📚 Topic Summary
Understanding an author's purpose is key to unlocking the meaning behind their writing. Authors write with a specific goal in mind – to inform, to persuade, or to entertain. Sometimes, an author might even have multiple purposes! Identifying the author's purpose helps you understand why they chose certain words, included specific details, and structured their text in a particular way. This is a crucial skill for comprehending and analyzing texts effectively.
In sixth grade, you'll be expected to not only identify the author's primary purpose but also to provide evidence from the text to support your answer. This worksheet is designed to help you practice these skills through vocabulary building, comprehension exercises, and critical thinking questions.
🧠 Part A: Vocabulary
Match the following terms with their correct definitions:
| Term |
Definition |
| 1. Inform |
A. To convince someone to believe something |
| 2. Persuade |
B. Writing that aims to amuse or delight the reader |
| 3. Entertain |
C. To provide facts and information |
| 4. Bias |
D. A personal and sometimes unreasoned judgment; prejudice. |
| 5. Objective |
E. Presenting facts without personal feelings or opinions. |
📝 Part B: Fill in the Blanks
Complete the paragraph with the correct words from the word bank: persuade, inform, entertain, purpose, audience.
The author's _______ is the reason they are writing. If they want to _______ you, they might use strong opinions and emotional language. If they want to _______ you, they will likely use facts and statistics. If they want to _______ you, they might tell a funny story. Understanding the _______ helps you understand the author's intent.
🤔 Part C: Critical Thinking
Think about a time you tried to convince someone of something. What strategies did you use? How did you tailor your argument to your _______?