical job that portion performs. You are not asked for the main purpose of the whole passage — that is covered in Finding the Main Purpose of a Text — but rather for the specific role one part plays inside the whole.
Core Concept
Every sentence in a well-constructed passage has a function: a job it does relative to what comes before and after it. The SAT tests six main functions:
| Function | What the sentence does |
|---|---|
| Sets up / introduces | Raises a question, presents a problem, or establishes background so the next idea makes sense |
| Elaborates / supports | Adds detail, evidence, or explanation for a claim already made |
| Illustrates / exemplifies | Gives a specific example of a general claim |
| Contrasts / counters | Pushes back against or qualifies a prior point |
| Concedes | Grants something to the opposing view before the author reasserts the main argument |
| Transitions / summarizes | Bridges two sections or draws together what came before |
To answer correctly, you must relate the underlined sentence to the surrounding text — what comes immediately before and immediately after — as well as to the passage's overall argument or narrative.
The Two-Step Method
- Locate the sentence in the flow. Read the sentence before the underlined portion and the sentence after it. Ask: "What changes at this sentence?"
- Predict the function in your own words before reading the options. Then match your prediction to the answer that captures the relationship, not just the content, of the underlined sentence.
A common error is choosing an answer that accurately describes the topic of the underlined sentence without describing its rhetorical role. Always ask: "What is this sentence doing to the surrounding ideas?"
Unlock the full Text Structure and Purpose note with Nova
You're reading the preview. Unlock the complete note — every worked example, examiner pitfall and practice question — plus 24/7 AI tutoring from Nova that teaches directly from these notes.