Final answer:
The author's purpose to inform is best represented by a short essay describing a recent trip to New Zealand, as this type of writing aims to provide facts and information in an educational manner.
Step-by-step explanation:
The author’s purpose to inform is most likely evident in a short essay describing a recent trip to New Zealand. The goal of such an essay would be to provide information and to explain the experiences and observations from the trip. This contrasts with the other options, which serve different purposes, such as expressing grief in a poem for a deceased friend, entertaining or critiquing in a glowing movie review, and revealing character or advancing a plot in a dialogue between two characters in a play.
When considering the author's purpose, it is important to recognize the different intentions behind writing. An essay typically aims to inform by communicating facts and information in a manner that educates the reader. This may include presenting details about places, events, or experiences in a way that helps the reader gain a deeper understanding of the subject.
On the other hand, poetry often serves to convey emotions or ideas, a movie review generally aims to persuade the reader or viewer concerning the quality of the movie, and the dialogue in a play is meant to entertain by depicting interactions that are part of a narrative.
In informative writing, techniques like comparison, contrast, description, narration, and sequencing may be employed to help convey the information in a structured manner. Essays often combine these strategies to deliver the writer’s message clearly and effectively. Therefore, among the provided options, the essay about a New Zealand trip would most likely fulfill the purpose of informing.