AUTHOR’S PURPOSEHow do we identify the Author’s Purpose?
WHAT IS AUTHOR’S PURPOSE
• Author’s Purpose is the reason the author is writing that particular piece
• The Four Types of Author’s Purpose:
• To inform
• To entertain
• To persuade
• To describe
TO INFORM
• When writing to inform, it is the author’s goal to enlighten the reader with subjects that are typically real and factual. Few opinions are expressed.
• Examples of this kind of writing are textbooks and
newspapers.
TO ENTERTAIN
• When writing to entertain, one goal may be to tell a story or to describe characters, places, or events (real or imaginary)
• Examples of this type of writing are stories, plays,
poems, jokes, and even comic stripes.
TO PERSUADE
• When writing to persuade, the goal is to get the reader to agree with the writer’s opinion, or thoughts about a certain subject. This type of writing if opinionated, but the author may provide facts and examples to support the opinion.
• Examples of this kind of writing are commercials,
advertisements, and newspaper editorials
TO DESCRIBE
• When writing to describe, the author’s goal is to compare/contrast things through details and description. It could also be, quite simply, to describe how something looks or what it’s like.
• Examples of descriptive texts include comparative texts
describing the differences between things and travel
brochures describing a specific location/destination.