Flashcard 15 - Language Arts: Reading Flashcard Set for the HiSET Test

the reason an author writes a particular text

Determining author’s purpose refers to deciding why an author writes a particular text at a particular time. What was his or her intent? Since authors seldom announce their purpose, a reader usually has to infer purpose based on the clues in the passage, including the topic, main idea, tone, structure, and diction. The four most common purposes for writing are: to describe, to inform or explain, to persuade, or to entertain.