4th Grade Author's Purpose Worksheets
Fourth graders identify an author's purpose and point to the evidence for it: the sentence that argues a side, the fact that teaches, or the detail added only for fun. They can explain how a persuasive passage differs from an informational one on the same topic.
Free printable PDF, aligned to Common Core RI.4.6. One skill per page, answer key on the last page.
Every sheet is one of a kind and prints with a version code, so you can reprint the exact same one later. New version every click.
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.
How a Boat Climbs a Hill
Sometimes the water on one side of a canal is much higher than the water on the other side, like a giant step in the middle of the river. A boat cannot drive up a step, so how does it get from the low water…
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Why did the author most likely write this passage?
to explain how a canal lock works · to convince readers to ride in a boat · to tell a story about a river trip · to argue that rivers should be flat
Answer: to explain how a canal lock works
- What does the author most want readers to do? understand how a lock lifts a boat · buy a boat of their own · feel afraid of deep water · laugh at a boat stuck on a step
Every print draws a fresh mix of passages at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling gets a different sheet.
What's on each sheet
- Reading passage. Read the passage, then circle the letter of the best answer. Each question asks why the author wrote it and how you can tell. One fresh passage per sheet, with its own question set.
Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.
How to teach this
Push from naming the purpose to proving it. When your child says "persuade," ask which sentence gives it away, usually one with "should" or "we must." When they say "inform," have them point to a fact that has no side. The skill at this level is matching the purpose to the evidence.
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 author's purpose
- How do I help my child prove the author's purpose?
- After they name the purpose, ask for the sentence that shows it. A persuasive passage usually has a line like "we should," an informational one has a plain fact with no side, and an entertaining one has a detail added just for fun. Purpose plus evidence is the goal.
- Why does the same topic have different purposes?
- Because purpose is why the author wrote, not what they wrote about. One writer might inform you how libraries work while another argues that your library should stay open on Sundays. Same topic, different reasons, and the reader's job is to tell them apart.
Related worksheets
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Aligned to Common Core RI.4.6. Reviewed by the One More Sheet curriculum team. Content version 68, updated July 2026.