GMAS Structure and Purpose 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An author uses a compare-and-contrast structure in an informational text. What is the PRIMARY purpose of this organizational choice?
- To show how two subjects are similar and different (Correct answer)
- To explain the steps in a process in order
- To describe the causes of a historical event
- To persuade readers to take a specific action
Correct answer: To show how two subjects are similar and different
Compare-and-contrast structure highlights similarities and differences between two or more subjects to help readers understand each better.
Question 2: A paragraph begins with a general statement and then provides specific examples to support it. This pattern is known as:
- Inductive reasoning
- Deductive reasoning (Correct answer)
- Circular reasoning
- Analogical reasoning
Correct answer: Deductive reasoning
Deductive reasoning moves from a general statement to specific supporting details or examples.
Question 3: In a literary text, why might an author choose to write in second person ('you') point of view?
- To create distance between reader and character
- To make the reader feel directly involved in the story (Correct answer)
- To show multiple characters' perspectives at once
- To indicate the story happened long ago
Correct answer: To make the reader feel directly involved in the story
Second-person point of view addresses the reader directly as 'you,' creating immediate personal involvement in the narrative.
Question 4: An author includes a sidebar box with statistics in a science article. What structural purpose does this sidebar serve?
- To contradict the main argument of the article
- To provide supplementary data without interrupting the main text (Correct answer)
- To summarize the entire article in brief
- To introduce a new topic unrelated to the article
Correct answer: To provide supplementary data without interrupting the main text
Sidebars present additional information or data alongside the main text without disrupting its flow.
Question 5: Which text structure would BEST suit an author writing about why rainforests are disappearing?
- Chronological order
- Cause and effect (Correct answer)
- Problem and solution
- Compare and contrast
Correct answer: Cause and effect
Cause-and-effect structure is ideal for explaining the reasons (causes) behind rainforest disappearance and its consequences (effects).
Question 6: A poem uses a consistent ABAB rhyme scheme throughout all stanzas. How does this structural choice affect the poem?
- It creates a sense of disorder and unpredictability
- It establishes a musical rhythm and sense of unity (Correct answer)
- It makes the poem more difficult to interpret
- It limits the poet to only four lines per stanza
Correct answer: It establishes a musical rhythm and sense of unity
A consistent rhyme scheme creates musical rhythm and ties stanzas together, giving the poem a unified, controlled feel.
Question 7: A journalist writes an article where each paragraph adds a new detail about the same event. This structure is BEST described as:
- Inverted pyramid (Correct answer)
- Flashback narrative
- Sequential cause-and-effect
- Extended metaphor
Correct answer: Inverted pyramid
The inverted pyramid structure presents the most important information first, followed by additional details in decreasing order of importance.
GMAS Structure and Purpose 2
An author uses a compare-and-contrast structure in an informational text.
What is the PRIMARY purpose of this organizational choice?