Author's Purpose
Grade 3 · English · Study Guide
Every author writes for a reason — learn to figure out why!
When someone sits down to write, they always have a reason. That reason is called the author's purpose. Knowing why an author wrote something helps you read it much more carefully and understand it better. There are three main purposes that readers look for, and you can remember them with three letters: P-I-E.
P stands for PERSUADE. When an author wants to persuade you, they want to change your mind or get you to do something. Opinion letters, advertisements, and speeches are often written to persuade. Clue words like 'you should,' 'the best,' and 'everyone needs to' often signal persuasion.
I stands for INFORM. When an author wants to inform you, they want to teach you facts or explain something. Textbooks, encyclopedias, news articles, and instruction manuals are written to inform. You can often spot informational writing by facts, dates, definitions, and headings.
E stands for ENTERTAIN. When an author wants to entertain you, they want you to enjoy the reading experience — to laugh, feel excited, or get lost in a great story. Most fiction (made-up stories), fairy tales, and poems are written to entertain. Great entertaining writing makes you forget you are even learning!
Here is the thing — some writing has more than one purpose. A great story can both entertain you AND teach you something important about life. The trick is to ask yourself: what is the MAIN reason this was written?
| Purpose | Clue Words/Features | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Persuade | 'should,' 'best,' 'everyone must,' strong opinions | Ads, opinion essays, speeches |
| Inform | Facts, dates, definitions, headings, diagrams | Textbooks, articles, how-to guides |
| Entertain | Characters, story events, humor, vivid description | Novels, fairy tales, poems, jokes |
Key terms
- author's purpose
- The main reason an author wrote a piece of writing
- persuade
- To write with the goal of convincing the reader to think or do something
- inform
- To write with the goal of teaching or sharing facts
- entertain
- To write with the goal of giving the reader enjoyment
- PIE
- A memory trick: Persuade, Inform, Entertain — the three main author's purposes
Flashcards
- author's purpose
- The main reason an author wrote something
- PIE
- Persuade, Inform, Entertain — the three main author's purposes
- persuade
- Writing to convince the reader to think or do something
- inform
- Writing to teach facts or share information
- entertain
- Writing to give the reader enjoyment through story, humor, or poetry
Practice questions
What does the 'I' in PIE stand for?
- Imagine
- Inform
- Interest
- Introduce
Show answer
Answer: Inform
PIE = Persuade, Inform, Entertain. 'I' stands for Inform — writing that teaches facts.
A fairy tale is most likely written to inform the reader about facts.
Show answer
Answer: False
Fairy tales are written primarily to entertain. They feature characters and story events, not factual information.
When an author wants to change your mind or get you to do something, the purpose is to ___.
Show answer
Answer: persuade
Persuasive writing aims to change minds or encourage action. Look for opinion words and strong claims.
A science textbook is mainly written to:
- entertain
- persuade
- inform
- confuse
Show answer
Answer: inform
Textbooks are packed with facts, definitions, and explanations — all signs of writing that informs.
Some writing can have more than one author's purpose.
Show answer
Answer: True
A great story can entertain AND teach life lessons. The main purpose is usually one, but others can be present.
Fun facts
- Advertisements use persuasion techniques studied by scientists — companies spend billions of dollars figuring out what words make people buy things!
- The ancient Greeks had a word, 'rhetoric,' for the art of persuasive writing and speaking. It is still studied in schools today.
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