Author's Purpose — SAT Reading & Writing Explained
Author's purpose refers to the overarching reason an author wrote a text — to inform, persuade, entertain, analyze, describe, critique, or call to action.
The Core Idea
Purpose shapes every aspect of a text: its tone, structure, word choice, and what evidence it includes or omits. Understanding purpose allows you to evaluate whether the text succeeds at its goal and to make sense of choices that might otherwise seem arbitrary.
Purpose Categories
To share facts, explain, or describe — found in news, scientific reports, textbooks
To convince the reader to adopt a view or take action — found in arguments, op-eds
To examine something closely and explain what it means — common in academic writing
To evaluate something and identify its strengths and weaknesses
To engage emotionally — found in fiction and narrative nonfiction
To paint a vivid picture through sensory detail
Clues To Purpose
What is the author's relationship to the subject? Expert? Participant? Observer?
Does the passage present one view or multiple? Balanced or one-sided?
Are there calls to action, value judgments, or recommendations?
Is the language neutral and factual or charged and evaluative?
Common Errors to Avoid
Confusing the topic (what it's about) with the purpose (why it was written)
Describing an effect on the reader instead of the author's intent
Choosing 'persuade' when the author only informs (or vice versa)
How This Connects to Other Topics
Directly connected to Tone and Style and Rhetorical Techniques
Practice: Author's Purpose
5 SAT-style questions. Select your answer and get an instant explanation.
To make the perfect scrambled eggs: Crack three eggs into a bowl and whisk them until the yolks and whites are fully combined. Melt a tablespoon of butter in a nonstick pan over low heat. Pour in the eggs and stir gently and constantly with a spatula. Remove the pan from the heat before the eggs look fully cooked, as they will continue to cook on their own. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
What is the author's primary purpose in this passage?
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