Author’s Purpose

Author’s Purpose Author’s purpose is what an author is trying to accomplish through the text.

Author’s Purpose Authors write for different purposes which include: to

persuade, to entertain, and to inform

Readers identify an author’s purpose for writing by following these steps and answering the questions below:

1. Who is the intended audience? 2. Are the facts intended to provide knowledge or to

entertain the reader?3. Are the facts being used to convince the reader of

something?  

What is persuasion?To persuade in a text is to convince the reader to follow

the writer’s opinion.

When an Author Wants to Persuade he Uses Persuasive Pieces like…

Campaign Speeches

Charts and Graphs

Advertisements

Other ways to persuade are through:

Newspaper EditorialsBumper stickersBillboardsCommercials

What does it mean to inform? To inform in a text is to state facts about a particular

subject

When an Author Wants to Inform He Uses Non-fiction. This can Include…

Magazines

Textbooks

Newspapers

Other ways to inform are through…

BiographiesDocumentariesTechnical ManualsCharts, graphs, tables

What does it mean to entertain? To entertain in a text is when an author writes simply to

humor, excite or just to bring about an emotion from the reader.

When an Author Wants to Entertain He Uses Fiction. This includes…

Short Stories

Poetry

"Love is not a thing to understand.

Love is not a thing to feel.

Love is not a thing to give and receive.

Love is a thing only to become

And eternally be. ."

Drama

Novels

What is the purpose of the text below?Ex.1: Most experienced drivers would agree

that while it is more exciting to ride a motorcycle than to drive an automobile, it is foolish to think that this leads to careless driving and, therefore more accidents, deaths, and injuries occur to motorcycle riders than car drivers.

1. Who is the intended audience? 2. Are the facts intended to provide knowledge or to

entertain the reader?3. Are the facts being used to convince the reader of

something? 4. Identify opinions and personal testimonies for those

opinions. 

What is the purpose of the text below?

Ex.2: Every fourth of July, Ralph invites his whole family to stay on the lake and make up a jeg. They called new dances jegs. They danced, pranced and usually did a little shake. They stuck out one leg and gave it a wiggle, aunt Lilly was so big hers started to jiggle. They moved the one leg and Jim said it was a cranky jeg. The 5 year old little brother stood up and said no it’s the stanky leg.

1. Who is the intended audience?

2. Are the facts intended to provide knowledge or to entertain the reader?

3. Are the facts being used to convince the reader of something?

Identify the author’s purpose of this textTo the people of poor nations, we pledge to

work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it. Will you work to help this nation is the question I ask of you.

Practice!http://fcit.usf.edu/FCAT/strategies/ap/activit

y2.htm