Identifying Author's Purpose
Identifying Author's Purpose
Learning all about author's purpose is as easy as pie.
Yes, pie.
Not apple, cherry, banana cream, or pumpkin pie, but the letters in the actual word pie: P I E
What does pie have to do with author's purpose?
Whenever an author writes a story or a non-fiction text, that author has a purpose. The author's purpose is the reason the author wrote the text. When you read, it is important to understand why the piece was written.
There are three main reasons an author writes a text. That's where PIE comes into play.
An author can write a text to:
Persuade
Inform
Entertain
Writing to Persuade
When an author writes to persuade, he or she wants to convince the reader to do or believe what he or she says.
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Writing to persuade includes details like:
- I think...
- You should...
- You must...
- Lots of opinions
- Only one side of an issue or topic
Examples of writing to persuade include:
- Editorials
- Billboards
- Advertisements
- Speeches
- Persuasive essays
- Reviews
Writing to Inform
When an author writes to inform, he or she wants to give the reader information about a topic.
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Writing to inform includes details like:
- Did you know that...
- This helps explain...
- Here's a fact about...
- Lots of facts
- Names, dates, and topic-specific vocabulary
Examples of writing to inform include:
- Encyclopedia entries
- Research papers
- Biographies
- Scientific reports
- Newspaper articles
- Non-fiction books
- Recipes
Writing to Entertain
When a writer writes to entertain, he or she wants to entertain the reader or make a text enjoyable to read.
It was a dark and stormy night. Thunder rumbled in the distance. The kids ran inside and took cover in the basement. A tornado was headed their way!
Writing to entertain includes details like:
- Made-up characters
- A make-believe setting
- Lots of dialogue
- Vivid details
- Figurative language
Examples of writing to entertain include:
- Stories
- Poems
- Jokes/Comics
- Fiction books
- Fantasy
- Romance novels
Try your hand at the practice questions, and then use the worksheets to see how well you can identify the author's purpose.
Related Worksheets: