This document discusses understanding the purpose and tone of writing. It defines purpose as the author's reason for writing about a topic. The common purposes for writing are to inform, persuade, and entertain. It also discusses tone, which is the author's attitude or emotion toward the topic. Tone can be objective and factual or subjective and emotional. The document provides examples of determining a writer's purpose and examples of tones used in writing.

4. UNDERSTANDINGPURPOSE
ANDTONE

5. PURPOSE
is the author’s reason
for writing about a
topic

6. WHAT ARE THE COMMON PURPOSES FOR
WRITING?

7. WHAT ARE THE COMMON PURPOSES FOR
WRITING?

8. Pain is a normal part of
a physical process that
lets us know something
is wrong.
To inform-
to give information
about a subject
Eating food between two
slices of bread – a
sandwich – is a practice
that has its origins in
eighteenth-century
England.

9. To persuade-
The death penalty is
deeply flawed and
should be abolished.
There are good reasons
why every sandwich
should be made with
whole-grain bread.
to convince the reader to
agree with the author’s
point of view on a subject

10. To entertain-
Yes, I have gained
weight. I weighted only
8 pounds when I was
born.
to amuse and delight; to
appeal to the reader’s senses
and imagination
What I wanted was a
midnight snack, but
what I got was better –
the biggest, most
magical sandwich in the
entire world.

11. What is the writer’s
purpose?
____________ Required physical
education classes should be a part of
public school education from
elementary through high school.

12. What is the writer’s
purpose?
PERSUADE Required physical
education classes should be a part of
public school education from
elementary through high school.
The word “should” tells us it’s persuasion.

13. What is the writer’s
purpose?
____________ A healthy diet includes
several daily servings from each of the
major food groups.

14. What is the writer’s
purpose?
INFORM A healthy diet includes
several daily servings from each of the
major food groups.
This one is just factual.

15. What is the writer’s
purpose?
____________ If clothes say much about a
person, a woman risking life and limb to
wear 6-inch high heels to the office must
be screaming something about herself.

16. What is the writer’s
purpose?
ENTERTAIN If clothes say much about
a person, a woman risking life and limb to
wear 6-inch high heels to the office must
be screaming something about herself.
It’s fun to watch a woman in heels!

17. PRIMARYPURPOSE
is the author’s main reason for writing the
passage
• Ask, “What is the author’s main idea?” and that
will reveal the primary purpose

18. TONE
is the emotion or mood of the
author’s written voice.
•It is the author’s attitude toward
a topic.

19. WHAT CHARACTERIZES TONE WORDS?

20. WHAT CHARACTERIZES TONE WORDS?

21. Objective-
unbiased
neutral
formal
accurate
matter-of-fact
truthful
impartial and factual

22. Subjective-
biased
emotional
informal
admiring
belligerent
disdainful
joyful
poetic
sincere
thoughtful
wry
personal, opinionated,
and emotional

24. What is the tone?
My father’s name
is Henri Powell,
and he was born in
1943.
a) subjective
b) objective

25. What is the tone?
My father’s name
is Henri Powell,
and he was born in
1943.
a) subjective
b) objective

26. What is the tone?
“Mom, I’m having
a terrible time;
could you please,
please come over?”
a) emotional
b) instructive

27. What is the tone?
“Mom, I’m having
a terrible time;
could you please,
please come over?”
a) emotional
b) instructive

28. One commonly used
tone – in conversation
as well as in writing –
is

29. One commonly used
tone – in conversation
as well as in writing –
is irony.

30. Verbalirony
occurs when the author’s
words state one thing but
imply the opposite.

31. Example:
Looking at her son’s messy
room, Mom says, “Wow, you
could win an award for
cleanliness!”

32. Situational irony
occurs when the events
of a situation differ from
what is expected.

33. Example:
A high school dropout
eventually becomes a
medical doctor.