TACHS: Author's purpose: name the verb and the exact object
Learn to state a persuasive writer's purpose as a verb plus an exact object, use what the writer keeps to rule out extreme choices, and apply the writer's own rules to new examples.
How do you choose the right purpose when every choice starts with a strong verb like encourage, argue or propose?
Short answer
Decide whether the writer is explaining or asking for a change, find the request, and note what the writer keeps or agrees with. Then state the purpose as a verb plus an exact object, and match both parts.
Know first: Telling a persuasive passage from an informational one, Finding a writer's request
Step 1 of 5
A purpose has two parts: the verb and what it acts on
Every passage has a purpose: to explain, describe, entertain or persuade. A persuasive passage wants something to change. To name its purpose, you need a verb (encourage, propose, argue) and an object (exactly what should change).
Purpose choices often start with strong verbs, so the verb alone won't separate them. Check the object. Wrong choices describe a bigger change, the opposite of what the writer says, or a topic the writer only mentions.
| Question | How to answer it |
|---|---|
| Which example meets the writer's requirement? | Use the writer's own rule word for word, such as must include a date. |
| How does the writer answer an objection? | Look for agreement first, then the however that follows. |
| Which detail supports a point? | Pick the detail that does the job the point describes. |
| What does a word mean here? | Use the writer's argument around it, not the most common meaning. |
Each of these depends on knowing the exact request and its limits.
Step 2 of 5
Use the limits to size the purpose
A letter about the town pool
Our town pool closes at 6:00 every evening, all summer. On the hottest days, many parents work until 5:301 and cannot bring their children before closing. I am not asking for longer hours every day.2 I am asking the council to try opening until 8:00 on Fridays in July.3 If few people come, the trial can end in August4.
- A reason, not the request.
- A limit that rules out extreme choices.
- The request: a small trial.
- Another limit: it's temporary.
Worked example: What is the writer mainly trying to do?
What is the writer of the pool letter mainly trying to do?
- ARequest a trial of later pool hours
- BDescribe the history of the town pool
- CDemand that the pool stay open late every night
- DCriticize parents for working long hours
- 1
Kind of passage
A request.
- 2
Request and limits
Open until 8:00 on Fridays in July. Not every day, and the trial can end.
- 3
Verb plus object
To propose a small, temporary change in hours.
- 4
See why the other choices are there
C has the right topic but ignores the stated limit. B has no support, since there's no history. D twists a reason into an attack.
Answer
Request a trial of later pool hours.
Wrong: The writer's purpose is to argue for longer pool hours.
Right: The writer's purpose is to request a one-month trial of later hours on Fridays.
Both have the right verb and topic. Only the second has the exact object, which is what separates the answer from an inflated choice.
Step 3 of 5
Name the purpose and apply the writer's rule
Read this excerpt
Our school reading challenge counts how many pages each student reads. That count rewards real effort, and it should stay. I would also add a recommendation wall where anyone can post a card about a book. Each card must name one specific scene the reader enjoyed, not just say the book was good. A classmate looking at the wall could find a scene that sounds exciting and pick up the book.
Check yourself · Question 1
What is the writer mainly trying to do?
Answer: D
The writer keeps the page count and proposes adding a wall of cards that describe specific scenes. The purpose is to encourage that kind of sharing.
Trap answer: Argue that the page count should be replaced
Ignores what the writer keeps
- Why it looks right
- A new idea often sounds like a replacement, and the page count is mentioned first.
- Why it's wrong
- The second sentence says the count rewards real effort and should stay. The proposal adds something.
- The right answer
- Encourage students to share specific book recommendations.
Check yourself · Question 2
Which card best meets the writer's requirement?
Answer: C
The rule is that each card must name one specific scene. Only this card names one.
Common mistake
I picked the choice with the strongest verb, because persuasive writers sound sure of themselves.
- Why it's tempting
- Words like demand or replace match the confident tone of an argument.
- Do this instead
- Check the object against the request sentence and the limits. A confident writer can still ask for something small.
Step 4 of 5
What to remember
Remember
- State the purpose as a verb plus an exact object, using the request sentence.
- What the writer keeps or agrees with rules out choices like abolish, replace or demand.
- To test an example, apply the writer's own requirement word for word.
Step 5 of 5
Practice on a real question
Use what you just learned on this question, then check the explanation.
In your own words
In the practice question, what does the writer keep, and how does that rule out the most extreme choice?