5th Grade Author's Purpose Worksheets
Fifth graders judge purpose from how a whole passage is built, including word choice and tone. They notice when an author informs in order to persuade, tell which parts serve the purpose, and predict what the author wants the reader to do, feel, or understand by the end.
Free printable PDF, aligned to Common Core RI.5.6. 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.
Keep Our Library Open on Sundays
Last month, our town quietly cut the public library's hours, and now the doors stay locked all day Sunday. For many families, Sunday was the one day they could actually get there. Our town should restore Sunday hours, because a library that is closed when…
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Why did the author most likely write this passage?
to convince the town to restore Sunday library hours · to explain how a library is organized · to tell a story about a day at the library · to describe the books on the shelves
Answer: to convince the town to restore Sunday library hours
- Which sentence most clearly shows the author's persuasive goal? Our town should restore Sunday hours. · The library closed its doors on Sunday. · A library holds many rows of books. · Some homes do not have fast internet.
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
Show that purpose hides in word choice. Words like "wasteful" and "must" reveal an author trying to change minds, even inside a passage full of facts. Ask your student what the author wants by the end, and whether a single passage might inform its readers in order to persuade them.
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 are 5th grade purpose questions harder?
- The purpose is woven into word choice and tone instead of stated plainly. A passage packed with facts can still be trying to persuade you, and the clue is in charged words like "wasteful" or "must." Fifth graders read for how the whole passage is built, not one line.
- Can a passage have more than one purpose?
- Often yes, and that is the point at this level. Many writers inform in order to persuade, giving you real facts to move you toward a conclusion. Ask your child which purpose the passage serves most, and to name the parts that do the work.
Related worksheets
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Aligned to Common Core RI.5.6. Reviewed by the One More Sheet curriculum team. Content version 68, updated July 2026.