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Author Purpose in Non-Fiction

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Author Purpose in Non-Fiction

Author Purpose in Non-Fiction

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📚 Part 1: Understanding Author Purpose

1. Match each author purpose with its correct definition:
1. Persuade
2. Inform
3. Entertain
A. To teach facts or explain something
B. To convince the reader to agree or take action
C. To amuse or engage the reader with interesting stories
2. Circle the main purpose of each text type:

A newspaper article about climate change:

Persuade

Inform

Entertain

An advert for a new mobile phone:

Persuade

Inform

Entertain

A funny story about someone's embarrassing moment:

Persuade

Inform

Entertain

📖 Part 2: Biographies and Autobiographies

3. Read this extract from a biography about David Attenborough:

"As a young boy, David Attenborough was fascinated by the natural world. He collected stones, bird eggs, and specimens, turning his bedroom into a mini museum. One day, when he was just seven years old, he discovered a piece of amber with a prehistoric creature trapped inside. His eyes lit up with wonder as he held this ancient treasure, not knowing that this moment would spark a lifelong passion for nature that would eventually make him one of Britain's most beloved television presenters."

4. What is the author's main purpose in this extract? Circle your answer:

To persuade readers to become naturalists

To inform and entertain readers about Attenborough's childhood

To convince readers to watch nature programmes

5. Complete this sentence about the author's purpose:

The author wrote this mostly to ________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

6. Tick all the techniques the author uses to make this informative text entertaining:

Describing David's emotions ("eyes lit up with wonder")

Using storytelling language ("One day")

Including specific details (age seven, amber with creature)

Creating suspense about his future career

🔍 Part 3: Analysing Purpose

7. Read these three short extracts and identify the main purpose of each:

Extract A: "Recycling is not just good for the environment—it's essential for our planet's survival. Every plastic bottle you throw away takes 450 years to decompose. By recycling just one tonne of paper, you can save 17 trees. The choice is yours: act now or watch our planet suffer."

Purpose: ________________________

Extract B: "The human heart beats approximately 100,000 times per day. It has four chambers: two atria and two ventricles. Blood flows through the heart in a specific pattern, carrying oxygen to all parts of the body."

Purpose: ________________________

Extract C: "My first day at secondary school was a disaster. I got lost three times, accidentally walked into the wrong classroom during a Year 11 maths lesson, and somehow managed to get my head stuck in the library turnstile. By lunchtime, I was convinced I'd become the school's official comedy act."

Purpose: ________________________

8. For Extract A, underline or highlight three words or phrases that show the author is trying to persuade:

✍️ Part 4: Planning Your Own Non-Fiction Text

9. Choose a topic you'd like to write about and decide on your purpose:

My topic: ___________________________________________________________

My main purpose will be to:

Persuade

Inform

Entertain

10. Complete this purpose statement for your planned text:

I will write this text mostly to ____________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

11. Plan your paragraph by listing 3-5 key points or details you will include:
12. Write your paragraph here (3-5 sentences with a clear purpose):

🎯 Part 5: Reflection

13. Why is it important for readers to understand an author's purpose?
14. Can a text have more than one purpose? Give an example:

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