Author

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Authors Purpose

• Review and Practice

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What is authors purpose?

• The main reason an author writes a story.

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Authors Purpose

• To inform- The author presents facts and covers
  the facts evenly.
• To persuade- The author wants to persuade the
  reader to think or believe the same things the
  author does. The author might also encourage the
  reader to do something such as recycle glass
  bottles or buy a brand of clothing.
• To entertain- The author wants to make the reader
  laugh, cry, feel suspense, or otherwise enjoy the
  writing.
• To express or reflect- The author simply wants to
  put his or her thoughts and feelings into words
  on paper. Journal entries and some poems are
  written for this purpose.

4
Read the selection.

• My dad loves to play April Fools pranks. He
  started years ago by shaking our hands with a
  hidden buzzer that tickled us. My sisters and I
  loved that. Over time, the pranks got funnier and
  more creative. One April 1st, we awoke to find
  the furniture in our house rearranged! Moms
  favorite joke was when Dad wrote her a big check
  and told her to cash it the next day. Thats when
  she discovered it had been written with
  disappearing ink!

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What is the authors purpose in this passage?

• A. to inform
• B. to persuade
• C. to entertain
• D. to teach

6
Which of these details does NOT indicate the
authors purpose?

• A. Dad shook hands with a tickling buzzer.
• B. The family has furniture in their house.
• C. Dad rearranged the furniture.
• D. Mom got a check written with
• disappearing ink.

7
Which word best describes the details in the
passage?

• A. serious
• B. urgent
• C. thoughtful
• D. amusing

8
Which of these details shows the authors
feelings about her father?

• A. The buzzer tickles.
• B. She describes the pranks as funnier and
• more creative.
• C. She describes her mothers favorite joke.
• D. The furniture was rearranged.

9
Read the selection.

• If youre in the market for a spectacular pair
  of running shoes, try our new Racers Edge shoes.
  In last months Lakeshore Run, three of the top
  five runners were wearing Racers Edge shoes.
  Whats so special about Racers Edge shoes? Every
  Racers Edge style is designed with both comfort
  and performance in mind. The soles of Racers
  Edge shoes protect your feet as you run.
• To see a demonstration of Racers Edge shoes,
  come to the Runners Best store in the High West
  Mall on Saturday, June 14th.

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The author probably wrote this passage to

• A. inform readers of the Lakeshore Run.
• B. persuade readers to buy a pair of Racers
• Edge shoes.
• C. explain how to run on a rough surface.
• D. describe a personal experience as a
• runner.

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What word best supports the authors purpose?

• A. market
• B. spectacular
• C. run
• D. shoes

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Why did the author include information about the
demonstration at the Runners Best store?

• A. to convince readers to run often
• B. to explain what the store sells
• C. to encourage readers to come into the
• store
• D. to inform readers about the location of
• the mall

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Which phrase helps convince readers to buy a pair
of Racers Edge shoes?

• A. were wearing
• B. last months
• C. comfort and performance
• D. as you run

14
Read the selection.

• I believe that the only solution to the traffic
  on Main Street is to create a bypass. State
  traffic records show that more than 60 percent of
  the traffic on Main Street is simply passing
  through. These are drivers who are going
  somewhere else but have no choice except to drive
  on Main Street. These drivers would almost always
  use the bypass, thus reducing the traffic on Main
  Street. The county engineer says that Riverside
  Drive can be widened to serve as a bypass. This
  construction would cost relatively little and
  could be finished in less than a month. From my
  point of view, this is an obvious solution to the
  problem.

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What is the authors overall purpose?

• A. to inform
• B. to entertain
• C. to reflect
• D. to teach

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Which sentence establishes the authors position?

• A. I believe that the only solution to the
  traffic on
• Main Street is to create a bypass.
• B. These drivers would almost always use the
  bypass.
• C. The construction would cost relatively little
  and
• could be finished in less than a month.
• D. Riverside Drive can be widened to serve as a
• bypass.

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What background does the author provide?

• A. Information on traffic
• B. Information on the town
• C. Information on the condition of the road
• D. Information on the peoples opinions
• about the traffic

18
If the authors purpose were to entertain, what
details might you expect to find?

• A. many facts
• B. funny stories
• C. long descriptions
• D. personal opinions

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How is the authors purpose supported?

• A. with examples
• B. with facts
• C. with personal opinion
• D. with stories

20
Read the selection.

• Fifty years ago there was no TV. After dinner,
  families would play games together, or possibly
  take walks. They would have long discussions
  about what was important to them. And they would
  sit around the radio and listen to mystery shows
  and comedy shows.
• Most families had only one radio, so everyone
  listened to the same show. When television was
  invented, all that began to change. Today,
  instead of sitting together, most family members
  now go to their separate rooms to watch the TV
  shows they want to see. Many parents have no idea
  what their children are watching because theyre
  too involved with their own programs. There is
  very little interaction within the family, and
  more and more families never do anything together
  in the evening.

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How does the author feel about television?

• A. The author thinks television has a bad impact
  on
• family life.
• B. The author thinks television helps people
  discover
• their own interests.
• C. The author thinks television is better than
  radio.
• D. The author thinks television should not be
  watched
• after dinner.

22
Read the selection.

• It is always the poor who suffer when there are
  tax cuts. The rich will have more and the poor
  less. Tax cuts mean budget cutting. How can we in
  good conscience agree to this? I ask you to take
  a moment and look deep within yourself to find an
  answer. What will future generations say of such
  cruel policies?

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Why do you think the author wrote the lines
printed above?

• A. To amuse readers on the subject of taxes
• B. To inform readers about the budget
• C. To instruct readers on how taxes are used
• D. To persuade readers to oppose the tax cuts

24
Read the selection.

• Heat garlic in oil until lightly golden. Add
  diced tomatoes and heat for 20 minutes over a low
  heat until they are tender. Crumble tuna into
  smaller pieces and add to tomato sauce. Simmer
  just enough to warm the tuna through you dont
  want to boil it. Transfer cooked spaghetti to
  serving bowl and mix in tuna, tomatoes, parsley,
  and salt and pepper.

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The authors purpose is to

• A. explain how to cook spaghetti with tunafish
• B. inform someone about the different types of
• spaghetti
• C. discuss the best way to prepare tunafish
• D. persuade people to eat more spaghetti

26
Read the selection.

• Skateboard
• The skateboard was invented in California in
  1961. Surfers liked skateboarding because it gave
  them something to do when the surf wasnt up. It
  didnt take long before people who had never seen
  a surfboard were taking up skateboarding.
  Millions of skateboards were sold in just a few
  years. Skateboards are still around today, more
  than thirty years after their invention.

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What is the main reason this paragraph was
written?

• A. To compare surfing and skateboarding
• B. To tell about skateboardings history
• C. To explain how to ride skateboards
• D. To make skateboarding safer

28
Read the description of the selection.

• You found the selection in a sports magazine.
  Its title is The Superstars of Extreme Skiing.
  The article is about three pages long. It is
  divided into sections with boldfaced subheadings
  such as Who says that extreme skiing is only for
  guys? and The challenge of high mountains.

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The authors purpose is

• A. to entertain
• B. to inform
• C. to persuade
• D. to share feelings

30
Read the description of the selection.

• The selection is about five pages long. Its
  title is A Boy and His Dog. On the third page
  is a painting of a boy and a dog sitting quietly
  in a field. There are no subheadings. The
  selection begins this way My dog is old. His
  eyes are constantly runny because hes going
  blind. Sometimes when we go for his walk he falls
  down.

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The authors purpose is

• A. to entertain
• B. to inform
• C. to persuade
• D. to share feelings

32
Read the description of the selection.

• You found the selection in the newspaper. It is
  only a few paragraphs long. Its title is Fixing
  the Mess on City Council. There are no
  subheadings. The selection ends with a suggestion
  for future action.

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The authors purpose is

• A. to entertain
• B. to inform
• C. to persuade
• D. to share feelings

34
Read the description of the selection.

• The selection begins with these words It was a
  dark and stormy night. Scattered throughout the
  eight pages of the selection are weird,
  black-and-white sketches of ghosts and
  graveyards. There are no subheadings. The number
  of quotation marks tell you that the selection is
  filled with conversations.

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The authors purpose is

• A. to entertain
• B. to inform
• C. to persuade
• D. to share feelings

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Strategies and Tips

• Check for words and phrases that indicate how the
  author feels about a topic.
• The main reason authors write nonfictional
  passages is to inform. They may also hope to
  instruct, persuade, or entertain their readers.
• Where you read a selection can provide an
  important clue as to an authors purpose.
  Newspaper editorials are usually intended to
  persuade. School texts are intended to instruct.
• It may help if you know who the author is.
  Humorous writers, for example, probably want to
  amuse and entertain you.

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