Page 3 - Identifying the Author Purpose – Reading in English – ESL Library

Identifying the Author’s Purpose

Reading in English

Reading

1. The author’s purpose is the reason why a writer writes a piece.
Three of the main reasons to write are to persuade, to inform, Synonyms
and to entertain. The acronym “PIE” can help you remember these Here are some other words
three reasons. that mean purpose:
2. Authors often try to persuade their readers. They want readers to take • reason
a certain point of view or to make a change. Advertising messages are • aim
persuasive. Blog posts and reviews can also be persuasive. Similarly, • intent
the purpose of a self-help book is to convince the reader to make • goal
• mission
some changes. • objective
3. Articles in newspapers and magazines are often informative. The
author is usually neutral when the primary purpose is to inform.
This means the author does not try to get the reader to think or act
a certain way. Non-fiction books are often informative. Letters are
usually informative too. Likewise, the main purpose of an invitation is
to inform the recipient of an event and its date and time.
4. In some cases, the author’s main reason for writing is to entertain
the reader. The purpose of fictional books, poetry, and lyrics is to
entertain. Entertaining writing can be funny, romantic, mysterious,
or dramatic. The reader usually has an emotional experience with this
type of writing. Note that a piece of writing can be entertaining even if
that is not its primary purpose.

5. There are many other specific reasons that an author might have for
writing. For example, an author’s purpose can be to summarize a
historic event, describe a character, or explain a procedure. However,
these examples can also be classified as informative writing. On the
other hand, an author may want to evaluate, analyze, or argue a point.
These examples can typically be classified as persuasive writing.
6. What is the author’s primary purpose for this reading?

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