Year 3 English: Purpose and audience
Part of the Year 3 English reading non-fiction chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Purpose and audience
Every non-fiction text has a purpose. The purpose is the reason the writer wrote it: to inform, to instruct, to tell what happened, or to ask or thank someone. Every text also has an audience. The audience is the person or people the writer wants to read it.
Different text types have different purposes and clue words. The table shows four common types.
| Text type | Purpose | Clue words and layout |
|---|---|---|
| Information leaflet | to tell readers facts and what to do | headings, bullet points, you and us |
| Instructions | to tell readers how to do something | a command word first, then the steps in order |
| Recount | to tell what happened, in order | past tense and time words, such as first, then, on Monday |
| Letter | to tell or ask a person you know | Dear ..., then a sign-off such as Love from ... |
Read the leaflet in the box. Then answer the questions in exercise 9A.
Welcome to Willow Park (information leaflet)
Willow Park is a green space in the middle of town. It is open to everyone, and it is free to visit.
Come and enjoy a walk, a picnic or a game with friends.
What you can see
- A large pond with ducks and frogs
- A play area for children
- Benches under the old willow trees
- A path all the way around the pond
Please remember
Keep dogs on a lead near the pond. Take your rubbish home with you. Thank you for helping us keep the park clean and safe.
Key ideas
- The purpose is the reason a writer wrote the text.
- The audience is the person or people who will read it.
- An information leaflet gives facts, often under headings and in bullet points.
- Instructions start with a command word and give the steps in order.
- A recount uses past tense and time words to tell events in order.
- A letter starts with a greeting and ends with a sign-off.
Method. Find the words that speak to the people who will read the leaflet.
- Find the key words in the question. These words tell us where to look: audience.audience
- Find the words in the text that answer it. The text says:Come and enjoy a walk, a picnic or a game with friends.
- Write the answer. Visitors to the park, such as families and friends.
Check. The leaflet invites visitors and their friends to come. ✓
Method. Look for a command word at the start, and words that put the steps in order.
- Read the words in the question. Decide who the words are for and what they do.Pour the milk into the bowl. Then stir.
- Find the clue words and the layout. Each text type has its own clue words.Pour / Then
- Write the answer. instructions: they start with a command word (pour) and give the steps in order (then stir).
Check. The text tells the reader what to do, one step at a time. ✓
Method. Look for past tense verbs and words about time.
- Read the words in the question. Decide who the words are for and what they do.Yesterday, we went to the zoo. We saw the penguins, and then we ate lunch.
- Find the clue words and the layout. Each text type has its own clue words.Yesterday / went / saw
- Write the answer. a recount: it tells what happened, in order, in the past tense (went, saw, ate).
Check. The events are told in order, and the verbs are in the past tense. ✓
Watch out
Watch out: a text can have more than one purpose. A leaflet can also tell the reader what to do, so look at the whole text, not only the first line.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask your child who they think a text is for, and what they think the writer wanted the reader to do. Then ask which words helped them decide.
Exercise 9A Practice: purpose and audience
Method. Find the sentence about the pond.
- Find the key words in the question. These words tell us where to look: pond.pond
- Find the words in the text that answer it. The text says:A large pond with ducks and frogs
- Write the answer. ducks and frogs
Check. The leaflet lists ducks and frogs in the pond. ✓
Method. Look for the words about cost.
- Find the key words in the question. These words tell us where to look: free.free
- Find the words in the text that answer it. The text says:it is free to visit
- Write the answer. Yes. It is free to visit.
Check. The leaflet says the park is free to visit. ✓
Method. Find the sentence that says who may visit the park.
- Find the key words in the question. These words tell us where to look: written for.written for
- Find the words in the text that answer it. The text says:open to everyone
- Write the answer. Accept any: visitors, families, friends or dog walkers.
Check. The park is open to everyone, so visitors are the audience. ✓
Watch out. Also accept: people who visit the park.
Method. Look at the headings and the rules.
- Look at the headings. The headings What you can see and Please remember show what the leaflet is about.What you can see / Please remember
- Think about the reason for writing. The leaflet gives facts about the park and asks visitors to behave well.facts and rules
- Write the answer. Accept any: to tell visitors what the park has, and how to behave there.
Check. Facts and advice together show the purpose. ✓
Watch out. Also accept: to inform visitors and to give them advice.
Method. Find the headings, and choose the one about behaviour.
- Find the key words in the question. These words tell us where to look: what to do.what to do
- Find the words in the text that answer it. The text says:Please remember
- Write the answer. Please remember
Check. The heading Please remember introduces the rules. ✓
Method. Look for words such as you and us that speak to the reader.
- Find the key words in the question. These words tell us where to look: speaks to the reader.speaks to the reader
- Find the words in the text that answer it. The text says:Take your rubbish home with you.
- Write the answer. you (also accept: us)
Check. You speaks to the reader directly. ✓
Method. Think about how a reader uses a list.
- Look at the list. Each point is short and sits on its own line.four short points
- Think about the reader. A reader can scan the list and find one thing at a time.find each thing quickly
- Write the answer. Accept any: so the reader can find each thing quickly, because each point is short and on its own line.
Check. Short points are quick to scan. ✓
Watch out. Also accept: so the facts are easy to find.
Method. Find the rule about dogs.
- Find the key words in the question. These words tell us where to look: dogs.dogs
- Find the words in the text that answer it. The text says:Keep dogs on a lead near the pond.
- Write the answer. Accept any sensible reason that links to the leaflet, for example: to keep the dogs, the ducks and the frogs safe.
Check. The rule is there to keep animals and visitors safe. ✓
Method. Look for past tense verbs and words about time.
- Read the words in the question. Decide who the words are for and what they do.On Monday we walked to the farm and fed the goats.
- Find the clue words and the layout. Each text type has its own clue words.On Monday / walked
- Write the answer. a recount: it tells what happened, in order (for example: walked, fed).
Check. The verbs are in the past tense and the words tell the order. ✓
Method. Look for command words and words that put the steps in order.
- Read the words in the question. Decide who the words are for and what they do.First, fill the watering can. Then pour the water on the seeds.
- Find the clue words and the layout. Each text type has its own clue words.First / Then
- Write the answer. instructions: they start with a command word and give the steps in order (for example: First, Then).
Check. Each sentence tells the reader what to do. ✓
Method. Look at the start and the end of the text.
- Read the words in the question. Decide who the words are for and what they do.Dear Grandad, thank you for the book. Love from Sam.
- Find the clue words and the layout. Each text type has its own clue words.Dear / Love from
- Write the answer. a letter: it has a greeting (Dear Grandad) and a sign-off (Love from Sam).
Check. A greeting and a sign-off show a letter. ✓