1. Text Purpose

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

3. 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”

4. 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?

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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 s are all examples of texts that have a purpose.
Hint: all texts have a purpose

8. 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?

9. What is the purpose of the above message?
For example…
Even an 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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