Inform
The second main type of author's purpose is to inform. In this format, the author's goal is to enlighten the reader about real-world topics and provide facts on those topics. However, in contrast to pieces written to persuade, these facts are not used to support a specific opinion. The facts are presented in order to teach the reader. Examples of texts written to inform include textbooks, cookbooks, newspapers and encyclopedias.
All these forms are written in order to provide information to the reader. It is also important to note that many authors present their works as informational texts, while at the same time inserting their own opinions into the piece. As a reader, be sure to be ready for opinions masked as information. For instance, some newspapers claim to only report the facts, but on careful inspection it is clear it might be trying to persuade you to believe a specific idea. Be on the lookout for these hidden opinions.
Entertain
The final main category of author's purpose is to entertain. This contains almost all examples of what you think of when you hear the word 'literature.' Authors who write to entertain have the goal of telling a story or describing real or imaginary characters, places and events. This includes all pieces of fiction, which is literature that is not real.
Some examples of pieces written to entertain include poems, novels, short stories, plays, musicals and comics. The famous Harry Potter series, The Hunger Games trilogy, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books and any other of the popular pieces of fiction are all examples of writing with the purpose to entertain. This is perhaps why these novels get to be so popular. Readers are extremely entertained and absorbed with these stories; they just can't get enough, which often leads to sequels, movies and even TV shows.
Multiple Author's Purpose
Some nonfiction works can fall under multiple categories. For example, autobiographies and biographies are based on real people and the events that really happened in their lives, so you might assume they are examples of pieces written to inform. However, some people are truly entertained hearing these true stories. Thus, autobiographies and biographies can fall under both to inform and to entertain.
Lesson Summary
Knowing the author's purpose behind writing is very important. It can change the format or structure of the piece, and even the words the author uses. There are three main categories of author's purpose, which can be remembered using the acronym PIE; this stands for to persuade, to inform and to entertain. It is important to note that there can be other subcategories of author's purpose. For example, to express, to surprise, to scare, to describe, etc., but all those can fall into one of the three major categories. As a reader, it's very important to be able to identify the author's purpose in order to fully understand that piece of writing.
Learning Outcomes
Once you are finished, you should be able to:
List and describe the three main categories of author's purpose in writing
- Identify the author's purpose of a written work