Identify author’s purpose
Key notes:
An author’s purpose is what he or she hopes to accomplish with a given text. You can determine an author’s purpose by looking at the types of words, phrases and sentences that an author chooses to include.
When authors write to persuade, or convince, they often state their arguments or positions directly and provide evidence to support those positions. They may state their positions with words like should,must, best or worst, and they may include a call to action, such as Contact your local representative today!
When authors write to inform, they often provide facts, definitions, examples and details about a topic.
When authors write to explain, they often break down a concept or process into smaller parts or steps.
When authors write to describe, they often use sensory details to tell what something looks like, sounds like or feels like.
Learn with an example
🔥Read the text.
Before tuning a guitar, first learn the name of each string. A guitar has six strings: the first is on the bottom, and it’s the thinnest. The sixth string is on the top, and it’s the thickest. Starting at the bottom, the notes run up E, B, G, D, A and E.
If you have an electric tuner, hold it near the guitar and pluck the high E string (the one on the bottom) first. The tuner will determine whether the note produced by the string is flat (too low) or sharp (too high). Pick each of the remaining strings. Depending on what the tuner tells you, loosen the string to make the note lower or tighten it to make the note higher.
🔥Which author’s purpose is suggested by the text?
- to explain how to tune a guitar
- to persuade readers to buy an electric tuner
The author’s purpose is to explain how to tune a guitar.
🔥Read the text.
Knowing how to read a city map is a valuable skill. First, figure out your location on the map. Check the street signs at the nearest intersection and use clues to help you find that intersection on the map. For example, if you are near a bridge or a park, look for those symbols on the map. The map’s legend indicates what the symbols mean.
A map’s compass rose reveals where north is. To establish direction, walk to the next intersection and revisit your map; compare where you were to where you are. In which direction did you travel? Then locate your destination on the map.
The map’s scale indicates distance ratios; for example, a centimetre may be equal to two hundred metres. Now you know where you are, how to get where you are going and how far you have to go!
🔥Which author’s purpose is suggested by the text?
- to explain to readers how to navigate a city with a map
- to describe to readers the features of different maps
The author’s purpose is to explain to readers how to navigate a city with a map.
🔥Read the text.
We spot the long, daunting head as it emerges just above the dark river surface, only the dark eyes and nostrils showing. Then, the creature half-slides, half-lumbers onto the bank, its grey scales stacked, armour-like, along its body and mighty tail.
The only place in the world where crocodiles and alligators coexist is here in the Florida Everglades in the United States. This animal’s sleek dark-grey skin, rather than tan or olive green, indicates that it is an alligator. In addition, it has a broad U-shaped nose, while most crocodile noses are V-shaped. It appears to be approximately two and a half metres long, typical for a female American alligator.
The mighty creature settles quietly into the spiky grass, stretching out its muscular body under the warmth of the afternoon sun.
🔥Which author’s purpose is suggested by the text?
- to describe an alligator moving from the water to the bank
- to describe the rivers and grasses in the Florida Everglades
The author’s purpose is to describe an alligator moving from the water to the bank.
let’s practice!
Read the text.
Good study habits train your brain for success. Applying effective learning methods will not only improve your grades but, more importantly, increase your long-term knowledge.
Cramming at the last minute is ineffective. Instead, try to create a study routine. Schedule specific blocks of time to study every day. Next, find the best environment that helps you concentrate. Some students do better with the silence of a library, while others need the background noise or music of a public space.
Now that you have a time and a place, you need a strategy. Look at your tasks and make a list. Setting small, manageable goals for your study session will help you work efficiently. Do the most difficult assignments first, while your mind is fresh. Finally, do not be afraid to take limited breaks to restore your motivation.
Results
#1. Which author’s purpose is suggested by the text?
Read the text.
Climb the great stone steps of a pyramid and gaze across a green clearing filled with other tall stone structures reaching skywards. These lofty pyramids possess equally lofty names: Temple of Inscriptions, Temple of the Cross, Temple of the Sun. This is Palenque, Mexico!
Palenque rose during the classic period of Mayan civilisation, from 250 to 900 CE. A dizzying array of carved records tells Palenque’s story: curvy-beaked birds with crosshatched feathers; muscled warriors with grass anklets; suns and moons.
Over 1,400 buildings have been documented, but the trim lawn giving way to lush jungle hints that there is more here than ruins. Roam onto cloaked jungle paths for another sense of this ancient place. Listen for the sharp cries of monkeys and parrots. Glimpse the shifting light falling through the canopy, revealing the rise of a dozen dragonflies!
Results
#1. Which author’s purpose is suggested by the text?
Read the text.
Before tuning a guitar, first learn the name of each string. A guitar has six strings: the first is on the bottom, and it’s the thinnest. The sixth string is on the top, and it’s the thickest. Starting at the bottom, the notes run up E, B, G, D, A and E.
If you have an electric tuner, hold it near the guitar and pluck the high E string (the one on the bottom) first. The tuner will determine whether the note produced by the string is flat (too low) or sharp (too high). Pick each of the remaining strings. Depending on what the tuner tells you, loosen the string to make the note lower or tighten it to make the note higher.
Results
#1. Which author’s purpose is suggested by the text?
Read the text.
We spot the long, daunting head as it emerges just above the dark river surface, only the dark eyes and nostrils showing. Then, the creature half-slides, half-lumbers onto the bank, its grey scales stacked, armour-like, along its body and mighty tail.
The only place in the world where crocodiles and alligators coexist is here in the Florida Everglades in the United States. This animal’s sleek dark-grey skin, rather than tan or olive green, indicates that it is an alligator. In addition, it has a broad U-shaped nose, while most crocodile noses are V-shaped. It appears to be approximately two and a half metres long, typical for a female American alligator.
The mighty creature settles quietly into the spiky grass, stretching out its muscular body under the warmth of the afternoon sun.
Results
#1. Which author’s purpose is suggested by the text?
Read the text.
Knowing how to read a city map is a valuable skill. First, figure out your location on the map. Check the street signs at the nearest intersection and use clues to help you find that intersection on the map. For example, if you are near a bridge or a park, look for those symbols on the map. The map’s legend indicates what the symbols mean.
A map’s compass rose reveals where north is. To establish direction, walk to the next intersection and revisit your map; compare where you were to where you are. In which direction did you travel? Then locate your destination on the map.
The map’s scale indicates distance ratios; for example, a centimetre may be equal to two hundred metres. Now you know where you are, how to get where you are going and how far you have to go!
Results