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All you need to know All you need to know aboutabout Author’s PurposeAuthor’s Purpose,, PositionPosition andand Point of View Point of View in a nonfiction textin a nonfiction text

What will we learn today?What will we learn today?We will learn how to identify the author’s purposepurpose for writing different texts.

We will learn that one author’s positionposition can differ from another.

We will learn how the

author’s point of view point of view

affects the text.

The author’s purposepurpose is the

reason for writing the text:

to PersuadePersuade,, InformInform, or EntertainEntertain.

What is What is Author’s Author’s PurposePurpose??

Everything you read has a purpose.

When authors write books, magazines, newspapers, on-line articles, even commercials,

they choose their words for a purpose.

PIEPersuadeInformEntertain

When the author’s purpose is to persuadepersuade, the author wants the reader to side with his or her position.

A persuasive text contains factsfacts and the author’s opinionopinion.

Author’s PurposeAuthor’s Purpose

to persuadeto persuade

With persuasive texts, the author’s position is forfor or againstagainst the issue or topic.

Author’s Author’s Purpose Purpose

to informto informIf the author’s purpose is to informinform, the reader learns something from the text.

Informational texts Informational texts often include:

Facts Facts Details Details Instructions Instructions

Descriptions Descriptions Explanations Explanations

Can you identify Can you identify the author’s the author’s purpose? purpose?

YES! The correct

answer is to informto inform.

The label contains information and instructions on how to use the medicine.

Author’s Purpose Author’s Purpose

to entertainto entertain If the author’s purpose is to

entertainentertain, an author writes

to interest the reader.

Not all entertaining texts are funny.

Chasing Lincoln’s Killer was

written for entertainment,

but the story is serious.

Can a text have Can a text have 2 2 purposespurposes??

YES! Some texts will YES! Some texts will have two purposes.have two purposes.

For example, if an article is about eating healthy, it will try to persuadepersuade you to eat your vegetables and informinform you about the different types of food groups.

Can a text have Can a text have 2 2 purposespurposes??Some texts do Some texts do have two purposes.have two purposes.

For example, if a story tells how a teen learned to deal with moving to a new school, thetext would informinform and and entertainentertain the reader.the reader.

InformInform? ? EntertainEntertain?? PersuadePersuade? ?

www.TeenHealth.org offers many on-line articles on topics that concern teens.This text persuadespersuades the reader to “plan your goal” and informsinforms the reader about how to create a personal action plan.

Can a text have Can a text have 2 2 purposespurposes??

Author’s Author’s PositionPositionAn author’s positionposition on a topic refers to what the author thinks about the topic,his or her perspective on the subject.

Authors’ Positions on Italian FoodAuthors’ Positions on Italian FoodOne author may write about the many types of pasta and cheeses available in Italian food. This author’s position is that Italian food offers many delicious choices.

Another author may write that pasta has too many carbs and cheese includes too many fat calories. This author’s position is that Italian food is fattening.

An author’sAn author’s Point of ViewPoint of View in nonfiction in nonfiction

Authors want their readers to see

the topic from their point of viewpoint of view,,

through their eyes, from their outlook.

In nonfiction, point of view point of view is the perspective the author is writing from.

An author’sAn author’s Point of View Point of View

in nonfictionin nonfictionFirst Person First Person - (I, we)

Examples - autobiographies,

memoirs, speeches

Second Person Second Person - (you, your)

Examples – instructions,

recipes, advice

Third Person - (he, she, it, they

Examples – news articles, encyclopedias

Depending on the topic and purpose, nonfiction writers write in different points of view.

Let’s review:

What is Author’s Purpose?What are the 3 reasons authors write a text?What does the term author’s position mean?For a nonfiction text, what is Point of View?

Author’s Author’s PurposePurpose Position, and Position, and Point of ViewPoint of View

Now you understandNow you understandAuthor’s PurposeAuthor’s PurposeAuthor’s Position Author’s Position andand Point of View Point of View

Let’s read!