3rd grade author's purpose worksheets

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Third graders learn the three main reasons authors write, remembered as PIE: to persuade, to inform, or to entertain. They read a short passage and decide which one fits, using clues like signal words and whether it states facts.

Free printable PDF worksheet.

Each click picks one of the 13 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. Each question asks why the author wrote it and how you can tell.

Read the Book Before You See the Movie

A new movie is coming out based on a book you have not read yet. You have a choice: watch the movie first, or read the book first. You should always read the book first, and here is why. When you read a book, your…

  1. Why did the author most likely write this passage? to convince readers to read the book first · to explain how movies are filmed · to tell a story about a trip to the theater · to describe one favorite book

    Answer: to convince readers to read the book first

  2. Which sentence best shows the author is trying to persuade you? You should always read the book first. · A new movie is coming out soon. · A film usually lasts about two hours. · Books are printed on paper pages.

Each print picks one of the 13 passages written for this grade, and its questions come with it. With 13 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 3rd grade sheet

3rd grade sheets draw from 13 passages, 252 to 272 words long. None of these passages are on 2nd grade sheets. On 2nd grade sheets they run 126 to 142 words.

Some of the titles: Plant a Garden at Our School, How a Boat Climbs a Hill, Give Us Back Ten Minutes of Recess, The Worst Haircut in History, Seeing With Sound, The Spoon Under My Pillow.

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

How to teach this

Teach PIE out loud and keep it concrete: persuade means the author wants you to agree or do something, inform means they want you to learn a fact, entertain means they want you to enjoy a story. After each passage ask the one question that unlocks it: "what does the author want you to do when you finish reading?"

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 3rd grade author's purpose

What does PIE stand for?
The three main reasons an author writes: Persuade, Inform, and Entertain. Persuade means the writer wants to change your mind. Inform means they want to teach you facts. Entertain means they want you to enjoy a story. Deciding which one fits is the whole skill.
How can my child tell inform from entertain?
Ask whether the passage is mostly true facts or a made-up, fun story. An informational piece explains how something really works. An entertaining one has characters, jokes, or events invented to make you smile, even if it sounds a little true.

Related worksheets

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Want a different passage? Print again. Each print picks one of the 13.

Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 241, updated October 2026.

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