1. Understanding Author’s Purpose

2. Directions:
Copy the following notes using the Cornell note taking method.

3. What exactly is an audience?
An author’s audience is the person or people he/she is trying to reach with his writing.
What exactly is an audience?

4. Who is the intended audience(s) for each of the following types of writing?
Text messages and s
New York Times
People magazine
The Hunger Games
Science textbook

5. An author’s purpose is simply his or her reason for writing.

6. Author’s Purpose
Everyone who writes is an author, and each author writes for different reasons or for a specific purpose.
Many times, the author’s purpose is revealed in the way the writer writes.
An author usually writes to achieve one of more of these purposes:
To Persuade
To Inform
To Entertain

8. To Persuade to convince readers to do or believe something Example:
Editorials try to persuade you to form the same opinion as the author

9. To Inform to give information Example:
Textbooks inform you about a particular subject

10. To Entertain to present humor or other enjoyable material Example:
Novels entertain you with interesting stories

11. How can I determine author’s purpose?
Ask yourself the following questions:
Is the author telling a story?
Is the author arguing for or against something?
Is the writing trying to explain something?
How can I determine author’s purpose?

12. me an my moms r goin 2 da store 2 night so i cant come ovr
me an my moms r goin 2 da store 2 night so i cant come ovr. i am gonna get those new nikes tho!
To inform

13. r u watchin amer idol? there is this dude on there an he is crzy! lol!
To entertain

14. u have to go 2 homecoming or u will b sad when evry1 is talking bout it da next day. dont b silly.
To persuade

15. me & raymond are drivin down brdway and just saw this man get pulled ovr. he looked like he was yellin at the police officer. ray wuz lookin so hard he almst hit da car n front of us!
To entertain

16. did u hear michelle and david broke up? idk y but she is so mad.
To inform

17. i promise i didnt tell ne1 wat u told me. y wood i do that
i promise i didnt tell ne1 wat u told me. y wood i do that? besides i didnt c jenny last wk an she is da 1 tellin evry1.
To persuade

18. What is the author’s purpose?
The giant panda is a bearlike animal that has thick white fur with black markings on its ears, limbs, shoulders, and around its eyes. The giant panda feeds on bamboo forests at high altitudes in western China. It also eats bulbs, roots, eggs, and some small mammals. The cubs are born in late winter. The giant panda is an endangered species and is protected by the Chinese government.
entertain persuade inform

19. What is the author’s purpose?
Joe had been fishing for over two hours without a single bite. Suddenly there was a nibble at the end of his fishing line. He stood up on the boat and leaned out too far. Just then there was a sharp yank on the line. Joe fell overboard and landed head first into the water. Joe and his friends laughed at what had just happened.
entertain persuade inform

20. What is the author’s purpose?
It’s New! It’s Refreshing! It’s a new kind of soda! This is the best soda in the world! If you drink this soda you will jump higher, run faster, and be smarter in school. Try one today!
entertain persuade inform