Identify the author’s purpose
key notes :
What is Author’s Purpose?
- It is the reason why an author writes a text.
- Common purposes include: to persuade, to inform, to entertain — often remembered as PIE.
Types of Author’s Purpose:
Persuade 🍰
- The author wants to convince the reader of something.
- Uses strong opinions, emotional language, or calls to action.
- Example: Advertisements, opinion articles, speeches.
Inform 📚
- The author gives facts, explains something, or teaches a concept.
- Uses clear details, facts, and examples.
- Example: Textbooks, news articles, instructions.
Entertain 🎭
- The author wants to amuse or engage the reader with a story.
- Uses characters, plot, conflict, and setting.
- Example: Stories, poems, comic strips.
How to Identify Author’s Purpose:
- Look at the title and headings.
- Notice the tone and language (Is it serious? Funny? Emotional?).
Ask:
- Is the author trying to change your mind? (Persuade)
- Is the author sharing facts or teaching? (Inform)
- Is the author telling a story or trying to entertain you? (Entertain)
Clue Words:
- Persuade: should, must, best, believe, opinion
- Inform: facts, explains, describes, teaches
- Entertain: once upon a time, exciting, funny, story
PIE Strategy 🥧
Use the acronym PIE to remember the three main purposes:
- Persuade
- Inform
- Entertain
Learn with an example
Read the text.
One great thing about making art is that you can use almost any supplies. In this project, you will create animal silhouettes from three simple supplies: old magazines, cardboard and glue.
First, find a picture of an animal that you like. Copy its outline onto a piece of cardboard, and cut out the cardboard silhouette. Next, cut narrow strips from the magazines. The pages you choose will determine what colours the animal will be.
Now, glue the strips side by side onto the cardboard shape, with the ends extending beyond the cardboard’s edges. Trim the strips carefully along the edges. Ta-da! Your colourful animal art piece is finished.
Which author’s purpose is suggested by the text?
- to teach readers how to make animal silhouette art
- to persuade readers to make art at home
The author’s purpose is to teach readers how to make animal silhouette art.
🏀 Read the text.
Slouched at a corner table in a forgotten diner in a quiet part of town, Rowan Shaw looks as if he just rolled out of bed. Shaw, who is known as the ‘difficult one’ in the boy band Momentum, is wearing a pair of heavily ripped jeans and a white T-shirt. His black leather jacket looks as if it might have been run over by a bulldozer. A faded straw fedora is pulled low over his forehead, casting a shadow across brown eyes fringed with ridiculously thick eyelashes.
🏀 Which author’s purpose is suggested by the text?
- to describe Rowan Shaw’s appearance
- to convince readers that Rowan Shaw is an important musician
- The author’s purpose is to describe Rowan Shaw’s appearance.
🏀 Read the text.
Slouched at a corner table in a forgotten diner in a quiet part of town, Rowan Shaw looks as if he just rolled out of bed. Shaw, who is known as the ‘difficult one’ in the boy band Momentum, is wearing a pair of heavily ripped jeans and a white T-shirt. His black leather jacket looks as if it might have been run over by a bulldozer. A faded straw fedora is pulled low over his forehead, casting a shadow across brown eyes fringed with ridiculously thick eyelashes.
🏀 Which author’s purpose is suggested by the text?
- to inform readers about the boy band Momentum
- to describe Rowan Shaw’s appearance
- The author’s purpose is to describe Rowan Shaw’s appearance.
Let’s practice!
Read the text.
As an actor, it is your job to deliver lines in a realistic way. However, you must first memorise them.
To begin, handwrite your lines, copying them exactly and focusing on every word. Then, record yourself reading them out loud and play them back repeatedly. You can listen while doing other activities. Next, cover the lines with a scrap of paper, say them and check them.
Finally, ask someone to ‘run’ your lines with you. Have the person hold the script and read the other roles as you recite your lines. Move around, experiment with your delivery and allow yourself to make mistakes. Now, you are ready to perform!