This section of our PERT reading study guide discusses author’s purpose—what the writer is hoping to accomplish with their work—and the strategies they use to achieve that purpose.
Purpose vs. Tone
In all writing, an author has a goal. That goal may be to entertain, persuade, inform, or describe something to a reader. Authors use various strategies to accomplish this purpose, from rhetorical devices and figurative language to adapting their tone.
The tone of the passage is its general attitude, as expressed through structure and word choice. Essays that are meant to inform, for example, may have a very professional or academic tone; the author might choose to avoid personal pronouns, use technical language, and stick to factual statements without using figurative language or humor. On the other hand, a piece of fiction meant to entertain may have a very silly tone—or, in the case of a crime novel, a mysterious and tense tone.
How to Approach Author’s Purpose and Tone Questions
Below are four techniques that you can use when you are answering a question about the author’s purpose or about the tone of a passage.
Identify the Author’s Intent
- Purpose of the passage: Author’s purpose questions ask why the author wrote the passage. Is it to inform the reader, persuade them to a particular viewpoint, entertain with a story, or explain something in detail? To determine this, consider the passage’s subject matter and how the author presents it.
- Recognize persuasive techniques: If the author is trying to convince the reader, look for techniques like emotional appeals, strong language, or calls to action.
Examine the Author’s Language and Tone
- Tone clues: Tone refers to the author’s attitude toward the subject. You can often determine the tone by examining word choice and phrasing. Is the tone formal, casual, serious, humorous, or urgent?
- Pay attention to adjectives and adverbs: Descriptive words often reveal how the author feels about the topic. Words like “critical,” “essential,” or “outrageous” suggest strong opinions, while more neutral words imply a less emotional tone.
Look at How the Passage is Framed
- Ask how the information is presented: Is the passage written to explain something step-by-step? Does it seek to entertain the reader with a story? Does it try to change the reader’s mind about an issue? This can give you insight into the author’s purpose.
- Formal vs. informal: Formal writing often appears in informative or instructional texts, while informal or conversational writing might indicate the author is trying to entertain or appeal to the reader more personally.
Eliminate Distractors and Focus on the Main Intent
- Beware of irrelevant options: Some answer choices may reflect a small part of the passage or an individual example but don’t align with the passage’s overall purpose. Eliminate these choices and focus on the passage as a whole.
- Avoid extreme answers unless warranted: Authors rarely use highly exaggerated tones unless they are intentionally being satirical or humorous. If the author’s tone isn’t clearly exaggerated, avoid answers that seem too extreme or out of place.
Key Tip: Always consider how the author’s tone and language serve their overall purpose. Tone is the emotional undercurrent of the writing, while purpose is the reason the author is writing.