Digital SAT Function Questions: Identify Sentence Roles | SAT Reading

You're getting the hang of Digital SAT Reading passages, understanding the main ideas and even the author's overall purpose (like we discussed previously). But then you hit a question asking about the *function* of one specific, underlined sentence. It feels different, right? You understand the sentence itself, but figuring out its precise role – what it's *doing* in relation to the sentences around it – can sometimes feel like trying to identify the exact job of one particular musician in a large orchestra. Is that violin providing the main melody right now, offering harmony, or adding a counterpoint?

Maybe this sounds familiar: Tariq is working through a science passage about a new alloy. One sentence describes the specific percentages of metals used. When asked its function, he hesitates. It's clearly providing details, but is the function "to list components," "to provide evidence for a claim," or "to explain the manufacturing process"? Choosing the most accurate functional label requires looking closely at *how* that sentence connects to the argument or description being built around it, a skill that needs careful development for success in digital sat reading comprehension.

Unlike Purpose questions analyzing the whole passage's goal, Function questions zoom in on the job of a single sentence. The good news is, this narrower focus often makes them a bit more manageable once you know what to look for. Let's explore a systematic approach, common sentence functions you'll encounter, and key tips to master these questions.

How to Approach Function Questions

Here's a recommended flow to tackle these questions effectively:

1. Read the Question & Recognize the Type: It will always use the word "function," making identification easy.
2. Read the Entire Passage: First, get the overall context and flow. Pay extra attention to the sentences immediately *before* and *after* the underlined one.
3. Identify the Connection: How does the underlined sentence link to its neighbors? Does it support what came before? Introduce what comes next? Bridge the ideas before and after? This is key.
4. Try to Identify the Function Type (Predict!): Based on the connection and content, attempt to categorize the sentence's role using the common types listed below. Making this prediction *before* seeing the choices is a powerful step.
5. Consult Choices (If Needed): If you couldn't readily categorize the function, *now* read the four answer choices. Don't just keep rereading the passage hoping the function will jump out.
6. Assess & Eliminate: Critically evaluate each answer choice. Does it accurately describe the sentence's content *and* its role? Eliminate choices with incorrect details or functions that clearly don't fit. Be strict – only eliminate if you're certain it's wrong.
7. Verify Likely Answer(s): If you narrow it down or feel confident, quickly glance back at the passage context one last time to confirm your choice accurately reflects the sentence's job.
8. Analyze Key Differences (If Stuck): If you're down to two plausible options, pinpoint the exact difference between them (e.g., "provides an example" vs. "explains a cause"). Reread the relevant passage section specifically looking for evidence that supports one function over the other regarding that difference.
9. Select the Best Fit: Choose the answer that most precisely describes the underlined sentence's function. Mark for review if truly unsure.

Getting good at Step 4 – predicting the function type – significantly streamlines the process.

9 Common Sentence Functions on the SAT

Most underlined sentences will perform one of these roles. Recognizing them helps you categorize quickly:

• 1. Introduction: Sets up the main topic or subject of the passage (often the first or second sentence).
• 2. Definition: Explains a key term or concept to ensure reader understanding (can appear anywhere).
• 3. Explaining a Previous Idea: Elaborates on, clarifies, or provides more detail about a statement made just before it (usually middle/end).
• 4. Design of a Study: Describes the methods, setup, or procedures of an experiment or research project (distinct from results; usually middle/end of science passages).
• 5. Connection Between Ideas: Serves as a transition, linking the preceding thought(s) to the subsequent one(s) (usually middle).
• 6. Findings/Results: Presents the outcomes, data, or conclusions drawn from a study or experiment (usually middle/end of science passages).
• 7. Example: Offers a specific instance or illustration of a broader point or claim made previously (usually middle/end).
• 8. Context: Provides necessary background information (historical, situational) needed to understand other parts of the passage (can appear anywhere).
• 9. Summary: Concisely restates the passage's main point or conclusion (often the last sentence).

(While other functions exist, these are the most frequent offenders on the test!)

Applying the Approach: Examples (Refreshed)

Let's see this in action:

Example 1 (Rewritten Study):

A multi-year investigation by sociologist Dr. Lena Petrova examined the relationship between participation in neighborhood volunteer groups and residents' reported levels of civic trust. Between 2018 and 2022, Petrova's team tracked 500 inhabitants of diverse city districts with differing availabilities of local volunteer opportunities. Individuals, whose neighborhoods were categorized based on the density and variety of volunteer organizations, completed semi-annual surveys measuring their trust in local government and neighbors. The research concluded that citizens with more frequent engagement in volunteer activities expressed higher degrees of civic trust.

1. Which choice best states the function of the underlined sentence in the overall structure of the text?

A) To summarize the key conclusions of Dr. Petrova’s investigation.
B) To underscore the main finding presented in the final sentence.
C) To detail the specific methods employed for collecting the study's information.
D) To counter a potential methodological weakness in the research design.

Analysis: The underlined sentence explains *how* the researchers gathered their data – categorizing neighborhoods, using semi-annual surveys, and what those surveys measured (trust levels). This clearly describes the study's *methods*. (C) accurately identifies this function. (A) is incorrect; the conclusion comes later. (B) is wrong; this sentence describes *how* data was collected, not directly reinforcing the conclusion itself. (D) is incorrect; it describes the method, not criticizes it. Correct Answer: C

Example 2 (Rewritten Animal Adaptation):**

Camouflage, the art of blending in, serves many creatures. Octopuses dynamically alter skin pigment to match seabeds. Certain lizards mimic tree bark coloration to evade detection. Snowshoe hares, in contrast, undergo seasonal molting, changing their fur from brown in summer to white in winter for concealment in varying landscapes, a physiological adaptation rather than behavioral mimicry. Arctic foxes also display seasonal coat changes, unlike the lizards' static camouflage.