Copyright © 2011, Pearson Education, Inc. Tone and Author’s Purpose by Patricia Osterman Palm Beach State College Palm Beach Gardens, Florida by Patricia

Copyright © 2011, Pearson Education, Inc.

Tone and Author’s Purpose

by

Patricia OstermanPalm Beach State College

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

by

Patricia OstermanPalm Beach State College

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Pearson Developmental ReadingPearson Developmental Reading


Learn and Discover

Get ready to explore Tone and

Author’s Purpose.


We have all heard something like this before…

“It’s not what you say, but how you say it.”

“Don’t take that tone of voice with me!”


So, what is tone?

Tone = Mood

The tone of the passage refers to the mood or feelings of the author.

Tone shows the author’s attitude toward the subject.


Imagine this…

You walk into a room and are happy with what you see. You say, “Great!”How does it sound?

You walk into a room and are unhappy with what you see. You say, “Great.”

How does it sound?

Enthusiastic!

Sarcastic!


When you speak, your tone is expressed through your voice.

You modulate your voice, changing your pitch up and down, in order to show how you feel about the topic.


“ ”

!

But, how do you “hear” tone in reading?Punctuation

“What a productive meeting!”

Exclamation points are used to show that there is strong feeling.

“His “brilliance” is what got us into this mess.”

Quotation marks can be used to show sarcasm or irony.

(This means his so-called brilliance, not real brilliance.)


Pay attention to vocabulary!

Writers choose words carefully, so think about the feeling, attitude, or emotion expressed.Consider these and ask yourself what feeling is expressed.

Is it positive, negative, or neutral?“My manager asked me to clean the office.”

“My manager demanded that I clean the office.”

“My manager begged me to clean the office.”

Does the word choice change the tone? How?


What is author’s purpose?

The purpose is the reason that the author is writing.

There are three main reasons why author’s write.

to informto persuadeto entertain


Writing to InformInformational writing is neutral. The author does not taking a position for or against the subject.

Informational writing will include. . .

Facts (and lots of them!)Objective (neutral) vocabulary

Note: Facts are often included in persuasive and

entertaining writing as well.


Informational writing can be found in…

To illustrate To explain To instruct To clarify

Informational writing may include these more specific purposes:

To analyze To define To classify To compare /

contrast


Writing to PersuadeIn persuasive writing, the author has a particular point-of-view, or attitude, about the subject.

Persuasive writing will include. . .

Opinions (and lots of them!)Biased (subjective) vocabulary

Note: Sometimes, the author explicitly states his or

her position, but it can also be implied.


Persuasive writing can be found in…

Persuasive writing may include these more specific purposes:

To advise To convince To criticize To praise

To evaluate To argue for or

against To compare / contrast


Writing to EntertainMost entertaining writing is based on stories or narratives.

Entertaining writing may include. . .

Characters with particular attitudesBiased (subjective) vocabulary

Note: Stories can also be used persuasively. They

can be used to give advise or to convince someone to think or act a certain way.


Entertaining writing can be found in…

To amuseTo scareTo create an emotional reaction

Entertaining writing includes these more specific purposes:


If the purpose of a text is to inform, it must be neutral (unbiased, objective), presenting only the facts.

If the text contains biased language, it is not neutral; therefore, the purpose is not to inform but rather to persuade.


Test Your Understanding

Get ready to write down your answers. You will need paper and pen or pencil.


Consider this scenario:

You will read several possible notes. Determine the tone of

each.

You have arrived at your friend’s house to pick her up for a movie. You spoke to her at 3 p.m. and agreed that you would pick her up at her house at 7 p.m. It is now 7:15. The movie begins at 7:45, and it is at least a 20-minute drive to the theater. Other friends are meeting you there. You decide you can wait no longer and leave a note for your friend.


1.It is 7:15, and I can’t wait any longer. I’ve called your cell and got no answer. I can’t imagine what has happened! This isn’t like you. Please call me or text me as soon as you get my note. I’ll keep my phone on vibrate. I really hope you are okay!

What is the tone? What is the purpose?Possible answers include Tone: worried, concerned, confused Purpose: to clarify, to express concern


2.You are such a jerk. This is the last time I will ever agree to pick you up. I drove 20 minutes out of my way to pick you up, and what do you do? You to stand me up again! Find someone else to drive you around. Lose my number!

Possible answers include Tone: angry, frustrated, critical Purpose: to criticize

What is the tone? What is the purpose?


3.Do you think you are more important than anyone else? Do you think the rest of us have nothing better to do with our time or money than to waste it on you? How dare you not call or text me to say you couldn’t make it! You have no idea how to be a friend.

Possible answers include Tone: indignant Purpose: to criticize, to scold



4.Wow, it must be really hard to have such a busy schedule and important life that you couldn’t take 30 seconds to send me a text to let me know that you changed your mind about going to the movie. Thank you so much for standing me up. You are so considerate!

Possible answers include Tone: sarcastic, angry Purpose: to criticize



5.Hey, I waited as long as I could, but I don’t want to miss the movie. I know stuff happens. Hope alls well and that you can still make it somehow. If not, we are going to Peter’s house afterwards to hang out. Call me if you want to come, and I’ll swing by. Later!

Possible answers include Tone: understanding, supportive, positive Purpose: to explain



6.It’s 7:15. The theater is at least a 20-minute drive, and the movie starts at 7:45. I’ve got to leave now to make it on time.

Possible answers include Tone: neutral Purpose: to explain, to inform



Next, we will look at some longer paragraphs.

For each, you will be asked to identify

The Main Idea

The Overall Pattern of Organization

The Author’s Purpose


7. There are several different types of people at the gym. First, there are the “regulars.” These are the folks who go to the gym several days a week to work out. They have a set amount of time that they spend, whether it is doing a class, walking on the treadmill or lifting weights. They are dressed in sweat pants and t-shirts, nothing fancy. They just want to get the job done and go home. Next are the “heavy lifters.” These people are serious about developing bulging muscles. They are found almost exclusively in the weights area where they spot one another and share tips. They spend hours working on their bodies. The final group is made up of the “socializers.” These individuals are at the gym to see and to be seen. For them, the gym is another place to show off the latest fashions. They spend some time working out, but they spend more time chatting with others while they are on the machines or while sitting at the juice bar. It “takes all types to make the world go ‘round,” and the gym is a microcosm of the larger world. What is the…

•Main idea?

•Overall pattern of organization?

•Author’s purpose?To classify the types of people at a gym

First sentence

Classification


What is the…

•Main idea?


•Author’s purpose?To explain the effects of teen pregnancy

Last sentence

Cause / Effect

8. If a girl gets pregnant when she is still a teen, she is faced with the difficult decision of whether to keep or to give up the child. If she chooses to keep the child, her life will be forever changed. She will have to ‘grow up’ immediately. If she gives up the baby, the pain is likely to haunt her for the rest of her life. Her parents may or may not be supportive, and without the support of her parents, raising a child on her own will be very difficult. Of course, the father of the baby should be willing to step in and take responsibility, but unfortunately, many fathers deny that the child is theirs and run away from the situation. This leaves the young woman on her own to deal with the future. Problems with her family and the boyfriend can lead to low self-esteem. Furthermore, if she has kept the baby, the new responsibilities will likely cause her to drop out of school. With a lack of education, her prospects for a good job with a decent salary are very limited. While some young women who get pregnant at a young age are able to turn their lives around through the support of family, friends, and social agencies, for a large majority of young girls, teen pregnancy begins a cycle of poverty.


What is the…

•Main idea?


•Author’s purpose?To show the differences of the 2 cities

First sentence

Compare / Contrast

9. Even though they are located in the same Florida county, there are many differences between the towns of West Palm Beach and Belle Glade. The first difference is the population. West Palm Beach is a major city of over 100,000 people. All income brackets and ethnic backgrounds are represented. In Belle Glade, the population is much smaller and poorer. In fact, the majority of Belle Glade’s residents are migrant farm workers, many from the Caribbean and Mexico. The second difference between these two towns is in job opportunities. In West Palm Beach, residents can find almost any type of job imaginable. There are many stores, factories, and service industries offering employment. In Belle Glade, however, there are few opportunities other than farming. Finally, the educational opportunities are very different. In West Palm Beach, students have a variety of schools to choose from in high school and at the college level. However, in Belle Glade, there is only one high school and one small satellite campus of the community college. For these reasons, many people who grow up in Belle Glade can not wait to move to the ‘big city’ where they can have greater opportunities.


What is the…

•Main idea?


•Author’s purpose?To define “snob”

First sentence

Definition

10. A snob is a person who thinks he or she is better than anyone else. For example, I grew up with a girl named Annie. Although we were friends throughout our childhoods, once Annie married a multi-millionaire, she no longer wanted to have anything to do with her non-affluent friends or family. Another example is “Joe.” He was the quarterback on the football team, homecoming king, and he had a near-perfect body. When we were younger, Joe was kind and friendly to everyone, but once he started to become popular, he would no longer speak to his former average-looking friends. Another girl, Jessica, thought she was smarter than everyone. She made straight ‘A’s, scored high on the SATs, and received a full scholarship to Harvard . She constantly looked down her nose at everyone else. These are examples of how snobbery can show itself in many different ways.

Documents

Copyright © 2011, Pearson Education, Inc. Tone and Author’s Purpose by Patricia Osterman Palm Beach State College Palm Beach Gardens, Florida by Patricia