Author's purpose refers to an author's main goal in a piece of writing. Students are expected to describe how the author's purpose is reflected in the way an author writes about a topic. For example, if the purpose is to entertain, the author will probably use jokes or anecdotes. On the contrary, if the goal is to inform or teach, it is likely that the author will include facts, descriptions, and reasonable explanations.

The message of a text refers to the fundamental or basic idea explored or expressed by an author in a text. Students are expected to explain the main point or idea that the author is trying to tell the reader. Sometimes the message may be explicit and straightforward, but in other cases, the message could be embedded in the text and require that students infer the message.