Identify Author's Purpose and Tone
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Learning Objectives
- 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.
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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