what is the purpose of presidential primaries

a. to help choose delegates to the parties' national conventions
b. to choose members of the electoral college
c. to elect a new president and vice president
d. to elect state officials
b or ...

It's not b.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_primary

a. to help choose delegates to the parties' national conventions

The purpose of presidential primaries is to help choose delegates to the parties' national conventions. The correct answer is option a.

Presidential primaries are held by political parties as part of the nominating process to determine the party's candidate for the general election. During primaries, voters in each state or territory cast their votes for the candidate of their choice. The candidates who receive the most votes in each state are then awarded delegates, who will go on to represent them at the party's national convention.

At the national convention, the delegates will officially cast their votes to nominate the party's candidate for president. The candidate who secures the majority of delegates at the convention becomes the party's official nominee for the general election.

Therefore, the purpose of presidential primaries is primarily to select delegates who will represent the voters' preference for a certain candidate at the party's national convention.