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Supplemental Exercise: Determining the Author's Purpose
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You can often anticipate an author's purpose for writing something by thinking about the title. Read each title and tell the reason (purpose) you think the author might have written the article by thinking about clue words in the title. The four major purposes authors write are to inform, instruct, entertain, and persuade. The first two items are done as examples.

Title: How to Improve Your Golf Swing Purpose: instruct
Title: Fight Back! Vote! Purpose: persuade

1

Title: Six Ways to Boost Decision-Making Skills Purpose:
2

Title: Give Yourself a Gift: Read a Book Purpose:
3

Title: My Most Embarrassing Moment Purpose:
4

Title: Yes, You CAN Be Financially Secure for Life! Purpose:
5

Title: The Year's Best Country-and-Western CDs Purpose:
6

Title: Sell Your Home without a Realtor Purpose:
7

Title: Five Types of Context Clues Purpose:
8

Title: The Worst Vacation in History Purpose:
9

Title: Causes of Bone Loss in women Purpose:
10

Title: When Pigs Fly! Purpose:
11

Title: New Treatments for Asthma Purpose:
12

Title: Buy a Smoke Detector and Save Your Life Purpose:
13

Title: How to Built a Custom Computer Purpose:
14

Title: I Passed the Driver's Test but Lost My Mind Purpose:
15

Title: Success Secrets of Top Athletes Purpose:
16

Title: The Case for a Smoking Ban in Public Places Purpose:
17

Title: How to Look Busy While Doing Nothing Purpose:
18

Title: You Can Be a Habitat for Humanity Volunteer! Purpose:
19

Title: Twelve Uses for an Old Tire Purpose:
20

Title: Two Dozen Easy Care House Plants Purpose:
21

Title: Reduce Your Holiday Stress Purpose:
22

Title: A History of Japanese Art Purpose:
23

Title: The Top 20 Restaurants in San Francisco Purpose:
24

Title: Walk Your Way to Health Purpose:
25

Title: Never Eat Anything Larger than Your Head! Purpose:
26

Title: Recycle, Recycle, Recycle! Purpose:
27

Title: Bill Gates: His Life Story Purpose:





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