Text Structure: Map How the Passage Moves
SAT Reading & WritingCraft & StructureMedium
Recognize common passage patterns and describe them at the correct level of detail.
What you need to know
- Common structures include claim-evidence, problem-solution, old view-new view, comparison, and process.
- Structure describes relationships among parts, not merely the topic of each sentence.
- Pivot words reveal when the passage changes direction.
- The best answer accounts for the beginning and the ending.
The AYLOTI method
- Give each sentence a two- or three-word job label.
- Group sentences that perform the same larger job.
- Locate the pivot or development.
- Describe the full movement using neutral verbs such as introduces, challenges, illustrates, or explains.
AYLOTI • Sir Hunain Zia • SAT Score 1594/1600 • 154 Total A Grades (Personal), 11 World Records, 7 Distinctions
Worked example
A passage presents a traditional explanation, describes evidence it cannot explain, and introduces a revised model. What is the structure?
- Opening: established view.
- Middle: limitation or problem.
- Ending: alternative that addresses the problem.
Answer: It presents an existing explanation, identifies a weakness, and offers a revised explanation.
Common SAT traps
- Describing only the final sentence.
- Using evaluative language such as “destroys” when the text says “complicates.”
- Confusing chronological subject matter with chronological argument structure.
Quick check
If a passage alternates features of two species, what structure is likely?
A comparison organized point by point.
Before you move on
- Explain the core rule without looking back.
- Redo the worked example using your own steps.
- Write the trap you are most likely to fall for.
