New Hampshire Foundations of Reading Practice Test

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Study for the New Hampshire Foundations of Reading Test. Explore quiz flashcards and multiple-choice questions, complete with hints and explanations. Prepare confidently for your exam!

Practice this question and more.

What is primarily the purpose of a persuasive essay?

To inform the readers about a specific topic
To convince readers to agree with a particular point of view
To entertain readers with a story
To compare and contrast two ideas

The correct answer is: To convince readers to agree with a particular point of view

A persuasive essay is designed with the primary goal of convincing readers to adopt a specific point of view or take a particular action. This type of writing employs various rhetorical strategies, such as appealing to emotions, using logical reasoning, and presenting strong evidence to persuade the audience. The effectiveness of a persuasive essay lies in its ability to engage the reader and sway their beliefs or behaviors towards the writer's argument. In contrast, the other options serve different purposes. Informative essays aim to educate the audience about a specific topic without advocating for a particular stance. Entertaining essays focus on storytelling and engaging the audience through narrative techniques rather than persuasion. Finally, comparative essays are structured to analyze the similarities and differences between two ideas or subjects, rather than convincing the reader of one particular perspective. Each of these other genres has its own unique purpose, distinct from the objective of a persuasive essay.