Q7

[kjg56]

I am having a difficult time distinguishing answer choice B from choice E.

B: "Spanish-language proverbs figure prominently in Mexican American communities"
E: "...Spanish-language tradition, the use of proverbs.."

The beginning of the two seem essentially the same except for E does not highlight Mexican American communities, is that the critical difference?

B: "...where they are both used to instruct.."
E: "...serve a wide range of purposes..."

Is serving a wide range of purposes too...wide? Is it too wide because both purposes deal with children, albeit with dealing with different issues (instruction/promoting heritage)?


In general, with main point questions, is my instinct to go with the less narrow point misguided?

Thank you!

[maryadkins]

Yep! While they are similar, (E) makes the passage about the use of proverbs IN GENERAL. It only uses the Spanish-language tradition as an illustration but not as the focus. (B) makes the passage about Mexican-American communities and proverbs, which is correct.

I would not say go with the more narrow answer choice on Main Point questions, no. In fact, there are often answer choices that are wrong to these questions BECAUSE they are too narrow. But you do want to be accurate/not too broad. This passage is not about proverbs in the world at large. Read for the verb and subject carefully to see what an answer choice is saying. Here, (E) is definitely too broad.

(A) is not what the author says.

(C) is too narrow/not the main point.

Same with (D), which leaves out heritage and identity.