LSAT Function of a Detail

What It Tests

Function questions ask why a specific word, phrase, sentence, or paragraph appears in the passage -- not what it means, but what argumentative or organizational role it plays. These reward structural reading.

How to Identify the Question Type

• The author mentions X primarily in order to...
• The function of the second paragraph is to...
• Why does the author include the example of X?
• The reference to X serves to...

Attack Strategy

• Step 1: Go back and read the detail in context -- read the sentences immediately before and after it
• Step 2: Ask: what is the author DOING here? Is this example, objection, evidence, contrast, or transition?
• Step 3: The correct answer describes the ROLE in the argument using language like: to illustrate, to contrast, to support, to introduce, to qualify

Roles a Detail Can Play

• Providing a concrete example to illustrate an abstract claim
• Introducing an objection the author will then refute
• Offering evidence supporting the main argument
• Creating a contrast with another position or time period
• Qualifying or limiting a claim the author just made
• Transitioning between two major sections of the passage

Example Problem

Passage argues renewable energy is economically viable, then mentions 'the 2008 financial crisis temporarily slowed solar investment.' Function: to acknowledge a potential counterexample while showing it was temporary, supporting the overall argument that renewables are viable long-term.

Top Tips

• The function is always in service of the author's larger argument -- connect every detail to the main point
• Wrong answers often accurately describe what the detail SAYS rather than why it is THERE
• Anticipate the function before looking at answer choices