Author's Purpose
This primary author's purpose is found in billboards, political speeches, and advertisements trying to change your mind.
Persuade
"Dogs need daily exercise to stay healthy. Walking them burns energy, keeps their joints strong, and prevents bad behavior." What is the central idea?
Dogs need regular exercise to stay healthy.
The core problem or struggle driving the narrative.
Conflict.
"The mountain peak was barely visible through the fog," the root vis refers to this sense.
Sight (or to see).
In the sentence "She spoke softly to the baby," the word softly is this part of speech because it modifies the verb.
an adverb.
Textbooks, news articles, and encyclopedia entries are primarily written to fulfill this purpose.
to Inform
"Video games can improve hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills, but excessive screen time can lead to poor sleep and eye strain." What is the central idea?
Video games have both benefits and drawbacks.
The location, time period, weather, and social environment where the events happen.
Setting.
The events in the history book were listed in chronological order," the Greek root chron refers to this.
Time.
In the phrase "under the bridge," the word under functions as this part of speech showing spatial relationship.
a preposition.
Comic books, fiction novels, and joke books share this goal to keep the reader engaged and amused.
to Entertain
When an author directly states the central idea in a text, it is explicit; when you must read between the lines to figure it out, it is this.
Implied.
The people, animals, or creatures who take part in the story. Includes the protagonist (main character) and antagonist (opposing force).
Characters.
In the sentence "The crew traveled in a submarine to explore the trench," the prefix sub- tells you the vessel went here.
Under (or below) the water.
In titles, direct quotes, or dialogue, these double punctuation marks always frame the spoken words.
Quotation marks.
A fantasy novel detailing a wizard's journey through an enchanted forest.
to Entertain
If a passage is about "sharks," this is the topic, but "Sharks use specialized senses to hunt prey" represents this.
The central idea.
The underlying message, moral, or lesson about life that the author wants to convey.
Theme.
"Leaving food out on the counter is very unsanitary," the prefix un- means this.
Not (or opposite of).
Choose the correct homophone: "The students left (their / there / they're) backpacks in the hallway."
their.
A movie review giving a rating of 2 out of 5 stars and telling readers why they shouldn't buy a ticket.
to Persuade
Re-reading these two specific sentences in a paragraph is a quick strategy to spot an explicit central idea.
On the plot pyramid, this introduces the characters, setting, and basic situation before the action starts.
Exposition.
"The author wrote a preface before chapter one," the prefix pre- indicates it comes at this time.
Before.
Fix the capitalization error: "We are visiting my aunt Sarah in New york city."
Capitalize "York" and "City" ("New York City")?