3. AUTHOR’S PURPOSE
When reading anything, ask yourself these
questions….
• What was the author’s reason for writing this selection?
– to persuade me?
– to inform me?
– to entertain me?
• Which statement from the selection best shows the author’s
purpose in writing this selection?
• Why did the author write these words/this phrase ___ in
italics, in bold, all capital letters, in brackets, etc….?
• Why did the author include (a list of ingredients, a graphic,
statements in parentheses, a picture, etc…)?
4. When an Author
Wants to Persuade…
• The author is trying to make the reader agree with something
important. The author wants to persuade you to see his or her
point of view.
Examples of persuasive writing:
Editorials in a newspaper or magazine, speeches, or
advertisements
Articles or advertisements about health issues, environmental
issues, or other issues important in society
5. When an Author
Wants to Inform…
• To inform is to provide information or to show how to DO or
MAKE something. We usually read informational text to learn
more about a subject and to find answers to our questions.
Examples of informational books/text:
Non-fiction books
News stories in a newspaper or magazine
Encyclopedia, dictionary, or thesaurus
How-to books or manuals
Cookbooks
6. When an Author
Wants to Entertain…
• To entertain is to tell a story or to tell what a person or place is
like in an interesting or funny way. You usually read something
entertaining for fun.
Examples of entertaining books/stories:
Bluford Series
Cinderella
Nursery Rhymes
Reader’s Digest Jokes and Short Stories
Urban Legends
Picture Books
7. So,
What
IS
the Author’s Purpose?
To Persuade
To Inform
To Entertain
8. • Need to review this presentation?
• Just close the show and start from the
beginning.
• Ready to practice?
