Understanding Writer’s Purpose

Recognising the Purpose of a Text

Every text has a purpose. This could be to inform, persuade, entertain, instruct, or express an opinion.
Consider why the author has written the text - what is their intent? Understanding this can help make sense of the content and structure.
The audience of a text also influences its purpose. For example, a scientific report may be more informative, while an advert may be persuasive.

Indicators of Purpose in a Text

The genre of the text can give clues about its purpose. For instance, a travel brochure may aim to persuade, while an instruction manual aims to inform.
Look for persuasive language. Strong adjectives, emotive language, rhetoric, and opinion-based statements indicate a desire to persuade or influence.
Informative language, such as facts, statistics, and technical terminology, indicate an aim to inform or educate.
Look for narrative techniques such as characterisation, setting descriptions, plot development, and dialogue to discern an intent to entertain or tell a story.
A personal tone or use of anecdotes may signify a desire to express personal feelings or opinions.

Analysing How Purpose Influences Structure and Language

The structure of a text often aligns with its purpose. For instance, an argumentative essay will have a different structure to a descriptive narrative.
Pay attention to the tense used; present tense might be used in an instruction manual (informative), while past tense could be used in a personal story (expressive).
Note the use of rhetorical questions, imperatives, or direct address to the reader; these tactics are often used to persuade.
Notice how formatting and layout are used in alignment with the text’s purpose; for instance, bullet points and numbered steps in an instruction manual, or paragraphs and subheadings in an informative article.
Be aware of how language and tone help to achieve the author’s purpose; persuasive texts may use strong, emotional language, while informative texts may use formal, objective language.

By analysing and understanding a writer’s purpose, you can gain a deeper insight into the meaning of a text and how language and structure are used to communicate effectively.