Author's Purpose

The author's purpose is the reason a person writes something. Authors write to inform, persuade, or entertain. Some authors write to teach you something new. Others write to make you laugh or to change your mind. Knowing the author's purpose helps you understand what you read.

Three Main Purposes

The three main reasons authors write are to inform, to persuade, and to entertain. A textbook informs you about a subject. An advertisement tries to persuade you to buy something. A funny story entertains you. Some writing does more than one of these things at the same time.

How to Figure It Out

Ask yourself why did the author write this. Look at the type of writing and the words the author uses. If it is full of facts, the purpose is probably to inform. If it has strong opinions, the purpose is probably to persuade. If it tells a fun story, the purpose is to entertain.

Fun Facts

• Teachers sometimes use the letters PIE to help students remember: Persuade, Inform, Entertain.
• A single book can have more than one purpose.
• Advertisements are one of the clearest examples of writing with a purpose to persuade.

Did You Know?

Some authors hide their true purpose. A story that seems to be just for entertainment might actually be trying to teach an important lesson.