Author's Purpose

The main purpose for fiction writing is to persuade

Understanding an author's purpose refers to the author's reason for writing

An essay where a student argues that people should recycle and not litter

A text from your friend on vacation in Bermuda telling you about the pink sand

A text has only one main purpose

If a text makes the reader cry, it cannot be entertaining.

A flyer about a new restaurant

The lyrics to a Taylor Swift song

The author tries to convince the reader to share his or her opinion or convince the reader

The author wants the reader to learn about a specific topic; gives facts

The story of a young man who triumphs over the influences of drugs and gangs

A child's letter to Santa asking for a bicycle because he has been good all year

A pamphlet/brochure on the dangers of smoking

A map of the world showing all the continents, countries, and oceans

Explanatory texts contain steps or instructions

Description texts must refer to all five senses

A speech by a politician proposing adding 90 minutes to the school day

The book Wonder by R.J. Palacio

A recipe for red velvet cake

The author gives steps for how to do something; a process

The author writes about sights, smells, sounds, tastes, and/or the feel of something

The author writes to make the reader feel something to make a connection with the writing

Titles and text features can help determine author's purpose

Advertisements sometimes appear to be informational

If a reader learns things from a text, it's usually informational