Authors Tone and

Purpose
Prof. Miguel A. Arce Ramos
English 11th
Authors Tone
The authors purpose is expressed by the tone of
voice he or she assumes in writing.

Tone is the emotion or mood of the authors written

voice. Purpose and tone are so closely related that
they work together.

Purpose and tone are established with word choice.

To identify tone and purpose, you need to build on

several skills you have already studied: vocabulary,
inference, and main ideas.
Authors Tone
Tone clues the reader to the authors primary
purpose.

An objective tone usually presents facts and

reasonable, un-biased explanations.

A subjective tone allows a writer to share his or her

personal worldview through fiction and personal
essays.

The subjective or emotional tone words describe

senses, feelings, personal experiences, judgments,
biases, or opinions.
Authors Tone
Tone in writing is not really any different than the
tone of your voice.

You know that sometimes it is not what you say,

but how you say it.

Every adjective and adverb you use, your sentence

structure, and the imagery you use will show your
tone.

The definition of tone is the way the author

expresses his attitude through his writing.
Authors Tone
Tone, in a piece of literature, decides how they
readers read a literary piece and how they should
feel while they are reading it.

It stimulates the readers to read a piece of

literature as a serious, comical, spectacular or
distressing. In addition, tone lends shape and life to
a piece of literature because it creates a mood.

Moreover, tone bestows voice to characters and it

throws light on the personalities and dispositions of
characters that readers understand better.
Authors Tone
Examples of tone in a story include just
about any adjective you can imagine:
Scared
Anxious
Excited
Worried
Foolish
Smart
Depressing
Authors Purpose
An author writes for many reasons.
An author may give you facts or true
information about a subject, therefore the
author is informing.

Some authors write fiction stories and these

stories are to entertain you.

Other authors may write to persuade or to

try to get you to do something.
Authors Purpose
To Inform
Reading for informational purposes is one of
the most common forms of reading.

The objective of this type of reading

material is to present data that the reader
didnt previously know or data that the
reader needs to further their knowledge.

Informative or expository writing provides

factual information about a topic.
Example of Informative
Reading
Reading for Entertainment
Typically literature that should be used for
entertainment are fictional stories.

Even though not every fictional piece of

literature is not entertaining for everyone
but it is entertaining for a specific group of
people.

A story may have a lesson, but the authors

main purpose is to entertain.

All narratives are written to entertain.

Examples of Entertainment
Reading

Literature

Movie Scripts

Poetry

Narrative Writings
Persuasive Literature
Persuasive writing expresses an opinion (may
use facts to support).

Attempts to influence the reader.

Usually makes an argument.

Example of Persuasive
Literature
Authors Tone
Depressed Tone

And the trees all died. They were orange

trees. I dont know why they died, they just
died. Something wrong with the soil possibly
or maybe the stuff we got from the nursery
wasnt the best. We complained about it. So
weve got thirty kids there, each kid had his
or her own little tree to plant and weve got
these thirty dead trees. All these kids looking
at these little brown sticks, it was
depressing.
Sarcastic Tone

All morons hate it when you call them a moron.

If a girl looks swell when she meets you, who gives

a damn if shes late? Nobody.

Goddamn money. It always ends up making you

blue as hell.

Catholics are always trying to find out if youre

Catholic.
Insane Tone

It was A LOW, DULL, QUICK SOUND -- MUCH

SUCH A SOUND AS A WATCH MAKES WHEN
ENVELOPED IN COTTON. I gasped for breath, and
yet the officers heard it not. I talked more
quickly, more vehemently but the noise steadily
increased. I arose and argued about trifles, in a
high key and with violent gesticulations; but the
noise steadily increased. Why WOULD they not
be gone? I paced the floor to and fro with heavy
strides, as if excited to fury by the observations
of the men, but the noise steadily increased. O
God! What COULD I do? I foamed -- I raved -- I
swore! I swung the chair upon which I had been
sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the
noise arose over all and continually increased. It
grew louder -- louder -- louder!
Intense Tone
There was a steaming mist in all the hollows,
and it had roamed in its forlornness up the hill,
like an evil spirit, seeking rest and finding none.
A clammy and intensely cold mist, it made its
slow way through the air in ripples that visibly
followed and overspread one another, as the
waves of an unwholesome sea might do. It was
dense enough to shut out everything from the
light of the coach-lamps but these its own
workings, and a few yards of road; and the reek
of the laboring horses steamed into it, as if they
had made it all.
Serene Tone
This was the last fish we were ever to see Paul
catch. My father and I talked about this moment
several times later, and whatever our other
feelings, we always felt it fitting that, when we
saw him catch his last fish, we never saw the
fish but only the artistry of the fisherman.
Peaceful Tone
But I feel peaceful. Your success in the ring this morning
was, to a small degree, my success. Your future is
assured. You will live, secure and safe, Wilbur. Nothing
can harm you now. These autumn days will shorten and
grow cold. The leaves will shake loose from the trees and
fall. Christmas will come, and the snows of winter. You
will live to enjoy the beauty of the frozen world, for you
mean a great deal to Zuckerman and he will not harm
you, ever. Winter will pass, the days will lengthen, the
ice will melt in the pasture pond. The song sparrow will
return and sing, the frogs will awake, the warm wind will
blow again. All these sights and sounds and smells will be
yours to enjoy, Wilburthis lovely world, these precious
days
Authors Purpose
To Inform, Entertain or to
Persuade?
It was a glorious morning in Alabama.
The sun was shining through the trees.
Alan couldn't wait to find his fishing
pole and call his friend Sam to go
fishing. They had a great time on these
early morning fishing trips. They took
their dogs with them and the dogs
would swim in the lake while they
fished. It was so funny to watch those
dogs paddle around the lake.
To Inform, Entertain or to
Persuade?
The Slim-O-Matic will cause you to loose
pounds and inches from your body in
one month. This amazing machine helps
you to exercise correctly and provides
an easy video to show you the proper
way to exercise. Send $75.99 and begin
exercising today.
To Inform, Entertain or to
Persuade?
The Underground Railroad was a secret
organization which helped slaves escape
to freedom. Many slaves were able to
escape because of the conductors and
station masters. The northern states
were free states and slaves were free
once they arrived in the north. Secret
codes and signals were used to identify
the conductors and station masters.
To Inform, Entertain or to
Persuade?
Judy Glen's amazing Wrinkle Remover
cream will make you look younger in
thirty days or less. This remarkable
cream has special ingredients to make
your wrinkles disappear. The cost for a
thirty day supply is $ 25.99. Send your
check to P.O. Box 00002, Shelton, CA
74836
To Inform, Entertain or to
Persuade?
Thomas was not happy one little bit. His
sister, Susan was making honor roll
again. His parents would allow her to do
anything she wanted to do. Thomas was
not making honor roll this time and he
was not going to be allowed to do all the
things he wanted to do. Poor Thomas!
He would just have to study harder and
get back on the honor roll.
To Inform, Entertain or to
Persuade?
Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder was
born on February 7, 1867 in Pepin,
Wisconsin to Charles and Caroline
Ingalls. She met and married
Almanzo James Wilder in 1885. She
published many books based on her
travels to the west. Her writing
became the basis for the " Little
House" series She died in 1957.
To Inform, Entertain or to
Persuade?
HAMSTERS FOR SALE: Braxton
Pet Store, Northwood Mall: We have
a large selection of hamsters for sale
this week. They are interesting pets
and you will enjoy having one. They
are only $ 17.99 this week. Come
and buy yours today!
To Inform, Entertain or to
Persuade?
Calligraphy is a form of handwriting . A
special pen must be used. Letters are
formed using up and down strokes. Old
documents are usually written in this
form. Diplomas , certificates and other
awards are written in calligraphy. It is an
interesting form of handwriting.
To Inform, Entertain or to
Persuade?
Katina and her brother, Jess were
playing with the water hose outside one
day. Jess was hiding from Katina so she
wouldn't squirt him with the water. The
back door opened and Katina pointed
the water hose toward the door. It was
Mom and she was dripping wet!
To Inform, Entertain or to
Persuade?
Rosie had the best time making her
valentine cards for her classmates. She
used red and white paper, heart stickers,
markers and anything else she could
find. It was great. Her friends are
planning a valentine party on Feb. 14th
at school. The one she made for her best
friend is funny. Funny valentines are nice
to get.
To Inform, Entertain or to
Persuade?
Theeasy Chopper 3 will chop
your vegetables for you in
about 30 seconds. It is easy to
use and you can use any
vegetable. The cost is $ 29.95.
Order yours today!
To Inform, Entertain or to
Persuade?
Abraham Lincoln's birthday is
on Feb. 12th. He was a great
President of the United States.
He was our 16th President. He
is remembered for freeing the
slaves.
To Inform, Entertain or to
Persuade?
Joe had been fishing for over two hours
without a single bite. Suddenly there was
a nibble at the end of his fishing line. He
stood up on the boat and leaned out too
far. Just then there was a sharp yank on
the line. Joe fell overboard and landed
head first into the water. Joe and his
friends laughed and laughed.
To Inform, Entertain or to
Persuade?
The giant panda is a bearlike animal
that has thick white fur with black
markings on its ears, limbs, shoulders,
and around its eyes. The giant panda
feeds on bamboo forests at high
altitudes in western China. It also eats
bulbs, roots, eggs, and some small
mammals. The cubs are born in late
winter. The giant panda is an
endangered species and is protected by
the Chinese government.
To Inform, Entertain or to
Persuade?
A story about a family trying to stick together and
survive through the Great Depression in the
Midwest in the 1930s.

A section in a history book describing the conditions

and causes of the Great Depression in the Midwest
in the 1930s.

An instructional booklet describing how to operate

an MP3 player.

An article where the author argues that an Iphone is

better than any Android phone.
To Inform, Entertain or to
Persuade?
A poem about why the IPOD is the greatest
consumer electronic device ever made.

The story of a young athlete who takes steroids and

his life and future fall apart.

A medical report describing the effects of steroids

on the human body.

A speech written by Jose Canseco listing the

negative effects of steroids and urging young
athletes to not use steroids.
To Inform, Entertain or to
Persuade?
A booklet containing the school rules and the
consequences for violating those rules.

A story written about a young boy who moves to a

new school and is bullied, but he gains self-
confidence by joining a sports team and learns to
stand up for himself.

A pamphlet urging people not to eat animals or use

products made from animals or animal suffering
because the author thinks that is cruel and
unnecessary.
To Inform, Entertain or to
Persuade?
A cook book containing recipes for making cakes,
cookies, and other desserts.

The story of a young woman who, after the death of

her grandfather, quit her job in the business world
and returned home to help her aging grandmother.

A politicians speech about how health insurance

should be provided to all families.

The horoscope section in a magazine predicting how

things may happen for people based on the month
in which they were born.
To Inform, Entertain or to
Persuade?
The Shakespeare tragedy Romeo and Juliet, where
two young lovers are forbidden from seeing one
another due to a centuries old blood feud between
their two families.

An article comparing and contrasting American and

European health care systems.

The documentation and instructions for a new

touch-screen tablet PC.

The first issue of Wolverine, published by Marvel in

1982.