You will learn
- Name the four purposes.
- Find clues.
- Explain the purpose.
- Tell how purpose affects the text.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Read the text.
- Notice the language and details.
- Match to a purpose.
- Support with evidence.
Words to know
the reason an author writes a text
to give facts
to make the reader agree or act
to amuse or interest the reader
1. Discover: Four short texts
A: The Niger River is about 4,180 kilometres long and flows through four countries. B: Everyone must plant a tree this month! Trees clean the air and give shade. C: Tola the tortoise raced a toaster and lost, but she did not mind. D: To make a kite, first cut two sticks, then tie them in a cross.
Think: What is the purpose of each text?
2. Understand: Why was it written?
Idea 1: Four purposes
Authors write to inform (give facts), persuade (change what readers think or do), entertain (amuse) or explain (teach how).
Idea 2: Clues
Look at the language. Facts and numbers suggest informing. Strong words like must suggest persuading. Funny events suggest entertaining. Steps suggest explaining how.
Idea 3: Support
Name the author’s purpose and give a clue: text B persuades because it says everyone must plant a tree.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): A
What is the purpose of text A?
- Facts and numbers.
Answer: to inform
Example 2 (We do it together): B
What is the purpose of text B?
- Must.
Answer: to persuade
Example 3 (You try): C
What is the purpose of text C?
Show the steps and answer
- Funny.
Answer: to entertain
Did you know?
The same topic, such as water, can be written to inform, persuade or entertain.
Why this matters
Knowing why a text was written helps you decide how to trust it.
4. Explore: Purpose sort
Match purposes.
- Collect four short texts.
- Read each.
- Name the purpose.
- Give a clue.
Think about it: what did you notice?
You can name an author’s purpose.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- The author wrote this to ___.
- The clue is ___.
- I know because ___.
- This text mainly ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. The reason an author writes is the author’s ___.
purpose
Question 2. To give facts is to ___.
inform
Question 3. To make the reader agree or act is to ___.
persuade
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- The reason an author writes is the author’s ___.
- To give facts is to ___.
- To make the reader agree or act is to ___.
- To amuse the reader is to ___.
- The Niger River flows through four ___.
Level 2: Grow
- How long is the Niger?
- What should everyone plant?
- What do the kite steps teach?
Level 3: Stretch
- Do facts suggest informing?
- Does must suggest persuading?
- Can a text have more than one purpose?
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: English in everyday life
Choose three short texts and name each author’s purpose with a clue.
Show a sample answer
a purpose chart
Another one. Find a text in a book or advert and name its purpose with a clue.
Show a sample answer
a completed task
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Slow down and check your work.
Fix: Study the example first, then try.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can name the four purposes.
- I can find clues.
- I can explain the purpose.
- I can tell how purpose affects the text.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Read the text.
- Notice the language and details.
- Match to a purpose.
- Support with evidence.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Facts and opinions. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- What is the author’s purpose? [1 mark]
- Name three purposes for writing. [3 marks]
- What is the purpose of the tree text? Give a clue. [2 marks]
- What is the purpose of the kite text? Give a clue. [2 marks]
- Explain how to work out an author’s purpose. [3 marks]
Total: 11 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- the reason an author writes a text [1]
- inform [1]; persuade [1]; entertain/explain [1]
- to persuade [1]; everyone must plant a tree [1]
- to explain how [1]; steps/first cut [1]
- read closely [1]; notice facts, strong words, humour or steps [1]; match to a purpose and support it [1]
Score guide: 10 to 11 = secure. 7 to 9 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 7 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- The reason an author writes is the author’s ___.
- To give facts is to ___.
- To make the reader agree or act is to ___.
- To amuse the reader is to ___.
- The Niger River flows through four ___.
- How long is the Niger?
- What should everyone plant?
- What do the kite steps teach?
- Do facts suggest informing?
- Does must suggest persuading?
Homework
Find a text in a book or advert and name its purpose with a clue.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The reason an author writes is the author’s ___. | purpose | 1 |
| 2. To give facts is to ___. | inform | 1 |
| 3. To make the reader agree or act is to ___. | persuade | 1 |
| 4. To amuse the reader is to ___. | entertain | 1 |
| 5. The Niger River flows through four ___. | countries | 1 |
| 6. How long is the Niger? | about 4,180 kilometres | 1 |
| 7. What should everyone plant? | a tree | 1 |
| 8. What do the kite steps teach? | how to make a kite | 1 |
| 9. Do facts suggest informing? | yes | 1 |
| 10. Does must suggest persuading? | yes | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 purpose; 2 inform; 3 persuade; 4 entertain; 5 countries. Level 2: 1 about 4,180 kilometres; 2 a tree; 3 how to make a kite. Level 3: 1 yes; 2 yes; 3 yes.
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Name the four purposes | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Find clues | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Explain the purpose | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Tell how purpose affects the text | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child practises a key Grade 3 English skill with clear examples and a quiz. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Listen while your child explains the idea.
- Ask for one new example.
- Praise effort and careful work.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: name the four purposes; find clues; explain the purpose; tell how purpose affects the text.
Prerequisite knowledge. Chronological organisation.
Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Introduce the idea with the opening example.
Explanation (10 min). Teach the key words.
Guided activity (10 min). Practise together.
Independent activity (10 min). Check understanding with the quiz.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What is the key idea? Can I give my own example?
Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use the sentence frames and work with a partner. Extension. Create a harder example of your own.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 11-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames. Enrichment. Make up your own example and teach it to someone at home. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 4 » Reading: Foundational Skills; Grade 4 » Reading: Literature; Grade 4 » Reading: Informational Text. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.
Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core RI.4.6 and RI.4.8 (compare and contrast a firsthand and secondhand account; explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points); Cambridge Primary English Stage 4 (purpose and audience). These sources informed the lesson.