Author's Purpose

An author's purpose is...

• the reason an author writes
• the reason an author teaches
• author's sense of humor
• author's way of life. 

Dear Edith, 
Pets should be allowed in restaurants. I brought my dog to dinner, and the waiter threw us out. He said that dogs were dirty, but my dog is cleaner than many people. I know! It's not fair - it's a ridiculous rule, and it should be changed.

• to persuade
• to inform
• to entertain

Once upon a time, there was a sad dragon. People were afraid of him because he breathed fire. So, one day, he bought a big bag of marshmallows, got some sticks, and put up a sign: "Free Marshmallow Roast." No one was afraid if him anymore.

• to persuade

• to inform

• to entertain

A section in a history book describing the conditions and causes of the Great Depression in the Midwest in the 1930s 

• Inform
• Persuade
• Entertain
• Explain

When an author's purpose is to inform, it means the author is

• trying to make you enjoy the story by keeping the reader's attention.

• trying to give you information and teach you facts.

• trying to get you to do or try something.

• trying to see if you are paying attention.

A boy asks his father, "Dad, are bugs good to eat?"

"That's disgusting - don't talk about things like that over dinner, " the dad replies.

After dinner the father asks, "Now, son, what did you want to ask me?"

"Oh, nothing," the boy says. "There was a bug in your soup, now it's gone."

• Persuasion

• Informative

• Entertaining

• Exciting

When an author's purpose is to inform, it means the author is:

• trying to make you enjoy the story by keeping the reader's attention.

• trying to give you information and teach you facts.

• trying to get you to do or try something.

When an author writes to entertain, they:

• try to capture your attention with something funny or emotional

• try to get you to do or try something

• teach you facts about something

The Food Group Pyramid tells how to eat healthy. It shows how food is divided into six groups. It is important to eat foods that belong to each group every day. The pyramid helps show how much of each you should eat.

The author wrote this paragraph mainly to -

• compare the different food groups in the Food Group Pyramid

• provide you information about the Food Group Pyramid

• persuade you to use the Food Group Pyramid to plan your meals

• offer a different way to look at food based off of the Food Group Pyramid

It's important to go to school. What you learn in school will help you later in life. It will also help you get a job. If you work hard in school and make good grades, you may be able to go to college and have a career.

The main purpose of the selection is to -

• define the purpose of school

• describe what school is like for kids

• list all of the good parts of school

• convince people to go to school