The big idea: Every text has a job — to sell, to warn, to inform, to make you laugh. That job is its purpose. Spot it, and the whole text clicks into place.
You already do this all day. Your phone buzzes three times:
A mate: “you coming or not?”
A shop: “48 hrs only — 50% off!”
A photo of a sign: “Mind the step.”
Straight away you know what each one is for — to get an answer, to sell, to warn. That's reading purpose — and you didn't need a single rule to do it.
The four jobs texts usually do
Persuade
Wants to change what you think or do. An advert wants your money.
Inform
Wants to tell you facts. The news tells you what happened.
Instruct
Wants you to do a task. A recipe tells you what to do.
Entertain
Wants a laugh or a feeling. A meme wants to make you smile.
Persuade · Inform · Instruct · Entertain
The one trick: Once you know the job, read every choice as the writer trying to do that job. That single habit is what turns spotting into analysis.
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Why it matters in the exam: In Paper 1, naming the purpose in your first line gives your whole answer a backbone — every point can tie straight back to it.
What is the main purpose of this poster, and how does one choice serve it? “Phones down. Lives up. Never text and drive.”
Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
Watch out: Don't just name the purpose and stop. The marks come from showing how the choices do the job — that's the analysis.