Second Grade English: Author's Purpose (Persuade, Inform, Entertain)
Authors do not spend days, weeks, or months writing books simply to pass the time. Every author writes with an intentional goal in mind. The reason an author decides to write a specific text is called the author's purpose. Understanding why an author created a book changes the way you read it: it helps you determine whether you should look for factual knowledge, evaluate an opinion, or simply relax and enjoy a funny story. In this chapter, you will master the three premier author purposes easily remembered with the tasty acronym P-I-E: Persuade, Inform, and Entertain.
The Author's P-I-E Acronym
Just like a delicious bakery pie sliced into three equal pieces, an author's purpose is categorized into three classic intentions.
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| THE AUTHOR'S P-I-E SLICE |
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| |
| [ P ] [ I ] [ E ] |
| PERSUADE INFORM ENTERTAIN |
| |
| Tries to convince Teaches real facts, Tells an exciting |
| the reader to think, information, and story to make you |
| believe, or do how-to steps about laugh, smile, cry,|
| something! the world! or enjoy! |
| |
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Slice 1: To Persuade (Convince the Reader)
When an author's purpose is to persuade, they want you to agree with their opinion, change your mind, or take a specific action. Key Clues: Look for words like should, must, best, worst, wonderful, terrible, and strong reasons supporting an opinion. Examples of Persuasive Texts: A letter arguing why the school should have a longer recess. A commercial advertisement trying to convince you to buy a new toy. An opinion essay explaining why dogs make better pets than cats.
Slice 2: To Inform (Teach Facts and Truth)
When an author's purpose is to inform, they want to teach you real, true facts and explanations about the world. Informational authors do not try to give their personal opinion; they share verifiable truth. Key Clues: Look for headings, photographs, captions, diagrams, real dates, numbers, and science or history facts. Examples of Informative Texts: A science book explaining the life cycle of a monarch butterfly. A history article about the first moon landing in 1969. A cookbook recipe explaining step-by-step how to bake banana bread.
Slice 3: To Entertain (Enjoyment and Storytelling)
When an author's purpose is to entertain, they want to capture your imagination, make you laugh, create suspense, or share an engaging tale. Key Clues: Look for fictional characters, exciting plots, magical settings, funny dialogue, and rhymes. Examples of Entertaining Texts: A humorous chapter book about a boy whose dog talks. A bedtime fairytale about dragons, knights, and castles. A funny rhyming poem about a flying cow.
Summary Clue Table for Author's Purpose
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| AUTHOR'S PURPOSE CLUE DIRECTORY |
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| Text Type | Primary Purpose | Clues Found |
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| "Why You Should Recycle!" | Persuade | "We must", "best|
| "All About Grizzly Bears" | Inform | facts, diagrams |
| "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" | Entertain | plot, talking an|
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Practice Exercises
Exercise 1: Read each text description and identify the Author's Purpose (Persuade, Inform, or Entertain): Text A: A book describing how honeybees make honey in hives, with photographs and diagrams. Text B: A speech convincing the city council to build a community skate park. Text C: A story about a mischievous kitten who accidentally turns on the television.
Exercise 2: Explain how you can tell whether a book about sharks was written to Inform or to Entertain.
Exercise Solutions
Solution to Exercise 1: Text A is to Inform (shares real science facts, photographs, diagrams). Text B is to Persuade (tries to convince the council to take action). Text C is to Entertain (a funny fictional story about a kitten).
Solution to Exercise 2: You can tell a book about sharks was written to Inform if it contains real scientific facts, true measurements, photographs, and text features like diagrams and glossaries. It was written to Entertain if it contains fictional characters, made-up dialogues, and a humorous or imaginative plot mountain.