Difference between topic and scope

[safirshahbaaz90]

Hi Tommy,

In many RC's, I have seen a question that asks for the function of a particular sentence. 2 of the 5 options would be as follows:

1) It describes the scope of the passage
2) It describes the topic of the passage

Could you please tell me what the difference between scope and topic is.

Thanks and Regards,
Safir

[tommywallach]

Hey Safir,

Can you show me a question that does this from a reputable source? I've never seen that.

-t

[safirshahbaaz90]

Hi Tommy,

I'm not sure how I can send this question to you. I don't see any attachments button here. Could you please give me your email ID and I will send it there.

Regards,
Safir

[tommywallach]

Just post the text of the question here, but also point me to the original source (a website, if it came from a website, or the name of the book, if it came from a published book). Thanks!

-t

P.S. I don't even need the answer choices necessarily: I'm trying to understand what type of question you're referring to, because I don't know of any question that would ask you to "describe the scope of the passage."

[safirshahbaaz90]

The question is from Kaplan's practice sets available on the CD. The question is:

What is the purpose of the highlighted phrase? [The phrase is "In the Ptolemaic cosmology the earth is regarded as a fixed point with the other planets revolving around it."]

Answer choices are:
a) It describes Galileo's theory
b) It describes the scope of the passage
c) It offers a brief summary of the passage
d) It describes the topic of the passage
e) It describes the difference between Ptolemaic and geocentric cosmologies.

The answer is d.

Regards,
Safir

[tommywallach]

Hey Safir,

Hmm. Well topic means the subject, scope means the range. Describing your scope is ALSO a way of describing your topic, but describing your topic may not have anything to do with scope.

If I say "Today I will be talking about mankind," I have told you my subject.

If I then say "I will be talking specifically about mankind's relationship to nature," I have limited the scope, but ALSO described the topic in greater detail.

I can't answer the question you posted without seeing the whole question, but all I can say is that any question that delineates the scope of the passage is also discussing the topic, so the answer couldn't fairly be "describes the scope" to ANY question that also had "Describes the topic" as an answer (because if the "scope" answer were right, then the topic answer would also be right). That's my take anyway!

-t