Identify Author's Purpose and Tone
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What you will learn
- 1Identify the author's purpose as inform, entertain, or persuade
- 2Recognize tone through word choice and sentence style
- 3Explain how tone supports the author's purpose
Mini Lesson
Every author writes with a purpose — a reason for writing. The three main purposes are to inform (share facts), to entertain (tell a story or amuse), and to persuade (change the reader's mind or actions). Closely linked to purpose is tone — the feeling or attitude the author's word choices create.
Three Main Author's Purposes
- Inform — gives facts, explanations, or instructions. Found in textbooks, news articles, and encyclopedias.
- Entertain — tells a story, creates humor, or sparks imagination. Found in fiction, poetry, and comics.
- Persuade — argues a point or calls the reader to action. Found in opinion pieces, advertisements, and speeches.
Understanding Tone
- Tone is the author's attitude toward the subject or reader.
- Formal tone: professional, serious, objective — common in informational writing.
- Informal/humorous tone: friendly, playful, casual — common in entertainment.
- Urgent/passionate tone: strong emotion, repeated calls to act — common in persuasion.
Words to know
Author's purpose
The reason the author wrote the text: to inform, entertain, or persuade
e.g. The purpose of the safety pamphlet was to inform.
Tone
The attitude or feeling created by the author's word choices
e.g. The advertisement's urgent tone made readers feel they must act now.
Formal tone
A serious, professional style with no slang or casual language
e.g. Scientists reported findings in a formal tone.
Persuasive text
Writing that tries to change the reader's opinion or actions
e.g. The speech used emotion and facts to persuade voters.
Ask yourself: How does this text make me feel, and why? The words and tone that create that feeling often reveal the author's purpose.
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