2.3 Author's Purpose & Point of View

Four Core Purposes: Inform, Persuade, Explain, Entertain

Assessment Target R.5.1 asks you to "determine an author's point of view or purpose." Every informational passage is written to do something, and naming that goal helps you predict its structure, tone, and the kind of details it uses. The four purposes the GED Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) test asks about most are:

A single passage may blend purposes, but the GED asks for the main or central purpose — the one the whole passage serves. Ask, "What does the author most want me to do after reading — know something, believe something, or do something?"

Point of View and Perspective

Point of view (POV) in an informational text means the author's position or stance on the topic — where the author stands. (In literary text, POV also refers to first- or third-person narration; that meaning is covered in the literature chapter.) Target R.5.2 asks how an author distinguishes his or her position from opposing positions.

Two cautions:

• Do not confuse the author's view with a quoted critic's view. When a passage says "Critics argue that gig work lacks benefits," that is the critics' position, not necessarily the author's.
• Some passages present multiple perspectives on purpose. A passage that lays out both sides of a water-use debate without taking a side has the purpose of presenting multiple perspectives, not persuading. Its point of view is balanced, and the correct answer says so.

Tone: The Author's Attitude

Tone is the author's attitude toward the subject, revealed through word choice. It is not the same as mood (the feeling created in the reader). Learn a working vocabulary of tone words:

To identify tone, underline the emotionally charged words. A passage describing a scientist who "meticulously documented" and "courageously challenged" industry has an admiring tone; one calling a policy "reckless" and "misguided" is critical.

Bias and Word Choice (Connotation)

Connotation is the emotional coloring of a word beyond its dictionary meaning (denotation). Authors reveal attitude and bias through connotation. Compare word pairs describing the same thing:

• thrifty (positive) vs. cheap (negative)
• determined (positive) vs. stubborn (negative)
• meticulously assembled (positive) vs. hastily thrown together (negative)

A passage that praises Rachel Carson's work as "meticulously documented" signals a sympathetic, admiring stance toward her — the loaded word choice reveals the author's position. Bias means presenting only one side; balance means presenting both. Watch also for the line between fact (verifiable — "the wage was set at $7.25") and opinion (a judgment — "the wage is shamefully low"). Opinion words such as should, best, dangerous, and unfair often mark a persuasive purpose.

How Purpose Shapes Structure

An author's purpose drives how the passage is built, so structure is a clue to purpose and vice versa.

Worked example

A passage states that the federal minimum wage "has not risen since 2009," then gives arguments that raising it "reduces poverty," followed by arguments that it "may cost jobs," and closes without endorsing either side. Two clues fix the purpose: the balanced compare-and-contrast structure (pros, then cons) and the neutral tone (no loaded verdict). The central purpose is therefore to present both sides of the minimum-wage debate, not to argue for a raise. A tempting wrong answer — "to argue the wage should be raised" — mistakes one side's evidence for the author's own position.

Match the tone and structure to the purpose, and never assume that quoting an argument means the author endorses it.

Common Mistake: Purpose vs. the Author's Personal Belief

Two errors sink purpose questions. First, students assume any passage on a heated topic must be persuasive — but many are informative or deliberately balanced. Read the tone: neutral wording signals informing, not arguing. Second, students credit the author with every opinion quoted in the text. When a passage says "Supporters claim..." or "Critics warn...," those beliefs belong to the supporters and critics, not the author. The author's own stance shows up in the framing, the tone, and any concluding judgment — not in the quoted voices.

Second worked example: tone from a single word

Consider two sentences about the same law: "The reform finally extended coverage to millions" versus "The reform recklessly extended coverage to millions." The facts are identical, but finally signals relief and approval, while recklessly signals alarm and disapproval. On the GED, a single loaded adverb like this can be the only clue to tone, so read connotation closely before deciding whether an author approves, disapproves, or stays neutral about the subject.