The image you uploaded is an "Author's Purpose Checklist," which is a tool to help readers determine the primary purpose of a text they are reading. The checklist provides five common author purposes:
Describe,
Inform,
Entertain,
Persuade, and
Explain. For each purpose, there are questions to guide the reader in deciding whether the author's purpose aligns with that category.
Steps to Solve the Problem:
1.
Understand the Author's Purpose: The author's purpose refers to why the author wrote the text. Common purposes include describing something, informing the reader, entertaining, persuading, or explaining how something works.
2.
Use the Checklist: The checklist provides specific questions for each purpose. You need to evaluate the text based on these questions and mark either "Yes" or "No" for each category.
3.
Choose the Best Answer: After evaluating all the categories, select the one that best matches the overall purpose of the text. Remember, you can only choose one answer.
Explanation of Each Category:
-
Describe: The author uses sensory details (what something looks like, sounds like, feels like, etc.) to paint a vivid picture.
- Example: A detailed description of a sunset or a character's appearance.
-
Inform: The author provides factual information or new knowledge about a topic.
- Example: A news article about recent scientific discoveries.
-
Entertain: The author tells a story or creates content meant to amuse or engage the reader.
- Example: A novel, a joke, or a funny anecdote.
-
Persuade: The author tries to convince the reader to believe something or take action.
- Example: An advertisement, a persuasive essay, or a political speech.
-
Explain: The author provides instructions or explains how something works.
- Example: A tutorial on how to bake a cake or an explanation of a scientific process.
How to Use the Checklist:
1. Read the text carefully.
2. For each category, ask yourself the corresponding questions:
-
Describe: Did the author use sensory details?
-
Inform: Did the author provide factual information?
-
Entertain: Was the author telling a story or being humorous?
-
Persuade: Did the author try to change your opinion or get you to do something?
-
Explain: Did the author teach you how to do something or explain a concept?
3. Mark "Yes" or "No" for each category based on your evaluation.
4. Choose the category that best fits the overall purpose of the text.
Example:
Suppose you read a passage about how to make a homemade pizza. Here’s how you might fill out the checklist:
-
Describe: No (The passage focuses on instructions, not sensory details.)
-
Inform: No (The passage is not providing general facts; it’s teaching a skill.)
-
Entertain: No (The passage is instructional, not meant to be funny or engaging as a story.)
-
Persuade: No (The passage is not trying to convince you of anything.)
-
Explain: Yes (The passage is teaching you how to make a pizza.)
In this case, the best answer would be
Explain.
Final Answer:
After evaluating the text using the checklist, choose the category that best reflects the author's purpose. Mark "Yes" for the chosen category and "No" for the others. The final answer should be the single best category that describes the author's purpose.
If you have a specific text in mind, feel free to describe it, and I can help you apply the checklist!
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of author s purpose checklist.
