In this Year 9 foundation lesson our teachers show you how to name the main purpose of a text and find the words that give it away.
Why every text has a job
Every article, story, advert, letter or set of instructions has a reason behind it. The reason is what the writer wants to happen in the reader’s mind.
This is the writer’s purpose. It might be to inform you, persuade you, entertain you, move you or warn you.
Once you can name the purpose, the rest of the text makes sense. You can see why it uses certain words and why it spends time on some points and rushes past others.
A reader who asks “what is this writer trying to do to me?” is also harder to fool with a persuasive advert. IGCSE reading tasks reward this alertness, so it is worth building now.
The main purposes, and why they overlap
- A text that informs wants you to understand something. It uses clear facts and plain structure.
- A text that persuades wants you to agree or act. It uses strong opinion, emotive words (words that stir feelings) and appeals to what you care about.
- A text that entertains wants to hold your interest. It uses imagery, humour, tension or surprise.
- A text that describes wants you to see and feel a place or person clearly.
Real texts usually mix purposes. A charity leaflet informs you about a problem and persuades you to give.
A travel article entertains you and gently persuades you to visit. Ask: what is the main purpose, and what supports it?
Reading the signals
Writers leave clues everywhere.
- Word choice. Neutral, factual words point to informing. Charged, emotional words point to persuading.
- Structure. A list of facts suggests information. A build-up to a punchy final line suggests persuasion.
- Punctuation. Rhetorical questions (questions asked for effect, not for an answer) and exclamation marks often show a writer working on your feelings.
- Audience. A writer shapes the purpose around who is reading.
A model: one subject, three purposes
Here are three original openings about the same school garden.
To inform: “The garden behind Block C has raised beds of herbs, two compost bins and a small pond added last spring.”
To persuade: “The garden behind Block C could be the calmest corner of your week, so why is it empty at lunchtime?”
To entertain: “The garden behind Block C keeps secrets: a frog who thinks he owns the pond, and a rosemary bush that grabs at your sleeve as you pass.”
The subject never changes, but the purpose changes everything. The first keeps to plain facts.
The second asks a question and aims at your feelings. The third creates characters and images to delight you.
An early start helps with skills like this. A paid one-hour trial shows how a Year 9 lesson works.
Try it yourself
Decide the main purpose of this sentence. Name one word that gives it away.
“Don’t let another rainy morning trap you indoors. The new covered walkway means the whole field is finally yours in any weather.”
Answer: The main purpose is to persuade. The signals are the command “Don’t let”, the emotive word “trap” and the warm promise “finally yours”.
They appeal to feelings, not just facts. An informative version would be flatter, such as “A covered walkway now connects the buildings to the field.” If you said “inform”, look again at how hard the sentence works on your emotions.
Common mistakes
- Confusing topic and purpose. “It is about the environment” gives the topic. Say what the writer wants the reader to do or feel.
- Choosing only one purpose. Name the main one and mention the supporting one.
- Naming a purpose without proof. Always point to a word, structure or punctuation clue.
Keeping the skill alive
Practise on any text you meet, such as a poster in a corridor, an online post or a paragraph from a novel. Ask three questions.
What does the writer want me to think, feel or do? Which words give it away? Who is it written for?
Comparing two texts on the same topic is especially useful. Differences in purpose stand out when the two sit side by side.
Where students get stuck, and what we do
Students usually get stuck by naming a purpose but not proving it with words from the text. In 1-to-1 lessons, our teachers work with passages the student actually reads, and ask “which word tells you that?” until the evidence comes automatically. It is a core part of our Year 9 foundation tuition.
To go further, read how to read for implicit meaning and how to keep a reading journal. If you want a teacher to check your answers, book a paid one-hour trial lesson. Rates start from RM70/hr.