Text Purpose

What does purpose mean? Purpose means intention, or the reason for something. The purpose of a car is transportation, for example.

Books have a purpose, too There are many different kinds of books. Can you think of some? dictionaries, encyclopedias, how-to books, novels, textbooks… Add period in title. Get rid of “how about”

Who decides what the purpose is? Whenever a writer writes something, he or she thinks about the purpose of his or her writing. For example, a writer might ask: Who else will read this? Why am I writing this? Is it for fun, to teach someone something, or some other reason?

What do they have in common? A dictionary is not an adventure story, but the two texts do have something in common. Both have a unique purpose, or reason, for existing.

Identifying the Purpose The purpose of a dictionary is to help readers spell and use words correctly. The purpose of an adventure story is to entertain the reader.

Hint: all texts have a purpose What does text mean? The word text just means anything that is written. Magazine articles, Web sites, newspapers, letters, and e-mails are all examples of texts that have a purpose. Hint: all texts have a purpose

While you’re reading, think about the purpose of a text. Does the text entertain you, like a comic book or short story? Does the text teach you something, like a science textbook or dictionary? Does the text tell you what someone else thinks about a subject, like an article in a magazine?

What is the purpose of the above message? For example… Even an e-mail from a friend has a purpose. For example, Hi there, I hope you’re feeling better. You won’t believe what happened today. Mrs. Milstone did not give us math homework! See you tomorrow. What is the purpose of the above message?

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