GED Reasoning Through Language Arts
Author's Purpose & Tone
Purpose is WHY the author wrote it — to inform, persuade, or entertain. Tone is the attitude in the word choices — worried, admiring, sarcastic, neutral. You find both the same way: by looking at the words the author chose when neutral words were available.
The words first
- purpose
- the author's goal: inform, persuade, entertain, or explain
- tone
- the author's attitude, carried by word choice
- loaded language
- words with built-in feelings: "scheme" vs "plan", "cram" vs "fill"
- neutral
- wording with no feelings attached — the sign of informing, not persuading
The method
PURPOSE — the big three
inform → facts, dates, how things work, balanced wording
persuade → opinions, "should", loaded words, calls to act
entertain → story, characters, humor, suspense
TONE — read the adjectives and verbs
"The committee finally produced its long-delayed report."
finally, long-delayed → impatient, critical
"The committee released its report Tuesday."
just facts → neutral
THE SAME EVENT, THREE WAYS
inform: The city raised bus fares 10% on Monday.
persuade: The city's unfair fare hike punishes working families.
entertain: The fare box ate my last dollar and asked for a tip.
Worked all the way through
The problem
"Once again, the council has chosen to shower money on a stadium while our schools crumble." What are the purpose and tone?
- Step 1 — Underline the charged words."Once again" (they keep doing this), "shower money" (wasteful), "crumble" (neglect).
- Step 2 — Could a neutral writer have said it plainer?Yes: "The council approved stadium funding." The author chose the loaded version.
- Step 3 — Loaded words + a complaint = persuading.The author wants you to disapprove too.
- Step 4 — Name the attitude.Frustrated and critical of the council.
On the board
"once again"
signals a pattern — exasperation
"shower money"
loaded: implies waste
"crumble"
loaded: implies neglect
neutral version existed
author refused it
purpose: persuade · tone: critical
Answer
Purpose: persuade. Tone: critical and frustrated.
A second one, in a different form
"Photosynthesis converts sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into glucose and oxygen." Purpose and tone?
all technical terms, zero opinion
no "should", no loaded words
purpose: inform · tone: neutral
Answer
Purpose: inform. Tone: neutral.
The usual mistake
Confusing the subject's mood with the author's attitude. A calm voice can describe an alarming event.
Check yourself
Swap the author's words for plain ones. If the sentence loses feeling, that feeling WAS the tone — and if it loses a push to agree, the purpose was persuasion.
Practice it
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