Why a Text Was Written: Finding Its Function

0:00Why was this short text written?

0:06Every text is written to do a job, and that job is called its function.

0:11There are three common jobs: to inform, to persuade and to entertain.

0:18A text that informs tells you facts, like a news report.

0:22A text that persuades tries to change what you think or do, like an advertisement.

0:28A text that entertains gives you a story or a joke to enjoy.

0:33To find the job, ask what the writer wants from you.

0:37Look for clues: this text speaks straight to you.

0:42It gives a fact as a reason: only three students came out to help.

0:47And it asks you to act: give one lunch hour, and sign up today.

0:52So the writer wants you to do something: help in the garden.

0:57That is the job of this text, so its function is to persuade.

1:02The fact is only there to back up the ask, so the text still persuades rather than informs.

1:09To find why a text was written, ask what the writer wants from you.