PARCC - Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers Author's Purpose 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A science textbook explains how volcanoes form and describes the layers of Earth. What is the author's primary purpose?
- To entertain readers with exciting volcano stories
- To inform readers about how volcanoes are created (Correct answer)
- To persuade readers to study geology in college
- To express the author's personal fear of volcanoes
Correct answer: To inform readers about how volcanoes are created
The textbook presents factual information about how volcanoes form and Earth's layers, which is a clear example of informing or explaining — the author wants readers to learn and understand a scientific process.
Question 2: A newspaper article describes a devastating flood that destroyed a town and includes interviews with survivors. What is the author's most likely purpose?
- To entertain readers with an adventure story
- To persuade readers to donate money
- To inform readers about a real event that occurred (Correct answer)
- To express sadness about natural disasters
Correct answer: To inform readers about a real event that occurred
A news article reports factual events and includes real accounts from people involved; its primary purpose is to inform the audience about something that actually happened.
Question 3: A student writes an essay arguing that the school lunch period should be extended to 45 minutes, listing health and learning benefits. What is the author's purpose?
- To entertain classmates with a funny story about lunch
- To inform readers about how lunch is prepared
- To persuade readers that lunch periods should be longer (Correct answer)
- To describe what foods students prefer
Correct answer: To persuade readers that lunch periods should be longer
The student is making an argument and supporting it with reasons — using benefits to convince the audience — which is the hallmark of persuasive writing.
Question 4: A children's book follows a talking rabbit who goes on a silly adventure to find his missing carrot. What is the author's primary purpose?
- To inform children about rabbit diets
- To entertain young readers with a fun story (Correct answer)
- To persuade children to eat more vegetables
- To explain where carrots come from
Correct answer: To entertain young readers with a fun story
A lighthearted story featuring a talking animal on a silly quest is written to entertain; the author's goal is to engage and amuse the reader, not to teach facts or argue a point.
Question 5: Which of the following passages would MOST LIKELY have the purpose of persuading the reader?
- A recipe that lists ingredients and cooking steps in order
- A biography that describes events in a famous artist's life
- A flyer urging students to join the environmental club to save the planet (Correct answer)
- A dictionary entry defining the word 'ecosystem'
Correct answer: A flyer urging students to join the environmental club to save the planet
A flyer that urges students to take action and uses emotional language like 'save the planet' is designed to convince the reader to do something, making persuasion its clear purpose.
Question 6: An author writes a poem about the joy of watching a sunset, using vivid language and personal feelings. What is the author's primary purpose?
- To inform readers about why the sky changes colors at sunset
- To persuade readers to spend more time outdoors
- To express personal feelings and create an emotional experience for the reader (Correct answer)
- To explain the science of how sunsets occur
Correct answer: To express personal feelings and create an emotional experience for the reader
Poetry that uses personal feelings and vivid, descriptive language is primarily meant to express emotions and create an artistic experience — the author shares what the sunset means to them rather than teaching facts or arguing a point.
PARCC - Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers Author's Purpose 1
A science textbook explains how volcanoes form and describes the layers of Earth.
What is the author's primary purpose?