Can anyone explain which two factors combine to form an author's purpose? I'm stuck on my homework.

[Goben]

I'm in 8th grade and we're learning about author's purpose in English class. I thought I understood it—like to persuade, inform, or entertain. But then my teacher asked this specific question: which two factors combine to form an author's purpose for writing a text? and I completely blanked. I've been searching online and getting conflicting answers. Some sources say audience and message , others say purpose and audience , and I've even seen subject and occasion mentioned . My textbook isn't clear either. For those who've taken this class before, what's the actual answer? Is it always the same two factors, or does it depend on the text? I have a test tomorrow and I'm panicking. Any help would be amazing.

 

[Brooks]

The answer is definitely audience and message . Here's why: an author's purpose depends on two things – who they're trying to reach (audience) and what they want to say (message/subject). Think about it – you'd write differently for your friends vs your teacher, right? And the message changes based on whether you're informing, persuading, or entertaining. Those two factors combine to shape everything the author writes. Hope this helps!