Lesson · R.2.3
The author's purpose
How to determine why an author wrote a passage, tell the five purposes apart, and identify the evidence that supports that purpose.
ObjectiveR.2.3Read2 minExam weightCraft and Structure ≈ 23% of Reading
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- Name a passage's dominant purpose: inform, persuade, entertain, describe, or explain.
- Use tone, especially satire, sarcasm, or irony, to identify an author's purpose.
- Check that a piece of evidence actually serves the purpose you identified.
What the lesson concludes
- Name the dominant purpose first: inform, persuade, entertain, describe, or explain.
- Tone, especially satire, sarcasm, or irony, is often the fastest clue to purpose.
- Persuasive writing leans on emotional appeals and opinion. Informative writing leans on citable facts.
- Check that any evidence a question points to actually serves the purpose you identified.
- A passage can blend purposes, but one is usually doing most of the work. Find it first.