English Language Arts
Grade 10
15 min
Identify the purpose of a text
Identify the purpose of a text
What you'll learn
- Identify whether a given text's main purpose is to persuade, inform, entertain, or describe with 80% accuracy.
- Explain, in one or two sentences, the evidence from a text that supports a chosen purpose (persuade, inform, entertain, or describe) for at least 3 out of 4 provided texts.
- Apply knowledge of text purposes to correctly match 4 out of 5 short passages to their corresponding purpose (persuade, inform, entertain, or describe).
- Distinguish between the purpose to inform and the purpose to persuade in two different texts by providing at least two supporting details from each text.
Tutorial Preview
1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Differentiate between the primary authorial purposes: to persuade, inform, entertain, and express/reflect.
Analyze how an author's diction (word choice) and syntax (sentence structure) reveal their purpose.
Evaluate the relationship between an author's purpose, intended audience, and overall tone.
Identify implicit (unstated) purposes in complex literary and non-fiction texts from world literature.
Synthesize evidence from a text to construct a well-supported argument about its primary and secondary purposes.
Apply knowledge of author's purpose to critically assess the credibility and bias of research sources.
Distinguish between an author's purpose and the text's central theme or main idea.
Ever read something and felt the auth...
2
Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Author's PurposeThe primary reason an author writes a text. It is the specific goal the author wants to achieve with their audience.In George Orwell's 'Animal Farm', the purpose is not just to entertain with a story about talking animals, but to persuade readers about the dangers of totalitarianism.
To PersuadeThe author's goal is to convince the reader to agree with a certain viewpoint, adopt a belief, or take a specific action.An editorial in a newspaper arguing that the city needs to invest more in public transportation.
To InformThe author's goal is to provide factual information, explain a concept, or educate the reader about a topic.A textbook chapter detailing the process of photosynthesis or a biography of Marie Curie.
To Enterta...
3
Key Rules & Conventions
The PIE+E Framework
Most texts have a primary purpose: to Persuade, Inform, Entertain, or Express (PIE+E).
Use this acronym as your first step in analysis. Identify the most dominant purpose, then look for secondary purposes. A text can inform in order to persuade, or entertain while also expressing a deep personal feeling.
The Tone-Purpose Connection
An author's tone is a direct clue to their purpose.
Analyze the author's diction (word choice) and syntax (sentence structure). A passionate, urgent tone often signals a persuasive purpose. An objective, neutral tone points to an informative purpose. A sarcastic or ironic tone may indicate a satirical (and thus, persuasive) purpose.
The Audience-Context Formula
Purpose = f(Audience + Context)
The purpose is a...
4 more steps in this tutorial
Sign up free to access the complete tutorial with worked examples and practice.
Sign Up Free to ContinueSample Practice Questions
Challenging
A pharmaceutical company publishes a 'research study' on its new drug. The study uses scientific language and data charts, but it consistently downplays side effects and uses positive, non-scientific adjectives like 'remarkable' to describe results. A critical reader should conclude that:
A.The primary purpose is to inform the medical community with complete objectivity.
B.The text has a dual purpose: to inform with data and to persuade doctors to prescribe the drug by presenting a biased view.
C.The primary purpose is to entertain scientists with an interesting narrative.
D.The primary purpose is to express the researchers' personal excitement about their discovery.
Challenging
A novelist writes a historical fiction book. If they were to write a letter to their editor about the book, their purpose would be to persuade the editor to publish it. If they were to write a diary entry about the same book, their purpose would be to express their anxieties. This scenario best illustrates which core concept?
A.The PIE+E framework, as all texts must fit one category.
B.The Tone-Purpose Connection, as the tone is always persuasive.
C.The Audience-Context Formula, as the purpose changes dramatically depending on who the text is for and why it's being written.
D.The pitfall of confusing purpose with main idea, as the book is the main idea.
Challenging
In a complex postmodern novel from world literature, the narrator's tone shifts wildly from academic and informative to paranoid and expressive, and the plot is intentionally fragmented. What is the most sophisticated interpretation of the author's purpose?
A.The author was confused and could not decide on a single purpose.
B.The author's primary purpose is to inform the reader about a historical event.
C.The author's purpose is to persuade the reader that all novels should be written this way.
D.The author may be intentionally creating ambiguity to make the reader question the nature of truth and storytelling itself, thus serving a persuasive or expressive purpose on a meta-level.
Want to practice and check your answers?
Sign up to access all questions with instant feedback, explanations, and progress tracking.
Start Practicing FreeMore from Author's purpose and tone
English Language Arts for other grades
Frequently asked questions
What grade level is "Identify the purpose of a text"?
Identify the purpose of a text is a Grade 10 English Language Arts lesson on ExcelOS.
What will I learn in Identify the purpose of a text?
You'll be able to: Identify whether a given text's main purpose is to persuade, inform, entertain, or describe with 80% accuracy; Explain, in one or two sentences, the evidence from a text that supports a chosen purpose (persuade, inform….
Is "Identify the purpose of a text" free to practice?
Yes. You can read the tutorial preview for free, and signing up for a free ExcelOS account unlocks the full tutorial and all practice questions with instant feedback.
How many practice questions are included with Identify the purpose of a text?
This lesson includes 25 practice questions across multiple difficulty levels, each with instant feedback and explanations.