Literary Examples of Author's Purpose: Finding PIE in Popular Stories

📚 Literary Examples of Author's Purpose: Finding PIE in Popular Stories

Author's purpose is the reason an author writes something. We can often figure it out using the acronym PIE:

• Persuade: 📢 The author wants you to believe something or take action.
• Inform: ℹ️ The author wants to give you facts and information.
• Entertain: 🎭 The author wants to make you laugh, cry, or simply enjoy the story.

Quick Study Guide

• 📢 Persuade: Tries to convince the reader of a certain viewpoint. Look for opinions and strong language.
• ℹ️ Inform: Provides facts and details about a topic. Look for data, descriptions, and explanations.
• 🎭 Entertain: Aims to amuse the reader through storytelling. Look for humor, interesting characters, and engaging plots.
• 🧐 Identifying Author's Purpose: Consider the main idea and the overall tone of the writing.
• 💡 PIE Acronym: Persuade, Inform, Entertain – a helpful tool for remembering the main purposes.

Practice Quiz

1. Which of the following best describes the author's purpose when writing a persuasive essay about the benefits of recycling?
   1. A) To entertain readers with a fictional story.
   2. B) To inform readers about the history of recycling.
   3. C) To persuade readers to recycle more.
   4. D) To describe the process of recycling.
2. If a book provides facts and statistics about climate change, what is most likely the author's primary purpose?
   1. A) To entertain.
   2. B) To persuade.
   3. C) To inform.
   4. D) To discourage.
3. In a fictional novel filled with humor and exciting adventures, what is the author's main goal?
   1. A) To inform readers about historical events.
   2. B) To persuade readers to take a specific action.
   3. C) To entertain readers.
   4. D) To analyze political issues.
4. An article arguing that schools should start later in the day is an example of which author's purpose?
   1. A) Inform.
   2. B) Entertain.
   3. C) Persuade.
   4. D) Describe.
5. A biography detailing the life and achievements of Marie Curie primarily aims to:
   1. A) Persuade readers to become scientists.
   2. B) Entertain readers with fictional stories about science.
   3. C) Inform readers about Marie Curie's life and work.
   4. D) Argue against scientific research.
6. What is the author's purpose in writing a cookbook?
   1. A) To persuade people to eat more.
   2. B) To inform people how to cook.
   3. C) To entertain people with food stories.
   4. D) To describe different cultures.
7. A speech given by a politician arguing for a new law is primarily intended to:
   1. A) Inform voters about the politician's background.
   2. B) Entertain the audience with jokes.
   3. C) Persuade the audience to support the new law.
   4. D) Describe the history of lawmaking.