Author's Purpose Practice

1. Do you carpool to school? Do you take a bus? It should be a requirement for everyone to either share a ride or walk to school every day. If we are serious about saving the planet, we must take steps to conserve energy and reduce fossil fuel emissions.

• A. Persuade
• B. Inform
• C. Entertain
• D. Explain
• E. Describe

2. Today, it is not uncommon to see women wearing high-heeled shoes. However, the first high-heeled shoes were actually made for men back in the 1500s. The heels helped soldiers keep their feet in the stirrups of their saddles as they rode into battle.

• A. Persuade
• B. Inform
• C. Entertain
• D. Explain
• E. Describe

3. Caroline Bartlett Crane was born in 1858 in Hudson, Wisconsin. After working as a teacher, she became a journalist and an ordained minister. Crane was an activist who worked toward women’s voting rights in the United States. Her tireless efforts at improving sanitation in large cities—especially in the slums where the poorest residents lived—earned her the title “America’s Housekeeper.”

• A. Persuade
• B. Inform
• C. Entertain
• D. Explain
• E. Describe

4. Driving west from Capital Park, turn left onto Maple Avenue. Continue for three blocks until you come to Trumbull Street, and then turn right. The library will be on your left.

• A. Persuade
• B. Inform
• C. Entertain
• D. Explain
• E. Describe

5. “Once upon a time in a magical kingdom, there lived a great hero. He was about to set out on a dangerous quest!”

• A. Persuade
• B. Inform
• C. Entertain
• D. Explain
• E. Describe

6. What is the purpose of a narrative written by another student about the first time she tried to ice skate?

• A. Persuade
• B. Inform
• C. Entertain
• D. Explain
• E. Describe

7. The rabbit’s fur was as soft as velvet, and he seemed to enjoy having people pet him. He would snuggle in closer, lay his ears back, and pull in his feet.

• A. Persuade
• B. Inform
• C. Entertain
• D. Explain
• E. Describe

8. Have you ever wished you could contact all of your friends at once? Wouldn’t it be convenient to send a note to all your friends at the same time, rather than contacting each person individually? Download the FriendChat app today for your smartphone! In just minutes, you’ll be able to send messages to all your friends simultaneously. For only $1.99, you can save yourself a lot of time!

• A. Persuade
• B. Inform
• C. Entertain
• D. Explain
• E. Describe

9. Sarah knew time travel was impossible. Everything she’d learned in science told her it couldn’t be done. But as she looked around the street, noting the horse-drawn carriages and the women dressed in long dresses and hats, she realized she was in the nineteenth century.

• A. Persuade
• B. Inform
• C. Entertain
• D. Explain
• E. Describe

10. Building a bird house is a relatively simple task. Begin by cutting your wood to size, according to the pattern you’ve chosen. Before cutting, be sure to measure each pattern twice to ensure you are cutting the wood to the correct length.

• A. Persuade
• B. Inform
• C. Entertain
• D. Explain
• E. Describe