Author's Purpose
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Basics on the topic Author's Purpose
What is Author’s Purpose? – Definition
Have you ever wondered why the author wrote a story the way that they did? You might have been wondering, what the author’s purpose is! The definition of the author's purpose is the reason that they write a story.
The reason why an author writes something.
Take a look below to find more about this author’s purpose lesson, author’s purpose video and author’s purpose worksheets.
Author’s Purpose – Meaning
What does author’s purpose mean? When authors write, they write for many different reasons. One of those reasons is to inform or give information to the reader. Another could be to entertain the reader or to provoke ideas within the reader’s mind. As authors write they also give reasons that support it! But, how do you find the author’s purpose?
Identifying the author's purpose can be achieved by reading the title and the text closely that they have written. Then, look for supporting sentences that help to give reasons for this idea. You can do this by looking for words like should, good, need and bad.
Author’s Purpose – Examples
Do you think you can figure out what the author's purpose is in these examples below? Take a look!
What is the author's purpose in the picture above?
- Hint: Look for words like good, should, need and bad to help figure it out!
The author’s purpose in this example is that trees are great for the environment. We can see that the author used words like need in the sentence ‘Trees create more oxygen, which we need in order to breathe!’
Let’s see one last example! Can you figure out what the author's purpose for writing this text is?
What is the author's purpose for writing this text?
- Hint: Look for words like good, should, need and bad to help figure it out!
The author’s purpose in this example is that it is important to stay cool in the summer. We can see that the author used words like should in the sentence ‘You should drink a lot of water in the summer to stay hydrated and cool!’
How to Find Author’s Purpose – Summary and Practice
What is the author’s purpose? Today we learnt all about what an author's purpose is. We learnt that an author’s purpose is why they write something. We also learnt that authors usually give reasons to support their purpose.
When trying to find what the author's purpose is in a text, follow these steps:
| Step # | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Start by looking at the title and the story to learn what it is about. |
| 2 | Read the text closely and look for keywords that give you an idea of what the author is trying to say. |
| 3 | Next, look for the reasons to support the purpose using words like good, should, need and bad. |
Interested in learning more about identifying the author's purpose? After this video are interactive exercises and author’s purpose worksheets! Don’t forget to comment below and tell us what you have learnt.
Frequently Asked Questions on “What’s the Author’s Purpose?”
Author's Purpose exercise
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Why do authors write?
HintsA reason for writing could be to tell others information about a certain topic.
When writing, authors share their ideas.
Authors will back up their ideas with reasons.
SolutionAll of the choices are correct. These are the reasons authors write:
- To inform, or help readers learn something.
- To share their ideas.
- To share reasons for their ideas.
- They enjoy writing.
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Identify the author's idea and supporting reason.
HintsDoes the author feel that recycling is good or bad?
- Find a reason to support the author's idea.
- Look for clue words like should or need.
Look for sentences that support the idea, or purpose, while reading.
These are the steps to finding an author's idea and supporting reason.
SolutionAuthor's Idea
- Recycling is good as it helps keep plastic out of the ocean.
- We need to recycle so that sea turtles don't eat the plastic in the ocean.
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What is the author's purpose?
HintsIn this example, the author's idea is that recycling is a good way to keep plastic out of the ocean.
- Spending time in nature makes people happy.
- Does this reason support the idea that people should or should not spend time in nature?
SolutionThe author's idea in the text is that people should spend time in nature.
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Identify the author's purpose and supporting reasons.
HintsWhat is the text about?
What reasons support the author's idea that dogs need or do not need exercise?
SolutionThe author's purpose is that dogs need exercise. This should be highlighted in green.
The supporting reasons are that dogs need lots of exercise to stay healthy and exercise such as daily walks and playing fetch will keep your dog happy. These should be highlighted in violet.
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What is the author's purpose for writing here?
HintsWhat is the text about? Is it about art or PE?
The text is about art. Does the author think art is good or bad?
SolutionThe author's purpose in this text is that schools should have more art classes.
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What is the author's purpose and reason for writing?
HintsPainting can help students feel more creative.
Does the author say that schools should or should not have more art classes?
SolutionThe author's purpose and reason for writing is: schools should have more art classes such as painting because painting can help pupils feel less stressed and more creative.
Sorting Objects into Categories— Let's Practise!
Identifying Characters & Setting— Let's Practise!
What are Settings?
Pictures Add Information!
Understanding Setting From Illustrations and Words
Using Context Clues and Illustrations to Find Meaning
Main Topic
Understanding Story Plots from Actions and Dialogue
Character Points of View
How Characters Respond to Events
Author's Purpose
How Characters' Actions Affect a Story
Compare and Contrast: Themes
Illustrations: Mood, Characters and Setting
Understanding Characters from Actions and Dialogue
A Character's Thoughts, Words and Actions
Character Traits: Describing What a Character is Like
Making Inferences in a Story
Making Inferences from a Narrative Text
Functions of Adjectives
Finding the Main Idea Using Key Details
Strategies to Determine the Main Idea in an Informational Text
Types of Figurative Language
Finding Evidence in Information Texts
Supporting the Author's Reasons
Making Inferences in Information Texts
Context Clues: Definitions, Examples or Restatements
Idioms
What is an Idiom?—Let's Practise
Similes and Metaphors
Comparing Two Sources on the Same Topic
Author's Point of View
Whose point of view? — Let's Practise!
Identifying Text Features
Making Predictions About a Story
Greek Mythology and Allusions
Adages and Proverbs
Third Person Point of View: Limited, Omniscient, and Objective
