College Composition / Unit 31 CMP 0756 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Author's Purpose
Captions available
The idea
An author's purpose is the reason for the communication: to inform, to persuade, to entertain, or some combination.
In practice
A report that presents facts and draws conclusions informs; an editorial urging a vote persuades; a text can do both.
Where people slip
Infer purpose from the whole text, not from a single sentence.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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