Author'S Purpose, Audience, and Organization · 8 min read
Author's Purpose and Point of View
Author's purpose is the reason a text was written. The traditional categories are to inform, persuade, and entertain; many frameworks add to explain (show how or why something happens) and to describe (create a picture of a person, place, or thing). A text may serve more than one purpose, but one purpose usually dominates, and exam questions ask for the primary one. Purpose is inferred from the content, word choice, and structure of the text.
Inform Facts, data, neutral word choice
An article on how bees pollinate crops
Persuade Claims, reasons, appeals, call to action
A letter urging the city to add bike lanes
A short story about a lost dog's journey home
Explain Causes, steps, how or why
An essay on why leaves change color
A paragraph portraying a crowded harbor at dawn
Point of View in Narratives
Point of view is the perspective from which a story is told. In first person, a character narrates using I and we, and the reader knows only what that narrator knows. Second person addresses the reader as you; it is rare in fiction but common in directions and some persuasive writing. In third person, an outside narrator uses he, she, and they. Third-person limited reveals the thoughts and feelings of one character only. Third-person omniscient can reveal the thoughts of any character and may comment on events. Third-person objective reports only actions and dialogue, as a camera would.
Third limited First person
I opened the box slowly, afraid of what I
Third omniscient
Maya opened the box slowly; across the room, her brother hid a grin, knowing it was empty.
Maya opened the box slowly, afraid of might find. what she might find.
In nonfiction, point of view also refers to the author's perspective or attitude toward a subject: an author may favor, oppose, or remain neutral toward an idea. Readers identify this perspective through loaded words, the evidence the author selects, and the evidence the author leaves out.
Shifts in Point of View and Person
A shift in person occurs when a writer changes pronoun perspective without reason, most often from third person (students, a person) or first person (I) to second person (you). Such shifts confuse the reader and are treated as errors in standard written English. The correction is to choose one perspective and use it consistently.
Worked example. (1) When students begin middle school, they often feel nervous. (2) They must find new classrooms and open a locker for the first time. (3) After a few weeks, you usually become comfortable with the routine. (4) Most students soon make new friends. Sentence 3 shifts from third person (students, they) to second person (you). Corrected: “After a few weeks, they usually become comfortable with the routine.”
A shift is also an error when a singular noun is followed by a different-person pronoun: “If a person practices daily, you will improve” should read “If a person practices daily, he or she will improve,” or, more smoothly, “People who practice daily will
Shifts in narrative point of view follow the same principle. A story told in first person by a narrator cannot report another character's private thoughts as fact; the narrator can only observe, guess, or be told. A passage that suddenly does so contains an inconsistency in point of view.
When an item asks which sentence contains a shift in point of view, scan every pronoun. Mark the perspective established in the first sentences, then find the sentence whose pronouns break the pattern.
A paragraph has unity when every sentence relates to its main idea. It has coherence when the sentences follow a logical order and are connected by clear transitions, pronoun references, and repeated key terms. Exam items present a numbered paragraph and ask which sentence best supports the main idea, which sentence detracts from it, which sentence should be moved, or which transition best connects two sentences.
Enhances: adds a relevant fact, example, or reason that develops the main idea. Detracts: introduces an unrelated topic, repeats a point without adding information, or contradicts the main idea. Out of order: a sentence that is relevant but placed where it breaks the time sequence or logical flow. Weak connection: a sentence that needs a transition (however, as a result, for example) to show how it relates to the
Worked Example: A Numbered Paragraph (1) Raising monarch butterflies in a classroom requires careful planning. (2) Students must first locate milkweed, the only plant monarch caterpillars eat. (3) The leaves must be replaced daily, because a growing caterpillar consumes a large amount of food. (4) Many people also enjoy planting sunflowers in their gardens. (5) The enclosure has to be cleaned regularly to prevent disease. (6) Finally, the class must release the adult butterflies at the right time and temperature. (7) When the chrysalis forms, students should avoid touching it. (8) With this preparation, students can observe the full life
States that raising monarchs requires planning
Shows a specific demand: daily fresh food
Sunflowers are unrelated to raising monarchs
The chrysalis stage comes before release; place it before sentence 6
Should be moved Sentence 7
Returns to the purpose of the planning
Sentence 7 is relevant, so deleting it would remove useful information; the problem is its position. Because sentence 6 begins with Finally, any step that occurs earlier in the life cycle must appear before it. Moving sentence 7 so that it follows sentence 5 restores the chronological order and the coherence of the paragraph.
Distinguish between a sentence that is irrelevant (delete it) and a sentence that is relevant but misplaced (move it). Answer options often include both choices for the same sentence.
Delete: off topic, repetitive, or contradictory. Move: on topic but out of time order or logical order. Revise: on topic but unclear, or missing a needed transition.
Coherence also depends on clear pronoun reference and consistent key terms. If a paragraph alternates among caterpillar, larva, it, and the insect without clarity, readers may lose track of the subject. Transitions that signal sequence (first, next, finally), addition (also, in addition), contrast (however, on the other hand), and result (therefore, as a result)
make relationships between sentences explicit.
A sentence that sounds interesting or contains a true fact is not automatically supportive. A detail must develop the specific main idea stated in the topic sentence; a related-but-different point, such as general facts about other insects, still detracts.
Texts are grouped by their purpose and characteristic features. Narrative texts tell a story, real or imagined. Informational (expository) texts present facts and explain topics. Persuasive (argumentative) texts try to convince readers to accept a claim or take an action. Functional texts help readers complete a practical task in daily life. Recognizing the type of text tells a reader how to approach it and what features to expect.
Novels, short stories, personal narratives
Facts, definitions, text features, objective tone
Functional Accomplish a task Steps, labels, fields, concise wording
Text Features in Informational Texts
Text features are the parts of a text outside the main body that help readers locate, preview, and understand information. Items often ask which feature would best help a reader find or clarify a specific piece of information.
Table of contents and index
Headings and subheadings
Divide the text into sections and
The contents list sections in order; the index lists topics alphabetically with announce the topic of each.
Glossary Captions
Defines key terms used in the text,
Diagrams and charts
Show parts, processes, or data visually; labels identify parts.
Explain what a photograph or illustration arranged alphabetically at the back. shows.
Bold and italic print
Signal important vocabulary or emphasis.
Other common features include sidebars (boxed supplementary information), maps, timelines, graphs, and bulleted or numbered lists. A reader who needs the meaning of a technical word uses the glossary; a reader who needs to find every page that mentions a topic uses the index; a reader who wants to understand the parts of a machine uses a labeled
Functional texts include directions and instructions (numbered steps in order, imperative verbs such as mix, attach, press), forms (fields for name, date, signature), schedules and timetables (information arranged in rows and columns by time), menus, labels, signs, and letters of request. Functional writing values clarity and brevity over style. Exam items may ask which revision makes a set of directions easier to follow, which typically involves numbering steps, putting them in order, and beginning each with a verb.
Worked example. Unclear directions: “The seeds go in after you fill the cup with soil, and water them, but first poke holes in the bottom of the cup.” Revised: 1. Poke three small holes in the bottom of the cup. 2. Fill the cup with soil. 3. Plant two seeds about one inch deep. 4. Water the soil lightly. The revision places the steps in order, numbers them, and begins each with a command verb.
Persuasive texts contain features that informational texts do not: a stated position, emotionally charged or evaluative words, and a call to action. If a passage presents facts only to support a recommendation, its primary purpose is to
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