The Author's Purpose and View
Aligned to RI.6.6 — Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
What this lesson teaches
Every nonfiction author writes with a purpose — to inform, persuade, or explain — and often a point of view on the topic. Find clues in word choice, what's emphasized, and what's left out to name both.
Worked examples
Example 1
An article that calls a new highway 'a costly scar on farmland' and cites only downsides has a clear purpose: to persuade against it. The loaded words and one-sided facts reveal the author's point of view.
Example 2
An article describing a factory as 'a lifeline for 400 families' and one calling it 'the plant that poisoned the creek' can both be factually accurate.
Example 3
Look at what an author leaves out. A piece on a new stadium that never mentions who pays for it has a point of view whether it says so or not.
Practice questions
- State whether an article aims to inform, persuade, or explain, and how you can tell.
- Find two words or details that reveal the author's attitude.
- Explain what the author leaves out and how that shapes the message.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
El Propósito y la Postura del Autor
Todo autor de un texto informativo escribe con un propósito — informar, persuadir o explicar — y a menudo con una postura sobre el tema. Busca pistas en la elección de palabras, en lo que se destaca y en lo que se omite para nombrar ambos.
Ejemplo 1: Un artículo que llama a una nueva carretera 'una cicatriz costosa en tierras de cultivo' y solo menciona desventajas tiene un propósito claro: persuadir en contra. Las palabras cargadas y los datos de un solo lado revelan la postura del autor.
Ejemplo 2: Un artículo que describe una fábrica como 'el sustento de 400 familias' y otro que la llama 'la planta que envenenó el arroyo' pueden ser los dos exactos en los hechos.
Ejemplo 3: Fíjate en lo que un autor deja fuera. Un texto sobre un estadio nuevo que nunca menciona quién lo paga tiene una postura, lo diga o no.
More Reading: Informational lessons
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