English 9 / Unit 6: Reading Nonfiction
6.5 Author's Purpose and Perspective
Notes
Author's purpose is the reason for writing. Perspective (point of view) is the author's attitude or position on the topic.
- Main purposes: to inform, to persuade, to entertain, and also to explain or describe.
- Clues: word choice, opinions vs. facts, calls to action, humor.
- Bias is a one-sided perspective that ignores other views.
- Fact: can be proven. Opinion: a belief or judgment.
- Example: "Everyone should adopt a shelter pet today!" Purpose: to persuade.
Practice
"The Pacific Ocean covers about 63 million square miles." This sentence is mainly meant to:
It states a fact.
Which statement is an opinion?
"Best" is a judgment that cannot be proven.
An article about a new phone mentions only its strengths and is written by the company that makes it. A reader should be aware of possible:
The source benefits from presenting only one side.
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