What is the purpose of an index?

• A. Found in the back of the book and provides a short summary of chapters.
• B. Found in the back of the book and gives an alphabetical listing of names and topics along with page numbers where they are discussed.
• C. Found at the front of the book and lists chapters.
• D. A diagram used to explain how something works.

Answer: (B)

An index helps you locate where information is discussed in a book by providing an alphabetical list of topics, names, and sometimes terms, with the page numbers where they appear. This back-of-the-book tool lets you jump directly to the exact pages you need, which is especially useful for studying specific terms or concepts in a longer text. The front of the book usually has the table of contents, which lists chapters in order but not alphabetically, so it’s not as quick for finding a particular topic. A diagram is a visual aid, not the purpose of an index, and a summary of chapters describes content in overview form rather than showing where to find details. So the index is best described as an alphabetical listing of topics with page numbers found at the back of the book.