• Author’s Purpose
• Word Choice
An author’s purpose is his or her reason for writing. It may be to entertain, inform, express ideas and feelings, or to persuade readers.
Recognizing an author’s purpose for writing can help you understand what the author wants you to know or think. The genre is one clue that can help you figure this out.
| Genre | Purposes |
|---|---|
| Short stories, fables, other fiction | to entertain; to communicate a message |
| Expository nonfiction | to inform; to express feelings and ideas |
| Advertisements, other persuasive writing | to convince you to act or think a certain way |
The author’s word choices also provide clues.
• Words that create a funny, sad, angry, or other kind of mood suggest that the purpose is to entertain or persuade.
• Positive words that describe one idea and negative words that describe another idea could show you the author’s attitude.
• Words that emphasize fact signal that the purpose is to inform.
Study the passage below to discover the author’s purpose.