When evaluating an author's purpose, what are three common purposes a writer might have?

When evaluating an author's purpose, what are three common purposes a writer might have?

• A. To scare, to confuse, or to disappoint.
• B. To persuade, to inform, or to entertain.
• C. To describe, to summarize, or to critique.
• D. To narrate, to edit, or to publish.

Answer: (B)

When a writer chooses what to include and how to present it, the main idea to spot is the purpose behind the text. The three most common aims are to persuade, to inform, or to entertain. Persuade means trying to convince you of a point or to take action—like an advertisement, editorial, or argument in which reasons, evidence, and a call to action are used. Inform means sharing facts, explanations, or instructions to increase your knowledge or understanding—think of a textbook section, a news article, or a how-to guide. Entertain means aiming to engage, amuse, or emotionally move you through a story, humor, or vivid description. Other options mix different tasks or outcomes with purpose. Scaring, confusing, or disappointing are emotional effects, not broad aims writers set out to achieve as their primary purpose. Describing, summarizing, or critiquing are ways to handle or analyze content, not the underlying reason a piece is written. Narrating, editing, or publishing describe actions in creating writing, not the purpose the writer has in mind.

When a writer chooses what to include and how to present it, the main idea to spot is the purpose behind the text. The three most common aims are to persuade, to inform, or to entertain.

Persuade means trying to convince you of a point or to take action—like an advertisement, editorial, or argument in which reasons, evidence, and a call to action are used. Inform means sharing facts, explanations, or instructions to increase your knowledge or understanding—think of a textbook section, a news article, or a how-to guide. Entertain means aiming to engage, amuse, or emotionally move you through a story, humor, or vivid description.

Other options mix different tasks or outcomes with purpose. Scaring, confusing, or disappointing are emotional effects, not broad aims writers set out to achieve as their primary purpose. Describing, summarizing, or critiquing are ways to handle or analyze content, not the underlying reason a piece is written. Narrating, editing, or publishing describe actions in creating writing, not the purpose the writer has in mind.