Author's Purpose and Text Structure

Grade 3 Reading Worksheet

Circle the answer.

1. Read this first

   Frogs and Toads

   Frogs and toads look a lot alike. Both are amphibians. That means they begin life in water and later live on land. Still, these two animals have some important differences.

   Let's start with how they are the same. Frogs and toads both hatch from eggs laid in water. Both start out as tadpoles with tails. Both eat insects, and both catch them with long, sticky tongues.

   Now let's look at how they are different. A frog's skin is smooth and wet. A toad's skin is dry and bumpy. Frogs have long, strong back legs for jumping. Toads have shorter legs, so they usually take small hops or walk.

   Where they live is different, too. Most frogs stay close to ponds and streams. Toads can live farther from water, such as in gardens and fields.

   Their eggs are also different. Frogs lay eggs in round clumps. Toads lay eggs in long strings, like beads on a necklace.

   In my opinion, toads are the more interesting animal. One toad can eat many insects in a single night. Gardeners are lucky to have them. Next time you see a small brown hopper, look closely. You will know whether it is a frog or a toad.

2. 1.

   What is the author's main purpose for writing this text?

   • to explain to readers how to catch tadpoles in a pond
   • to persuade readers to keep a toad as a pet at home
   • to entertain readers with a story about a frog and a toad
   • to inform readers how frogs and toads are alike and different
3. 2.

   Which text structure does the author use?

   • problem and solution
   • sequence
   • compare and contrast
   • cause and effect
4. 3.

   Which sentence tells readers that differences come next?

   • Most frogs stay close to ponds and streams.
   • Both are amphibians.
   • Now let's look at how they are different.
   • Let's start with how they are the same.
5. 4.

   How are frogs and toads alike?

   • Both have smooth, wet skin.
   • Both live far from water.
   • Both lay eggs in long strings.
   • Both catch insects with sticky tongues.
6. 5.

   How are frog eggs and toad eggs different?

   • Frogs lay strings, and toads lay clumps.
   • Frogs lay clumps, and toads lay strings.
   • Frog eggs are much bigger than toad eggs.
   • Frogs lay eggs on land, but toads do not.
7. 6.

   What does the word amphibians mean in this text?

   • animals that start in water and later live on land
   • animals that hatch from eggs in nests up in trees
   • animals with soft fur that eat only green plants
   • animals that spend their whole lives in the ocean
8. 7.

   Which paragraph tells where each animal lives?

   • the third paragraph
   • the last paragraph
   • the fourth paragraph
   • the second paragraph
9. 8.

   What is the author's opinion in the last paragraph?

   • Frogs jump farther than toads do.
   • Toads are more interesting than frogs.
   • Frogs are more fun to watch.
   • Toads should live near ponds.
10. 9.

    A reader says, 'Frogs are more interesting because they jump so far.' How does that compare with the author's view?

    • The author never shares a view.
    • The reader agrees with the author.
    • The reader disagrees with the author.
    • The author says frogs cannot jump.
11. 10.

    Why does the author end by asking readers to look closely at a hopper?

    • so readers stay away from ponds
    • so readers use what they learned
    • so readers catch it and keep it
    • so readers learn a frog story