PARCC - Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers Author's Purpose 7 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A magazine publishes an article listing the top ten vacation destinations in Europe, with tips on best times to visit and local cuisine to try. What is the author's primary purpose?
- To persuade readers to move to Europe permanently
- To inform readers about popular travel destinations and practical travel tips (Correct answer)
- To entertain readers with a fictional story about European adventures
- To warn readers about the dangers of international travel
Correct answer: To inform readers about popular travel destinations and practical travel tips
The article provides factual information about destinations and practical tips, which is the hallmark of writing meant to inform rather than persuade, entertain, or warn.
Question 2: A poet writes a humorous rhyming poem about a dog who is terrified of the vacuum cleaner, including silly sound effects and made-up words. What is the author's primary purpose?
- To inform readers about dog behavior and psychology
- To persuade readers to adopt rescue dogs
- To entertain readers with humor and playful language (Correct answer)
- To explain how vacuum cleaners work
Correct answer: To entertain readers with humor and playful language
The use of humor, rhyme, silly sound effects, and made-up words signals that the author's goal is to entertain the reader rather than inform or persuade.
Question 3: A pamphlet distributed at a city council meeting urges residents to vote against a new highway that would cut through a neighborhood park, citing noise pollution and loss of green space. What is the author's purpose?
- To entertain residents with stories about the park
- To inform residents about the history of the neighborhood
- To persuade residents to oppose the highway project (Correct answer)
- To describe the engineering process used to build highways
Correct answer: To persuade residents to oppose the highway project
The pamphlet presents arguments and calls residents to take a specific action — voting against the highway — which is the defining characteristic of persuasive writing.
Question 4: A nature documentary script describes the daily habits of emperor penguins in Antarctica, including how they huddle together for warmth and take turns caring for eggs. What is the author's primary purpose?
- To persuade viewers to donate to penguin conservation funds
- To entertain viewers with a comedic story about penguins
- To inform viewers about the behavior and survival strategies of emperor penguins (Correct answer)
- To argue that Antarctica should be protected from all human activity
Correct answer: To inform viewers about the behavior and survival strategies of emperor penguins
The script presents factual details about penguin behavior and survival, making its primary purpose to inform viewers rather than entertain or persuade them.
Question 5: An author writes a short story about two siblings who argue over a TV remote but ultimately learn to compromise and enjoy the same show together. What is the author's most likely purpose?
- To inform readers about the history of television
- To entertain readers while teaching a lesson about compromise (Correct answer)
- To persuade readers to limit their screen time
- To explain how to repair a broken TV remote
Correct answer: To entertain readers while teaching a lesson about compromise
The story uses fictional characters and a relatable conflict to entertain readers while also conveying a moral lesson about compromise, which is a common purpose in narrative fiction.
Question 6: A letter to the editor of a local newspaper argues that the town should invest in more bike lanes, pointing out that bike-friendly cities have lower traffic congestion and healthier residents. What is the author's purpose?
- To entertain readers with a funny story about bicycle accidents
- To inform readers about the general history of bicycles
- To persuade readers and city officials to support expanding bike lanes (Correct answer)
- To describe the scientific process of how bicycles maintain balance
Correct answer: To persuade readers and city officials to support expanding bike lanes
A letter to the editor that presents arguments and evidence to advocate for a specific policy change is a clear example of persuasive writing aimed at changing opinions or prompting action.
PARCC - Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers Author's Purpose 7
A magazine publishes an article listing the top ten vacation destinations in Europe, with tips on best times to visit and local cuisine to try.
What is the author's primary purpose?