Clues for Author's Purpose

What do the letters in PIE stand for?

• persuade, investigate, examine

• program, interpret, entertain

• persuade, inform, entertain

• prepare, inform, experiment

True or False: An author can only use one letter of PIE when writing.

• True

• False

When an author's purpose is to inform, the text will include mostly __________.

• opinions

• funny or imaginary details

• characters and a setting

• facts

The author's main purpose is not to entertain in which of the following?

• a story

• a cookbook

• a comic book

• a movie

Words like "best", "should", "think", "believe" and "feel" are clues that an author is most likely trying to __________________.

• persuade

• inform

• entertain

Choose the author's main purpose(s) in the passage below.

"Run to your nearest toy store and buy the Lazy Crazy Scooter today! Give your tired feet a rest as you zip through town in style on this motorized scooter. It's the best, craziest scooter around!"

• persuade

• inform

• entertain

• persuade, inform, and entertain

Choose the author's main purpose(s) in the passage below.

The evil monster loomed above Ella, Kai, and Jerome. It was taller than the Empire State Building, and it had green, scaly skin. Sparks flew out of its ears as it raised its fist. Ella took a deep breath. "Are you ready?" she asked her friends.

• persuade

• inform

• entertain

• persuade, inform, and entertain

Choose the author's main purpose(s) in the passage below.

Painol is the best new medicine to make headaches go away. Headaches can be caused by changes in chemicals and nerves in your head. This sends a message to your brain that causes you to feel pain. Painol blocks these messages, which helps the pain go away. If you want to squash your headaches, ask your doctor about Painol today.

• persuade and inform

• inform and entertain

• entertain and persuade

• persuade

Choose the author's main purpose(s) in the passage below.

Millie and David stepped into the time machine. "Alright, " Millie said, "are you ready to meet the Vikings?" David nodded excitedly. Millie looked at the screen on the time machine and read aloud. "It says the Viking Age was from 793 to 1066 AD, and the Vikings were from Scandinavia." David pressed the launch button and the machine began to shake... "Scandinavia, here we come!"

• persuade and inform

• inform and entertain

• entertain and persuade

• persuade

Choose the author's main purpose(s) in the passage below.

Many people believe that the world's largest desert is the Sahara. However, the world's largest desert is actually Antarctica.

• persuade

• inform

• entertain

• persuade, inform, entertain