Why Was It Written?

Authors write to inform, entertain, or persuade. We think about why they wrote.

Thinking about the author's purpose helps us understand the text.

The title can give a clue. 'How to...' might mean inform.

The author's purpose affects how we read. We read for facts differently than for fun.

Poems can entertain or make us feel something. They use language in special ways.

We ask: What does the author want me to know or feel? That helps.

Different text types have different purposes. Stories, articles, and ads are different.

We can think for ourselves. It's okay to notice when someone is persuading us.

Knowing the purpose helps us understand the text. We know what to expect.

We look for clues: facts, opinions, story elements. They show the purpose.

The same topic can be written for different purposes by different authors.

To inform means to give facts and information. We learn something.

We reviewed that authors write to inform, entertain, or persuade.

To entertain means to tell a story or amuse us. We enjoy reading.

To persuade means to try to get us to think or do something. Ads often persuade.

A text can have more than one purpose. It might inform and entertain.

We look at the kind of text and what the author does. That helps us find the purpose.

Storybooks often entertain. We enjoy the characters and plot.

Textbooks often inform. They teach us something.

Ads try to persuade us. They want us to buy or believe something.