English Language Arts
Grade 7
15 min
Identify author's purpose
Identify author's purpose
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Define 'author's purpose' and its main categories (persuade, inform, entertain).
Distinguish between texts written primarily to persuade, inform, and entertain.
Analyze textual evidence (e.g., word choice, structure, main idea) to determine an author's purpose.
Explain how an author's purpose influences text features and organization.
Identify the author's purpose in various literary and informational texts.
Evaluate the effectiveness of an author's chosen purpose for a given text.
Ever wonder why a writer chose to share a story or fact with you? 🤔 It's like being a detective, figuring out their secret mission!
In this lesson, you'll learn how to uncover the hidden reasons behind every piece of writing. Under...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Author's PurposeThe main reason or goal an author has for writing a particular text.A cookbook author's purpose is to inform readers how to prepare food.
PersuadeTo convince the reader to agree with a particular viewpoint, take an action, or believe something.An advertisement for a new video game tries to persuade you to buy it.
InformTo provide facts, details, explanations, or instructions about a topic.A textbook chapter about the solar system aims to inform students about planets and stars.
EntertainTo amuse, delight, or engage the reader with a story, poem, or humorous piece.A fantasy novel with dragons and magic is written to entertain its readers.
Main IdeaThe central point or message the author wants to convey about the topic.The main idea of an arti...
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Key Rules & Conventions
The 'PIE' Rule
Most author's purposes fall into one of three main categories: Persuade, Inform, or Entertain.
Use this acronym (P.I.E.) as a starting point to categorize the author's primary goal. Ask yourself: Is the author trying to make me believe something (Persuade), teach me something (Inform), or tell me a story (Entertain)?
Analyze Textual Evidence
Always look for specific clues within the text, such as word choice, sentence structure, and overall organization, to support your identification of the author's purpose.
This rule helps you move beyond a guess to provide concrete reasons for your choice. For example, facts and statistics point to 'inform,' while strong opinions and calls to action point to 'persuade.'
Consi...
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Challenging
Read the following passage: 'While some may see the old theater as a relic, it is an irreplaceable landmark. Its destruction would erase a vital piece of our town's soul. We cannot stand by and watch this happen. We must rally, petition, and protest to save the Grand Majestic Theater!' Which statement best synthesizes the author's purpose and the techniques used?
A.The author's purpose is to inform the reader about the theater's history using neutral facts.
B.The author's purpose is to entertain by telling a dramatic story about a building.
C.The author's purpose is to persuade readers to save the theater by using emotional appeals ('town's soul') and a strong call to action ('rally, petition, and protest').
D.The author's purpose is to describe the theater's appearance to potential buyers.
Challenging
Text A is a scientific report detailing the nutritional components of broccoli. Text B is a blog post titled 'Ten Reasons Broccoli is the Superhero Your Body Needs!' How do the authors' purposes differ?
A.Text A aims to persuade while Text B aims to inform.
B.Text A's purpose is to inform with objective data, while Text B's purpose is to persuade by using exciting, positive language to encourage broccoli consumption.
C.Both texts have the primary purpose of entertaining the reader with facts about vegetables.
D.Text A's purpose is to entertain scientists, while Text B's purpose is to inform chefs.
Challenging
An editorial argues that the school day should be longer. It presents data showing higher test scores in schools with longer days but fails to mention studies showing student burnout and increased stress. By omitting this information, the author's attempt to persuade is...
A.More effective, because it focuses only on the positive aspects.
B.Less effective for a critical reader, because it shows bias and weakens the argument's credibility.
C.Changed from a persuasive purpose to an informational one.
D.Perfectly balanced, as authors should only include data that supports their view.
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