To identify the writer’s purpose, ask yourself, “Why did the writer write this?”  Your goal is to find the writer’s primary purpose.

Keep in mind that most writing will be made up of more than one purpose.  For example, to persuade someone that talking on a cell phone while driving is dangerous, the writer will have to provide information about the dangers.  This referential (informative) purpose is secondary.

Memory Device: The purposes were arranged in this order—
Literary, Expressive, Persuasive, and
Referential—to create a memory device: LEPR.