2nd grade author's purpose worksheets

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Second grade author's purpose worksheets give your child one short passage to read: a letter, a class speech, a poster, a true piece about animals or weather, or a silly made-up story. Four questions follow. They ask why the author wrote it, what the author wants readers to learn or do, and which details show it.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core RI.2.6.

Each click picks one of the 15 passages written for this grade. Every sheet comes with its answer key. You don't need to sign up.

The kind of passages you'll get

Read the passage, then circle the letter of the best answer. Think about why the author wrote it and what the passage tells you.

Penguins in the Wind

Some penguins live in Antarctica, one of the coldest places in the world. The wind there is icy, and the water is freezing. Penguins have a few ways to beat the cold. Penguins have a thick layer of fat under their skin. The fat works…

  1. Why did the author most likely write this? to teach you facts about how penguins keep warm · to tell a funny story about a penguin who knits a scarf · to get you to visit the penguins at a zoo · to give steps for building a snow fort

    Answer: to teach you facts about how penguins keep warm

  2. Why does the author say the fat works like a warm blanket? to help you see how fat keeps them warm · to make you laugh at a penguin in bed · to get you to bring a blanket outside · to show that penguins sleep under blankets

Each print picks one of the 15 passages written for this grade, and its questions come with it. With 15 to pick from, a second print can land on one you've used, so check the title before you hand it out.

What's on a 2nd grade sheet

2nd grade sheets draw from 15 passages, 126 to 142 words long. None of these passages are on 3rd grade sheets. On 3rd grade sheets they run 252 to 272 words.

Some of the titles: Ayo's Big Idea, Sweet Work in the Hive, Pickles in the Goal, Light in the Rain, The Drum Who Wanted to Whisper, A Tail That Goes Away.

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.

How to teach this

Before looking at the choices, ask one question: is this true, made up, or asking you to do something? That sorts most passages. For a letter or a poster, have your child put a finger on the line that asks for something. For a true piece, ask what question it answers, such as how a plant drinks water. For a story, ask which part could never really happen. Then say PIE out loud and match it to the answer.

Watch for: A passage can be interesting and still be meant to inform, not entertain. Look for facts versus a made-up story. Persuading is not the same as informing. A persuasive writer wants you to agree or act, and usually says 'should' or 'we must'. The purpose is why the author wrote it, not what the passage is about. Two passages on the same topic can have different purposes.

Common questions about 2nd grade author's purpose

What does author's purpose mean in second grade?
It means telling why a short text was written: to teach facts, to tell a fun story, or to get the reader to do something. The grade 2 standard also asks what the author wants to answer or explain, so one question on each sheet asks why the author put in a certain line.
What if my child thinks a funny story is meant to inform?
Ask whether it could really happen. A talking dog or a pig that drives a bus is made up, so the author wrote it to entertain, even if the story mentions real things. True pieces have facts and no characters with a problem to solve.

Related worksheets

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Want a different passage? Print again. Each print picks one of the 15.

Aligned to Common Core RI.2.6. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 241, updated October 2026.

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