Author's Purpose
Grade 4 · English · Study Guide
Learn why authors write and how to identify their purpose: to persuade, inform, or entertain.
Every time an author writes something, they have a reason for writing it. That reason is called the author's purpose. When you understand why something was written, you can read it more critically and get more out of it.
The three main purposes are often remembered with the acronym PIE: Persuade, Inform, and Entertain. When an author writes to persuade, they want to change your opinion or convince you to do something. They use arguments, opinions, and evidence to support their viewpoint. You'll find this in advertisements, editorials, and opinion essays.
When an author writes to inform, they want to teach you facts or explain how something works. The goal is to give the reader accurate information. You'll find this in textbooks, encyclopedia articles, news reports, and how-to guides. The writing is usually neutral and fact-based.
When an author writes to entertain, the main goal is to make the reader enjoy the writing — to laugh, feel excitement, be scared, or get emotionally involved in a story. Novels, poems, short stories, and comic books are written to entertain.
Some pieces can have more than one purpose at the same time. A historical novel might entertain AND inform. A blog post might inform AND persuade. As a reader, it helps to identify the primary purpose — the main reason the author wrote it.
| Purpose | Writing Clues | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Persuade | Opinions, one-sided arguments, calls to action | Ads, editorials, opinion essays |
| Inform | Facts, definitions, step-by-step explanations | Textbooks, news articles, how-to guides |
| Entertain | Story elements, humor, suspense, emotion | Novels, poems, short stories, comics |
Key terms
- Author's purpose
- The reason an author writes a piece of text
- Persuade
- To convince the reader to agree with an opinion or take an action
- Inform
- To teach the reader facts or explain how something works
- Entertain
- To engage the reader's emotions and provide enjoyment
- PIE
- A memory trick: Persuade, Inform, Entertain — the three main author's purposes
Flashcards
- Author's Purpose
- The reason an author writes — to persuade, inform, or entertain
- PIE
- Memory trick: Persuade, Inform, Entertain
- Persuade
- Author wants to change your opinion or get you to do something
- Inform
- Author wants to teach you facts or explain how something works
- Entertain
- Author wants you to enjoy reading — through story, humor, or emotion
- Editorial
- A piece of writing that expresses an opinion — written to persuade
Practice questions
What does the 'P' in PIE stand for when remembering author's purposes?
- Personal
- Persuade
- Publish
- Paragraph
Show answer
Answer: Persuade
PIE stands for Persuade, Inform, Entertain — three main reasons authors write.
A news article reporting facts about a storm is written mainly to entertain.
Show answer
Answer: False
News articles report facts and are written primarily to inform, not entertain.
An author who wants to teach you facts about volcanoes is writing to ___.
Show answer
Answer: inform
Teaching facts about a topic like volcanoes is the author's purpose of informing.
Which type of writing is most likely written to persuade?
- A fairy tale
- An encyclopedia article
- An advertisement for sneakers
- A chapter in a history textbook
Show answer
Answer: An advertisement for sneakers
Ads are designed to persuade you to buy something — they use opinions and appeal to emotions.
A piece of writing can have more than one author's purpose at the same time.
Show answer
Answer: True
Many texts blend purposes. A historical fiction novel both entertains (story) and informs (historical facts).
Fun facts
- One of the most persuasive texts ever written, Thomas Paine's 'Common Sense' (1776), convinced thousands of Americans to support independence from Britain — and it was only 47 pages long!
- The most read informational book in history is the Guinness World Records — first published in 1955 to settle bar debates, it became the world's best-selling annual book.
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