Informational Text and Author's Purpose Quiz

Grade 9 · English · Quiz

Test your ability to identify author's purpose, bias, text structure, and distinguish fact from opinion.

Questions

Which of the following is a statement of FACT?
1. Chocolate ice cream is the best flavor.
2. The American Civil War ended in 1865.
3. Democracy is the ideal form of government.
4. This movie is a waste of time.
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Answer: The American Civil War ended in 1865.
This is a verifiable historical fact. The others are opinions, preferences, or judgments that cannot be objectively proven.
An author can have more than one purpose — a text can both inform and persuade simultaneously.
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Answer: True
Most real-world informational texts blend purposes. A documentary film both informs (presents evidence) and persuades (frames a position). A memoir informs and entertains.
Words like 'however,' 'similarly,' and 'on the other hand' signal a ___ text structure.
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Answer: compare and contrast
Signal words like 'however,' 'similarly,' 'unlike,' and 'on the other hand' indicate the author is examining similarities and differences between two or more subjects.
A newspaper editorial arguing for a new city park is primarily written to:
1. Entertain readers with a story
2. Inform readers about park history
3. Persuade readers to support the park
4. Describe the features of the park
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Answer: Persuade readers to support the park
A newspaper editorial takes a position and argues for it — this is primarily persuasive writing. It may include information, but the driving purpose is to change readers' minds or actions.
What is bias in informational writing?
1. Using too many statistics
2. Favoring one perspective through selective evidence or language
3. Writing in an informal tone
4. Including personal anecdotes
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Answer: Favoring one perspective through selective evidence or language
Bias is not always intentional — every author has a perspective. The critical reader's job is to identify how that perspective shapes what is included, emphasized, or omitted.
The central idea of an informational text is always stated in the first sentence.
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Answer: False
The central idea can appear anywhere — in the opening, the closing, or emerge gradually. In complex texts, readers must synthesize multiple paragraphs to infer the central idea.
The PIE framework stands for Persuade, Inform, and ___.
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Answer: Entertain
PIE = Persuade, Inform, Entertain. These three purposes cover the vast majority of reasons an author creates a text — usually in combination.
A biography that describes events in the order they happened uses which text structure?
1. Compare and Contrast
2. Problem and Solution
3. Chronological Order
4. Cause and Effect
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Answer: Chronological Order
Biography naturally uses chronological structure — life events are arranged in the order they occurred. Signal words: 'first,' 'then,' 'in 1968,' 'finally.'
An author who presents only evidence supporting their own argument and ignores strong counterevidence is demonstrating bias.
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Answer: True
Cherry-picking evidence — selecting only what supports your position while ignoring contradicting evidence — is a classic form of confirmation bias in argumentation.
Which question is MOST useful when evaluating an author's credibility?
1. Is the writing entertaining?
2. Is the text long or short?
3. What are the author's qualifications and potential biases?
4. Does the text use difficult vocabulary?
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Answer: What are the author's qualifications and potential biases?
Credibility evaluation requires examining who the author is, what expertise they hold, what biases they may have, and who published the text. Length and vocabulary do not determine credibility.

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