Author's Purpose

NGSSS

LA .B. l.7. 2: Analyze the author's purpose and/or perspective in a

variety of texts and understand how they arreCl meaning.

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In this lesson, you will learn about author's purpose and perspective. This includes the reason why an author wrote a passage or part of a passage, why an author makes certain language and content choices, and why and how a reader might read a passage.

One purpose for writing is to inform readers, or give information on a topic. When authors write to inform, they give facts and other kinds of details. Articles are examples of this type of writing. They may also explain how to do something. Directions are examples.

Sometimes writers want to persuade readers by using facts and opinions to influence readers to think or act in a certain way. Editorials are examples of this type of writing.

Stories and plays are usually written to entertain. The author wants the reader or the audience to sit back and enjoy the story, even if the story is not always happy or humorous. Sometimes authors write to express their thoughts and feelings. Journals, letters, personal narratives, and poetry are examples.

As a reader, you learn or perceive through an author's eyes, as if you were inside the writer's head. This is the author's perspective. You can recognize an author's perspective in various kinds of writing. Fiction, for example, may have characters with traits that a writer seems to value, yet have other characters with traits that the writer does not seem to value. The writer's attitude is often revealed through descriptions of a character's traits and behavior. In nonfiction, an author's perspective may be revealed through content choice, language, emphasis, and stated or implied opinions.

As you read, think about author's purpose and perspective. Use the chart below.

Author's Purpose + Reader's purpose Meaning

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Read this excerpt from an interview with a nurse. Think about the interviewer's purpose and perspective to answer the question below.

Marilyn Cox, Nurse Specialist

1 Marilyn Cox works with children with diabetes. She also helps run a "diabetes school" for new patients. I shared with her that I was diagnosed with diabetes when I was twelve and that I was concerned about what young people with the disease face.

2 Interviewer: What is your advice to young people with diabetes?

3 MC: Diabetes is challenging, but young people can learn how to balance insulin , food intake, and exercise. Learn about foods that are good for you. Run, jump, and !: walk! Being active is one of the most important pans of treatment.

What is the interviewer's attitnde toward the topic of diabetes?

~ What facts or opinions tell you something about the author, or interviewer? These statements tell about the interviewer: "I was diagnosed with diabetes when I was twelve" and "I was concerned about what young people with the disease face t

~ The purpose of the interview is to inform. What is the tone, or attitude, of the interview? The inter view itself has an objective tone, but there is also an attitude of concern.

~ Which words or details suggest the interviewer's perspective? The word concerned in paragraph 1 is a clue to the interviewer's point of view, or perspective. So is the interviewer's question, which focuses on helping young people with diabetes.

ANSWER: The interviewer is concerned about young people with diabetes.

In paragraph 3, what is Marilyn Cox's altitude toward diabetes?

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Think About It What attitude does the author convey toward Shabby Duds?

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Hint Thinking about the purpose of a selection can help you determine the author's perspective.

CORRECT ANSWER

SUPPORTING DETAilS

INCORRECT ANSWERS

Read the advertisement. Use the Think About It to guide your reading. Then answer the question, Use the Hint to help you.

Shop at Shabby Duds!

Do you prefer fashions [rom bygone days? Do you loathe shopping at department stores where all the clothes look the same? Then you're in for a rewarding shopping experience at Shabby Duds, where yo u'll find an assortment of gently used and reasonably priced clothing from the 1950s to the 1980s. Whether you need a velvet cape [or a party or a costume for a school play, let Shabby Duds meet your used clothing needs. This month our sale rack features the '60s look-from Grandma's fringed vest to Grandpa'S bellbottoms.

Which of these statements best reflects the author's perspective? A Shabby Duds offers unique fashions at good prices.

B No one should buy clothing at Shabby Duds. C The best clothing styles came out in the 1960s.

D Department stores are better than used clo thing stores.

Answer choice A is correct.

The author's positive attitude and persuasive tone try to convince readers to shop at Shabby Duds. According to the author, Shabby Duds has more unique fashions than department stores , and it also has reasonable prices.

B is not correct because the author tries to convince readers that they should shop at Shabby Duds.

C is not correct because the author states only that 1960s clothes are on sale, not that they are the best styles.

D is not correc t because you can figure out that the author prefers Shabby Duds to department stores.

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Think About It What is the author's attitude toward herself in paragraph 1?

What is the author's perspective on Bruce in paragraph 2?

Look at the details that the author included in paragraphs 4 and 5. Do they tell how she reformed?

What is the author's attitude about her newfound organization?

Read the passage. Use each Think About It to guide your reading.

From Flighty to Focused 1 1 confess that I'm a reformed scatterbrain . Never on the ball, 1 was

always late for appointments, forgetting birthdays, leaving the door open, or sleeping through my alarm. I've misplaced keys, money, tickets, homework assignments, jewelry, and favorite CDs. Because 1 was hopelessly undisciplined, people called me "Late Lucy" or "Loosey Lucy."

2 How did l reform? My fri end Bruce showed me the wonders of organization. He's a neat freak, but his capacity for order goes much deeper than a tidy closet or polished loafers. One day, Bruce showed me a giant wall calendar where he keeps track of appointments, dates, and deadlines. By keeping his ca lendar updated , he never scrambles to figure out what needs to get done or where he's supposed to be. He cla ims this lowers stress-now I know firsthand that he's right.

3 Bruce not only has a monthly calendar, but he also organizes his entire month by breaking it down into weeks, days, and hours. That way, he knows what's happening all the time. This might sound geeky, but I admire Bruce because he's able to juggle straight-A schoolwork, a part- time job at a bookstore, a great social life, sports, and hobbies.

4 Following Bruce's advice, ! bought a pocket organizer and wrote all kinds of information in it, such as phone numbers , assignments, and due dates. Inside, I p laced several pads of sticky notes, where I jotted _ lis ts and wrote down everyth ing that needed to be taken care of that day. Whether it was helping my mother bake brownies or turning in a social studies project, nothing was left off the li st.

5 Another "Bruce tip" is to put his alarm clock on the far side of his

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room where he can't possibly turn it off. He pointed out that I don't get enough sleep. I've started to go to bed an hour earlier, and! feel like a new person!

I have learned so many techniques to help me stay organized, andl am relieved that I am finally starting to get my act together. I can honestly say that I enjoy hav ing more free lime now for things I want to do, and I feel like I'm part of the human race again- I just don't have ~

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to race like lance did. '" ~

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Hints

Reread paragraph 1. What was the author like in the past? What attitude toward herself does she reveal?

What words and details does the author use to describe her friend Bruce?

Reread paragraphs 4 and 5. What kind of information do the details provide?

liP-AIR 'S"~RE Wilh your partner, share and disGISS your answers and supporting details .

Use the Hints to answer the questions below. Circle the answers and provide supporting details from the passage.

I Which of these statements best reflects the author's attitude about herself in paragraph l? A She liked the way she did things. B She disliked being a scatterbrain . C She attempted to change her habits. D She wanted everyone to be more like her.

Supporting Details: ________________ _

1 Which of these statements best reflec ts the author's perspective on Bruce? A Bruce knows too little about organization. B Bruce's ability to organize helps him succeed. C Bruce is too rigid and should loosen up. D Bruce will never be fun and spontaneous.

Supporting Details: ________________ _

3 For what purpose did the author write paragraphs 4 and 5? A to tell humorous stories about being scatterbrained B to explain how to use an alarm clock most effectively C to prove that sticky notes are essential for organization D to provide information about how she reformed

Supporting Details: ________________ _

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Read the article "The Erie Canal" before answering Numbers 1 through 5.

The. 1 ErIe Cana

by Angela Alston

In the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Allegheny Mountains formed a natural boundary between the eastern states and the rest of the country. On the other side was the Northwest Territory, which wou ld eventually become illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. This area was rich w ith natural resources, such as plentiful lumber, minerals, and thousands of acres of fertile farmland.

Erie Canal at Salina Street, Syracuse, New York, around 1900

Getting there, however, was not easy. It took about two weeks by carriage to reach these territories, and the going was arduous. The paths were rutted and treacherous in the summer and often totally washed out in the winter. Carrying heavy loads was a difficult, unappealing prospec t.

Then the governor of New York, DeWitt Cl inton, imagined a radical new route: a canal that would connect Buffalo on the western shore of Lake Erie to Albany, which was on the Hudson River.

A canal is a man-made waterway. When only water passes through the canal, it is called an aqueduct. When ships or barges carrying raw materials, people, and ca rgo go through the canal, it is called a waterway. The Erie Canal was to be an immense waterway.

The Scope of the Canal

• The cana l was to stretch 363 miles .

• It was to be 40 feet wide.

Clinton persuaded the state legislature to fund his dream of a grand water route. In 1817, the legislature authorized seven million dollars toward the project. That's close to nine hundred million dollars in today's money.

To say that the project was ambitious is an understatement. The proposed canal was longer than any that existed in Europe or America. And it wasn't without its detractors, who loudly criticized the canal. Preparing the way and digging the canal was so difficult and expensive, the canal was sometimes referred to as "Clinton's Folly" and "Clinton's Ditch."

The canal opened in 1825. To honor the occasion, Governor Clinton sailed from Lake Erie to Albany and down to New York City. There, he poured two casks of water from Lake Erie into the Atlantic Ocean. This ceremonial "Marriage of the Waters" was a symbolic gesture for the connection between the waters of the east and west.

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The effect of the canal on the country was almost immediately felt. Settlers poured into the newly ava ilable lands. Trade skyrocketed as goods and raw materials moved along the canal. This was helped by the cheap trade rates at the time. To move goods by land cost about $100 a ton; to move them by canal was one-tenth of that. Within ten yea rs, New York City was the busiest port in the country, busier than Boston and Baltimore combined.

Many cities sprang up along the canal and prospered. Even today, nearly 80% of people in upstate New York live within 25 miles of the Erie Canal. The canal changed the map of New York and America. It created waves of population movement into the Northwestern Territory, and it put New York City at the epicenter of this new world.

Something to Sing About

American author and poet Cha rles Woodworth wrote the song "The Meeting of the Waters of the Hudson and the Erie." It was ded icated to Governor Clinton. Below are some other popular songs about the Erie Canal.

"The Erie Canal Song"

"The E-ri-e"

"Down by the Erie"

''I'm Afloat on the Erie Canal"

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o Why does the author begin the article with a description of the Northwest Territory?

A. to explain why fe rtile farmJand was so important

B. to show how the Erie Canal would cut through the Allegheny Mowltains

C. to illustrate why people in the eastern states wanted access to the land west of the Allegheny MOWltains

D. to show where Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio once were

., With whim statement would the author most likely agree?

F. Governor Clinton is the best governor in New York's history.

G. The Erie Canal was an important innovation in American history.

H. Governor Clinton should have stopped constructi on when he was criticized .

I. The cost of the Erie Canal outweighed any benefits it eventua lly p rov ided.

• From the author 's point of view, building the Erie Canal was a radical move because

A. the canal was immense and costly.

B. most people d id not support the canal.

C. very few people knew about the canal.

D. the canal would influence popular culture.

Read this sentence fro m the passage.

To say that the project was ambitious was an understatement.

What is the most li kely reason the author describes the project this way?

F. to show that finishing the Erie Canal was impossible

G. to explain how much it cost to build the Erie Canal

H. to explain how huge in scope the project actually was

I. to show why the public did not support building the canal

., What was the author 's main pur pose in writing this passage?

A. to record the costs of the Erie Canal

B. to inform readers about the history and crea tion of the Erie Canal

C. to entertain readers with a humorous story of American innova tion

D. to persuade readers that Cljnton was an outstanding governor

Answer Form

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Number Correct

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