Author's Purpose and Text Structure

Angel was anxious to try out for the basketball team. He had practiced and knew he was ready. Tryouts made him a little nervous, but when he found out he made the team he knew that all the work had paid off.

What is the author's purpose?

• to tell a story about a boy who worked hard

• to teach how to play basketball

• to persuade you to try out for the basketball team

• to explain the rules of basketball

What you learn in school will help you later in life. It will also help you get a job. If you work hard in school and make good grades, you may be able to go to college and have a career.
What is the author's purpose?

• to entertain with a story about school

• to teach you how to get good grades

• to suggest that you should work hard in school

• to explain the best colleges

Yareli and her mom went to the circus. This was a special day because she had never been to a circus before. They bought popcorn and went to their seats. She saw clowns, jugglers, and people on trapezes. There were elephants, lions, and tigers. It was a very exciting day for Yareli.  What is the author's purpose?

• to entertain you with a story about a girl who enjoyed the circus

• to teach you about the animals in the circus

• to persuade you to visit the circus

• to explain how much it costs to attend the circus

What is the author's purpose for writing a passage like the following?
A poem about a garbage truck that uses a lot of onomatopoeia

• to inform

• to entertain

• to persuade

• to describe

What is the author's purpose for writing a passage like the following?

A five-paragraph essay in which the author attempts to convince readers to recycle more and to be less wasteful

• to inform

• to entertain

• to persuade

• to describe

How does the author mainly organize the information in Paragraph 1?

• by listing reasons that long summer vacations affect students and teachers

• by explaining how history shaped the development of the school calendar

• by describing how different students spend their time away from school

• by comparing urban schools to schools in rural communities

Which BEST describes how the author organizes the information in Paragraph 5?

• By comparing the result of previous attempts to change the school calendar

• by describing specific cases of successful modifications to the school calendar

• by proposing amendments to the calendar and describing the benefits of such a calendar

• by using expert opinions and data gathered from various studies to construct an ideal calendar.

What is the author's purpose for writing a passage like the following?

A short story about a boy who never cleans his room and the horrible mess that accumulates

• to inform

• to entertain

• to persuade

• to describe

What is the author's purpose for writing a passage like the following?

Instructions on how to make a compost pile

• to inform

• to entertain

• to persuade

• to describe

What is the author's purpose for writing a passage like the following?

An article in a magazine comparing and contrasting waste management in New York City and Mexico City

• to inform

• to entertain

• to persuade

• to describe