How does their purpose and perspective affect meaning?

What is author’s purpose?

 It is the goal or aim an author expresses in a work.  If you can recognize the text structure, figuring out the author’s purpose or perspective becomes easier.

Just a Review

 Text structure is how our texts are organized.  Cause and Effect  Problem and Solution  Descriptive  Compare and Contrast  Chronological Order

Other text structures to consider…

      Spatial order  Describe how something looks or its location Bulleted lists  Make important points Degree order  Ideas are presented in order of importance Foreshadowing  The author gives subtle hints of what will happen later Flashback  The author starts with a situation and then takes you back to earlier events Argument/support  The author takes a stand on an issue and then supports it with details

Before…

 You learned that author’s purpose can either be to explain, persuade, entertain, or inform.

But… ○ Explain what?

○ Persuade whom?

○ Entertain why?

○ Inform of us what?

Now…

 We have to think about what the author is explaining, who the author is persuading, why the author is entertaining, and what the author informing us of.

 This is where knowing the text structure comes into play.

Determining Author’s Purpose

 Once you know the type of text structure, then consider the type of writing.

Type of Writing Author’s Purpose

Narrative Descriptive Expository Persuasive To tell a story To illustrate a person, event, or place; to convey a mood To explain, illustrate, or present information To express an opinion and convince readers to think, feel, or act a certain way

Using the Title

 The title of a passage can help you predict the main idea and the author’s purpose.  Look at the titles on the next page and think about what the author’s purpose might be.

 Example ○ Title: Scuba Diving Basics ○ Purpose: Explain what people need to know to go scuba diving.

What is the author’s purpose?

 Red Heads Rule: Why It’s Good to Be a “Carrot Top”  10 Ways to Improve Your Study Habits  Lessons from My Great-Grandmother

What is the author’s perspective?

 It’s their point of view!

 This is the author’s position on a subject and how their point of view is expressed.

Type of Writing

Fiction Non-fiction Persuasive

Elements of Perspective

The author may use characters or a narrator to express the author’s attitude.

The author’s perspective is primarily neutral. Informative writing is used to explain, describe, or instruct.

The point of view clearly reflects the author’s attitude about a subject.