Author's Purpose Study Guide

Author's Purpose

In this lesson, you'll discover how to evaluate an author's reason for writing something.

AN AUTHOR'S PURPOSE is why he or she wrote something. It might be to:

• inform readers.
  Example
  Every president except George Washington has lived in the White House. However, Washington did help design the building.

• teach readers how to do something.
  Example
  To do a waltz jump, take off from the outside edge of one skate, make a half turn, and land on the outside edge of the other blade.

• entertain or amuse readers.
  Example
  The cat leaped just as Pam came in with a bowl of milk. Pam went down and the milk went up . . . and then down, on her head!

• persuade readers to do something.
  Example
  Good citizens donate old clothes to charity. It may be hard to give up a favorite outgrown sweater, but we have needy people in our community. Why not let your old sweater keep another kid warm this winter instead of hanging it in the back of your closet?

Sometimes an author has more than one purpose, such as wanting to inform readers but be entertaining at the same time!

To identify an author's purpose, ask yourself questions like:

• Did I find out something new?
• Did I learn how to do something?
• How did this make me feel happy, sad, scared, or excited?
• Did the author try to get me to do something or think a certain way?

Practice exercsises for this study guide can be found at:

Author's Purpose Practice Exercises