Author's Purpose

Author's Purpose

Just like an architect designs a building to fit its purpose, an author also builds his/her text with a purpose in mind. ALL WRITERS HAVE A REASON FOR WRITING!

Multiple Choice

What is the definition of author's purpose?

• Who an author is

• Why an author is writing

• What an author is writing about

• How the author feels about the topic

Where to Start

• Start by identifying the central idea of the text. What is the text all about?

• What did the author want you to think, feel, know, or learn from reading?

• Ask yourself the following questions: --------------------------->

It's not as easy as "PIE"!

Author's purpose is often oversimplified and we learn that identifying author's purpose is as easy as "PIE" --> Persuade, Inform, Entertain.

HOWEVER, there are MANY reasons an author may write and this acronym doesn't cover all of them!

Fiction Texts

All fiction texts were not written simply to entertain. Stories with strong themes such as fables and folktales are often written to TEACH, or EXPRESS A LIFE LESSON. Some fiction stories are designed to PERSUADE us to think or care about something. The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry and The Lorax by Dr. Seuss are great examples.

Nonfiction Texts

Rather than labeling all nonfiction as “to inform,” deepen your analysis of nonfiction texts by asking yourself, is the author describing? Comparing? Explaining? Showing the causes and effects of events?

So... what are some purposes an author can have?

An author writes for many purposes (and can have more than one purpose in a single piece of writing!), some of which are to: PERSUADE, INFORM, ENTERTAIN, EXPLAIN, DESCRIBE, RECOUNT, INSTRUCT.... this list could go on and on!

Multiple Choice

Authors may have more than one reason for writing

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

What is the author's purpose:

A story your younger sister wrote about making a wish and becoming a princess.

• Persuade

• Inform

• Entertain

• Explain

Multiple Choice

What is the author's purpose?:

A letter written by a class to their principal, telling her why students should be allowed to chew gum in school.

• Persuade

• Inform

• Entertain

• Describe

Multiple Choice

What is the author's purpose?:

A pamphlet explaining why people should not eat animals or use products made from or tested on animals.

• Inform

• Entertain

• Persuade

• Describe

How do I identify the author's purpose?

An architect makes choices about the design of a building based on its intended purpose. A school is built for the purpose of educating students, a hospital for the purpose of healing the sick and wounded, and a house for the purposee of providing shelter and comfort for a family. These buildings are designed in very different ways because they all have different purposes. Likewise, authors make design choices about their writing. They are architects designing their stories and texts. They start with the purpose of the text and make choices about the genre, structure, text, word choice, and text features to help him/her achieve that purpose.

LET'S PRACTICE!!!!

We will read the article "Can the Amazon Be Saved?" and use what we know about genre, structure, text, word choice, and text features to help us identify the author's purpose of the text.

ASK YOURSELF:

What is the genre of the text?

Example- Informational Text

ASK YOURSELF:

What is the central idea of the text?

Example- The Amazon rainforest is being destroyed.

ASK YOURSELF:

Who is the intended audience?

Example- Students

ASK YOURSELF:

How does the text structure contribute to the author's purpose?

Example- The author explains the causes and effects of deforestation to show the reader why it is a problem. The author presented this as a problem and offered a couple solutions.

ASK YOURSELF:

How does the author's use of language and literary devices contribute to the purpose?

Example- The author used imagery in the first paragraph when discussing the plants and animals in the rain forest. This shows the reader that it is home to these beautiful things and makes the reader care about it.

ASK YOURSELF:

How does the author's use of print and graphic features contribute to the purpose?

Example- The author included a photograph of a toucan to show the readers one of the animals that depends on the Amazon. The author also included a fact box to help the readers understand more about how big the Amazon is and how many things live there. The map shows where the Amazon is and how big it is.

ASK YOURSELF:

What is the author's purpose?

Example- The author wants us to understand that the deforestation of the Amazon is a big problem.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following might NOT be good strategy questions to ask in order to find out the author's point of view or perspective?

• Based on the title, why do think the author wrote this selection?

• How did the author influence your response to the selection?

• Was the author’s purpose specifically stated?

• Does the author enjoy chocolate cake?

CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING

Ready to show what you know?

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