Purpose and Tone

1
Purpose and Tone

• Uncovering the authors attitude and motives in
  writing.

2
What are purpose and tone?

• Tone is the emotion or mood of the authors
  written voice.
• It is the authors attitude toward the topic.
• Purpose is the reason the author writes about a
  topic.

How does the husband feel about the mother-in-law?
3
What characterizes tone words?

• Objective words are impartial and factual.
• They are also
• Unbiased
• Neutral
• Formal

• Subjective words are personal, opinionated, and
  emotional
• They are also
• Biased
• Emotional
• Informal

4
Are there any tone words?

• Mom, please, she said as she rolled her eyes,
  I would rather do it myself.
• How does the girl feel?
• __a. emotional
• __b. neutral
• __c. factual
• __d. opportunistic

How does the woman feel about her hypochondria?
5
Here is the authors tone

• Mom, please, she said as she rolled her eyes,
  I would rather do it myself.
• How does the girl feel?
• X a. emotional
• __b. neutral
• __c. factual
• __d. opportunistic

How does the woman feel about the imaginary
friend?
6
What is the authors tone?

• Father, I would like to introduce you to
  Professor Monte Salyer, said Nisha with a great
  smile.
• The tone in this situation is
• __a. casual
• __b. sarcastic
• __c. rebellious
• __d. formal
• __e. humorous

Whose greeting is more casual?
7
Here is the authors tone

• Father, I would like to introduce you to
  Professor Monte Salyer, said Nisha with a great
  smile.
• The tone in this situation is
• __a. casual
• __b. sarcastic
• __c. rebellious
• X d. formal
• __e. humorous

Who skipped the normal tone of introductions?
8
What characterizes tone words?

• My fathers name is Henri Powell, and he was
  born in 1943.
• __a. subjective
• __b. objective
• __c. ridiculous
• __d. imbalanced

• Mom, Im having a terrible time could you
  please, please come over?
• __a. details of facts
• __b. details of experience
• __c. details of inconvenience.

9
Here are the tone words

• My fathers name is Henri Powell, and he was
  born in 1943.
• __a. subjective
• X b. objective
• __c. ridiculous
• __d. imbalanced

• Mom, Im having a terrible time could you
  please, please come over?
• __a. details of facts
• X b. details of experience
• __c. details of inconvenience.

10
What are the writers purposes?

• The authors purpose is to
• a. Inform
• b. Persuade
• c. Entertain

• __1. Required physical education classes should
  be a part of public school education from
  elementary through high school
• __2. A healthy diet includes several daily
  servings from each of the major food groups.
• __3. If clothes say much about a person, a woman
  risking life and limb to wear 6-inch- high heels
  to the office must be screaming something about
  herself.

11
Here are the writers purposes

• The word should tells us its persuasion.
• This one is just factual.
• Its fun to watch a woman in heels!

• B 1. Required physical education classes should
  be a part of public school education from
  elementary through high school
• A 2. A healthy diet includes several daily
  servings from each of the major food groups.
• C 3. If clothes say much about a person, a woman
  risking life and limb to wear 6-inch-high heels
  to the office must be screaming something about
  herself.

12
Is it to inform, persuade, or entertain?

• __1. The National Hurricane Center predicts a
  record number of hurricanes in the upcoming
  months.
• __Age is strictly a case of mind over matter. If
  you dont mind, it doesnt matter.
• __Rely on Denta-Fresh toothpaste to stop bad
  breath just as millions of others have.

13
Here are the authors purposes

• I The National Hurricane Center predicts a
  record number of hurricanes in the upcoming
  months.
• E Age is strictly a case of mind over matter. If
  you dont mind, it doesnt matter.
• P Rely on Denta-Fresh toothpaste to stop bad
  breath just as millions of others have.

14
Can you figure out the primary purpose?

• The primary purpose is the authors main reason
  for writing the passage.
• Ask, What is the authors main idea?
• That will reveal the primary purpose.
• Business writing, for example, is to sell product!

Can we trust all of the purposes of big business?
15
What is the primary purpose?

• Think of long-term memory as a data bank for
  all of your feelings and ideas. Information you
  heard hours, days, weeks, even years ago is
  stored in long-term memory. Long term memory can
  handle large amounts of information short-term
  memory has less space for storage. Putting
  information in and getting it out again is a slow
  process in long-term memory. On the other hand,
  short-term memory is a rapid process.

• To argue against poor memory skills.
• To amuse the reader with humorous details about
  long-term memory.
• To inform the reader on the differences between
  long-term and short-term memory.

16
What is the primary purpose?

• Think of long-term memory as a data bank for
  all of your feelings and ideas. Information you
  heard hours, days, weeks, even years ago is
  stored in long-term memory. Long term memory can
  handle large amounts of information short-term
  memory has less space for storage. Putting
  information in and getting it out again is a slow
  process in long-term memory. On the other hand,
  short-term memory is a rapid process.

__a. To argue against poor memory skills. __b. To
amuse the reader with humorous details about
long-term memory. X c. To inform the reader on
the differences between long-term and short-term
memory.
This passage is quite factual.
17
What is verbal irony?

• Verbal irony occurs when the authors words state
  one thing, but imply the opposite.
• Example At the finish line of a marathon, a
  tired runner says, Oh, yeah, Im ready to run
  another 24 miles.

18
What is situational irony?

• Situational irony occurs when the events of a
  situation differ from what is expected.
• Example A high school dropout
  eventually becomes a medical
  doctor.

19
Tone and purpose in review

• The tone is the authors attitude toward the
  topic.
• The objective tone words usually present facts
  and reasonable explanations.
• The subjective tone words describe feelings,
  judgments, or opinions.
• The purpose is the authors reason for writing
  about a topic.
• An authors purpose in using facts to teach or
  explain a main idea is to inform.

20
Tone and Purpose in Review

• Authors combine facts with emotional appeals to
  sway readers to their point of view when their
  purpose is to persuade.
• A writer whose purpose is to entertain sets out
  to amuse or interest the audience.
• The main reason the author writes the passage is
  his or her primary purpose.
• Verbal irony occurs when the authors words state
  one thing but imply the opposite.
• Situational irony occurs when the events of a
  situation differ from what is expected.