Key Takeaways
- The four main author purposes are: inform, persuade, entertain, and express
- Tone is the author's attitude, revealed through word choice and style
- Common TEAS tones include objective, formal, optimistic, critical, and skeptical
- Word choice (diction) is the strongest indicator of tone
- Point of view (first, second, third person) affects how information is presented
Author's Purpose and Tone
Understanding why an author writes and how they express their message is essential for TEAS reading comprehension. These skills help you interpret meaning beyond the literal words.
Author's Purpose
Every piece of writing has a purpose—the reason the author wrote it. The four main purposes are:
| Purpose | Goal | Common Formats |
|---|---|---|
| Inform | Teach facts or explain | Textbooks, news articles, encyclopedias |
| Persuade | Change reader's opinion or behavior | Editorials, advertisements, speeches |
| Entertain | Amuse or engage emotionally | Fiction, personal essays, humor |
| Express | Share feelings or personal experiences | Memoirs, journals, poetry |
Note: Many texts have multiple purposes, but one is usually dominant.
Identifying Purpose
Ask yourself these questions:
- Is the author presenting facts objectively? → Inform
- Is the author trying to convince me of something? → Persuade
- Is the author telling a story or being creative? → Entertain
- Is the author sharing personal feelings? → Express
Clues to Purpose:
| Purpose | Clues |
|---|---|
| Inform | Facts, statistics, neutral language, explanations |
| Persuade | Opinions, emotional appeals, call to action, loaded language |
| Entertain | Story elements, humor, vivid descriptions, dialogue |
| Express | First person ("I"), emotions, personal reflections |
Author's Tone
Tone is the author's attitude toward the subject or audience. It is conveyed through word choice, sentence structure, and details.
Common Tones on the TEAS
| Tone | Description | Example Words |
|---|---|---|
| Objective | Neutral, unbiased | The data shows... Studies indicate... |
| Formal | Professional, academic | One must consider... It is essential... |
| Informal | Casual, conversational | You might think... |
| Optimistic | Hopeful, positive | Promising, breakthrough, improvement |
| Concerned | Worried, cautious | Alarming, troubling, worrisome |
| Critical | Disapproving, analytical | Flawed, inadequate, questionable |
| Enthusiastic | Excited, passionate | Remarkable, extraordinary, exciting |
| Skeptical | Doubtful, questioning | Supposedly, allegedly, claims |
Word Choice (Diction)
The specific words an author chooses reveal tone:
| Neutral | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Inexpensive | Affordable | Cheap |
| Thin | Slender | Scrawny |
| Firm | Determined | Stubborn |
| Questioned | Inquired | Interrogated |
Distinguishing Tone from Mood
| Term | Definition | Whose feeling? |
|---|---|---|
| Tone | Author's attitude toward the subject | Author's |
| Mood | The feeling created in the reader | Reader's |
Example: A passage with a serious tone might create an anxious mood in the reader.
Point of View
Point of view affects how information is presented:
| Point of View | Pronouns | Common Use |
|---|---|---|
| First person | I, we, me, us | Personal narratives, memoirs |
| Second person | You, your | Instructions, self-help |
| Third person | He, she, they, it | Academic writing, news |
Third person objective: Reports facts without personal feelings Third person limited: Focuses on one character's perspective Third person omniscient: Knows all characters' thoughts
TEAS Strategy
When analyzing purpose and tone:
- Read the entire passage before answering
- Look at word choice—positive, negative, or neutral?
- Consider the source—where would this text appear?
- Identify the author's main goal
- Eliminate answer choices that don't match the evidence
An author writes: "The new medication has shown remarkable results in clinical trials, offering hope to millions of patients." What is the author's tone?
Which author's purpose is most likely for a textbook chapter about the circulatory system?