Transcript Lesson 10: Author`s Purpose and Influence

Lesson 10: Author’s
Purpose and Influence
Competency Goal 2.01, 3.01, and
4.01
EOG Vocabulary








Analyze
Argument
Attitude
Author’s purpose
Bias
Conclusion
Consequence
Counter-argument









Effectiveness
Fact/Opinion
Issue
Mood/Tone
Negative
Neutral
Positive
Propaganda
Underlying assumption
The writer behind the writing:

Everything ever written was written by a
person. To understand a piece of writing,
a reader must understand some things
about the person who wrote it.
To do this, a reader must be able to spot clues
about this mysterious someone, this “author”
person behind the writing.
Tip #1: An author’s tone can be
positive, negative, or neutral.

Positive tone: shows good feelings
about the topic. It might show happiness,
pride, delight, enthusiasm, humor, love,
romance, joy, or a number of other
positive emotions.

The tone could be extremely positive or only
slight positive, depending on the diction (word
choice).

Negative tone: communicates bad
feelings about the topic. It might show
sadness, anger, cynicism, bitterness,
weariness, hate, disgust, or a number of
other negative emotions.

Diction determines this.

Neutral tone: is neither positive nor
negative. If an author has no opinion (or
doesn’t want to show one), he or she will
avoid choosing words that express any
feeling at all.

Words used to describe this tone include fair,
straightforward, neutral, impartial, detached,
and noncommittal.
Read Selections 1, 2, &3

What is the tone of each selection:





Positive
Negative
Neutral
Slightly positive
Slightly negative
Tip #2: Tone is a hint about the
author’s attitude.

Attitude and tone (just like mood) are
closely related.

Author’s tone hints at the attitude toward the
subject being dealt with in a selection [either
approval or disapproval].

Attitude: Slightly bored, somewhat opposed,
somewhat approving, very approving, and any
other adjective that could describe an attitude.
Tip #3: Pay close attention to the
mood the author creates.

Mood is the general atmosphere the
author creates.

Think of mood as the feeling the writer leaves
with you. These can be cheerful, spooky,
suspicious, serious, etc.
Tip #4: Put it all together to
determine the author’s purpose.

Writing to Inform: this involves the
sharing of information without offering
their opinions. They may explain,
describe, give facts, or otherwise inform
you about a topic.


If there are two sides to an issue, authors
represent both sides equally.
Examples: newspaper and nonfiction articles
in magazines

Writing to Entertain: this occurs when
the author is seeking to amuse you with a
funny story or essay, or frighten you with
a scary tale.

Example: short stories, novels, humorous
essays, or poems.

Writing to Teach: writing that is designed
to teach or instruct.

Examples: school textbooks, workbooks,
“how-to” books and magazines, recipes, and
instructions

Writing to Persuade: when an author
wants to persuade you or try to convince
you of something.

Examples: Editorials, letters to the editor, and
movie, book, and music reviews.

Writing to Express: when an author
wants to express their thoughts and
feelings onto paper.

Example: journal entries
Tip #5: Consider the social context
and personal history of the author.


Every piece of writing is influenced by our
society.
Because of this, Bias, having a prejudice,
or a tendency to see certain issues from
only one perspective, can play a huge role
in an author’s purpose.
Tip #6: Know the difference
between facts and opinions.


Facts are statements that can be checked
in other sources to find out whether they
are accurate.
Opinions tell someone’s feelings or views
about a topic.
Practice!!





NC’s state vegetable is the
sweet potato.
NC harvested more than 4
billion pounds of sweet potatoes
in 1989.
Now, that’s a lot of sweet
potato pie!
UNC Chapel Hill is the oldest
state university in the US.
NC’s Outer Banks has some of
the most beautiful beaches in
the country
Tip #7: Propaganda appeals to
your emotions, not logic.

Propaganda is communication that tries
to persuade by appealing mainly to
emotions.

Celebrity endorsements are a form of
propaganda; so are messages that cite
“scientific facts” without providing anything to
back them up.
When reading a nonfiction selection, look for ways a writer
tries to sway your opinion. Note the following techniques:



Bandwagon effect: “everybody’s doing
it, so should you!”
Name-calling: “Mayor _________ is a
dirty crook!”
Stereotyping: “The younger generation
is lazy, self-centered, and disrespectful.”
(This came out of the book—I don’t
believe this!!! )



Snobbery: “Enjoy the finer things in life—
Drive a Lexus”
“Ordinary folks”: “We’re good ole
country folk . . . we don’t need no city folk
tellin us how to run things.”
Glittering generalities: “Try new Glow
toothpaste for a razzle-dazzle smile!”


Testimonial: “If Miss NC uses Shine
Shampoo, you should too!”
Guilt by association: “I saw Jackson
hanging out with those Carter boys who
are always causing trouble. He’s probably
a troublemaker, too.”