English for Academic and Professional Purposes PDF - Week 2

WEEK 2 Author’s Purpose, Intended Audience, Tone, and Point of View Purposes: To persuade, to inform, to entertain Intended Audience Author’s Tone and Point of View Lesson Objectives: Identify the characteristics o...

WEEK 2 Author’s Purpose, Intended Audience, Tone, and Point of View Purposes: To persuade, to inform, to entertain Intended Audience Author’s Tone and Point of View Lesson Objectives: Identify the characteristics of persuasive, informative and entertaining texts. Name the factors that distinguish the different types of audience to whom the authors would write for. Distinguish words that create a positive, a negative, or a neutral tone in written texts. Explain what tone a written text sends to the reader. Author’s Purpose The author’s purpose is the reason behind writing the text. It can be to inform, persuade, entertain, explain, or express an opinion. It is universally accepted there are three base categories of the Author’s Purpose: To Persuade, To Inform, and To Entertain. These can easily be remembered with the PIE acronym. 1. To persuade The author aims to convince the reader to agree with a particular viewpoint or take a specific action. This can be seen in opinion pieces, advertisements, or political speeches. When a text is written to persuade, it aims to convince the reader of the merits of a particular point of view. In this type of writing, the author attempts to persuade the reader to agree with this point of view and/or subsequently take a particular course of action. Examples: o Editorial on Climate Change: An article arguing that governments should implement stricter environmental regulations to combat climate change. o Advertisement for a Fitness Program: A flyer promoting a new workout regimen, convincing people to join by highlighting its benefits for health and well-being. 2. To inform The author aims to provide factual information to the reader, such as in textbooks, news articles, or research papers. When an author aims to inform, they usually wish to enlighten their readership about a real-world topic. Often, they will do this by providing lots of facts. Informational texts impart information to the reader to educate them on a given topic. Examples: o News Report on a Natural Disaster: A detailed news article explaining the impact of a recent hurricane, including statistics on damage and information on relief efforts. o Textbook Chapter on Photosynthesis: A chapter in a biology textbook explaining the process of photosynthesis, complete with diagrams and scientific explanations. 3. To entertain The author aims to engage and amuse the reader through storytelling, humour, or other means. This includes genres such as fiction, poetry, and humour. When an author’s chief purpose is to entertain the reader, they will endeavour to keep things as interesting as possible. Things happen in books written to entertain, whether in an action-packed plot, inventive characterizations, or sharp dialogue. Examples:  o A Short Story About Adventure: A fictional story about a young explorer who discovers a hidden treasure in a mysterious jungle, filled with suspense and excitement. o Humorous Comic Strip: A comic strip that uses witty dialogue and funny situations to make readers laugh and enjoy a lighthearted moment. Author’s Intended Audience The intended audience is the specific group of people the author is writing for. Understanding the audience helps to clarify the purpose and the style of writing. 1. Individual An individual audience is one specific person. This individual might be real or imaginary. When writing for an individual audience: Consider who they are and how you want them to respond to your work. Examples: o A personal letter from a mentor to their mentee offering advice on career growth. o A personalized email from a professor to a student discussing feedback on an assignment. 2. Group A Group Audience is a collection of people. This group might share a common interest, age group, location, or another trait. You can also define a group audience by their connection to the subject you are writing about. When writing for a group audience: Consider what this group of people is likely to know about and respond to in your work. Examples: o A company’s internal training manual for new employees o A guidebook for members of a photography club on how to improve their skills. 3. General Public A General Public Audience is the wider community that does not fall into one single group. You cannot know what the general public already knows about your subject because you do not know who they are. When writing for a general audience: Make the essay easy for anyone to understand. Assume the audience is not familiar with your subject. Examples: o A bestselling self-help book on managing stress. o A government public service announcement (PSA) about emergency preparedness Author’s Intended Tone The tone refers to the author’s attitude toward the subject or the audience. It’s conveyed through word choice, sentence structure, and stylistic elements. 1. Formal A formal tone is common in a professional or academic context, when the piece needs to be direct and thorough while maintaining a respectful feel. Formal pieces often include full words with no contractions or other shortened words and does not include slang terms. It is grammatically correct and emphasizes facts rather than opinions. Example: o “According to the data presented, the yellow tree frog mates between April and June.” o Solemn, grave, earnest, intense, impassioned. 2. Informal Informal is the opposite tone of formal and sounds more conversational. Some people write in the same way they speak to a friend, and this is known as an informal tone of writing. Pieces written in an informal tone may include colloquial or slang phrases a nd shortened words, such as contractions. The author of an informal piece may also convey more emotion and personal opinions in the piece. Example:  o “Hey, what's up? I'm calling to see if you want to catch a flick tonight with me and my buddies?” o Whimsical, humorous, ironic, satirical, witty. 3. Pessimistic A pessimistic tone reflects a negative view of a situation or the belief that a situation will not get better. Pessimism is not realism, but an author may use this tone when they feel negative while writing or when they want to reflect a point of view that sees things negatively. Example: o “I got diagnosed with cancer and my dog died. I just don't believe that anything will get better anytime soon.” o Pessimistic, mournful, bitter, cynical, foreboding. 4. Optimistic Optimistic is the opposing tone to pessimistic, seeing the world in a positive light. An optimistic tone conveys the belief that things will get better, even during challenging situations. Example: o “Despite the civil unrest happening in my city, I believe I can make things better and see real change in my lifetime.” o Optimistic, jubilant, lighthearted, amused, enthusiastic. Author’s Point of View The point of view is the perspective from which the text is written. It affects how the information is presented and what details are emphasized. 1. First Person The narration is told from the point of view of the writer or the point of view of a character (usually the main character) in the story. It is usually easily identifiable through first-person pronouns such as I, me, and mine. In fiction, first-person narration allows us direct insights into the thoughts and feelings of a character in the story. However, the first-person point of view is popular in a wide range of nonfiction genres, such as autobiographies and reports. Example: I’m standing at the free throw line, taking deep breaths as I prepare to take my shot. The score is tied 60-60, with just 10 seconds left on the clock. My teammates and I have been battling it out against our opponents for the entire game, and it’s been a tough match. I focus my eyes on the rim, dribble the ball a few times, and then shoot. The ball leaves my fingertips, and I watch it travel through the air, soaring towards the hoop. It hits the backboard and bounces off the rim a few times before finally dropping through the net with a satisfying swish. The crowd erupts into cheers as I pump my fist in the air, feeling the rush of adrenaline and excitement coursing through my veins. We take the lead 63-60, and there are just a few seconds left on the clock. We manage to hold off our opponents, and the final buzzer sounds. We’ve won the game! My teammates and I hug each other, grinning from ear to ear as we celebrate our hard-earned victory. It was a tough game, but our teamwork and determination paid off in the end. We head back to the locker room feeling elated, knowing our hard work and perseverance had paid off. 2. Second Person The narrator speaks directly to you and the reader and tells your story. It is identifiable by using second-person pronouns such as you, your, and yours. The second-person point of view is most commonly seen in instruction writing, but it is also sometimes used in fiction, especially in interactive books such as adventur e gamebooks. Example: Standing at the free throw line, you take deep breaths, preparing to take the shot. The score is tied 60- 60 with just 10 seconds left on the clock. You and your teammates have been battling it out against your opponents for the entire game, and it’s been a tough match. You focus your eyes on the rim, dribble the ball a few times, and then shoot. The ball leaves your fingertips, and you watch it travel through the air, soaring towards the hoop. It hits the backboard and bounces off the rim a few times before finally dropping through the net with a satisfying swish. The crowd erupts into cheers as you pump your fist in the air, feeling the rush of adrenaline and excitement coursing through your veins. You take the lead 63-60, and there’s just a few seconds left on the clock. You manage to hold off your opponents, and the final buzzer sounds. You’ve won the game! You and your teammates hug each other, grinning from ear to ear as you celebrate your hard-earned victory. It was a tough game, but your teamwork and determination paid off in the end. You return to the locker room feeling elated, knowing your hard work and perseverance have paid off. 3. Third Person This point of view sees the writer employ a character to narrate the story without providing insights into the characters’ own thoughts and feelings. It is a neutral form of narration that aims to provide an objective and unbiased point of view and is the default point of view for news reports. Identified mainly through third-person pronouns and people’s names, essentially, this point of view is designed to inform. Example: A player stands at the free throw line, taking deep breaths as they prepare to shoot. The score is tied 60- 60 with just 10 seconds left on the clock. Both teams have been battling it out for the entire game. The player focuses their eyes on the rim, dribbles the ball a few times, and shoots. The ball leaves their fingertips, soaring towards the hoop, hits the backboard, and bounces off the rim a few times before finally dropping through the net with a satisfying swish. The crowd erupts into cheers as the player pumps their fist in the air, feeling the rush of adrenaline and excitement coursing through their veins. Their team takes the lead 63-60, and there are just a few seconds left on the clock. They manage to hold off their opponents, and the final buzzer sounds. The game is won! The player and their teammates hug each other, grinning from ear to ear as they celebrate their hard-earned victory. It was a tough game, but their teamwork and determination paid off in the end. They head back to the locker room feeling elated, knowing their hard work and perseverance had paid off. 4. Third Person Limited The third-person limited point of view sees the story told from the point of view of a single character. It is generally identifiable by using third-person pronouns and insights into the thoughts and feelings of the character. While other characters are also referred to in the third person, only a single character is followed in depth. This is usually, but not always, the main character. Example: The player stood at the free throw line, taking deep breaths as they prepared to take the shot. The score was tied 60-60 with just 10 seconds left on the clock. The game had been a tough match, and the player and their teammates had been battling it out against their opponents for the entire game. The player focused their eyes on the rim, dribbled the ball a few times, and then shot. The ball left their fingertips, soaring towards the hoop. It hit the backboard and bounced off the rim a few times before finally dropping through the net with a satisfying swish.  The crowd erupted into cheers as the player pumped their fist in the air, feeling the rush of adrenaline and excitement coursing through their veins. The player’s team took the lead 63-60, and there was just a few seconds left on the clock. They managed to hold off their opponents, and the final buzzer sounded. The game was won! The player and their teammates hugged each other, grinning from ear to ear as they celebrated their hard-earned victory. It had been a tough game, but their teamwork and determination had paid off in the end. As the player headed back to the locker room feeling elated, they knew that their hard work and perseverance had paid off. 5. Third Person Omniscient When learning the third-person omniscient point of view, the keyword here is omniscient. This point of view offers the reader the point of view of a god. It can be differentiated easily from the third-person limited point of view because the reader is afforded deep insights into the internal life of more than a single character. This is because the narrator is privy to every character’s action, thoughts, and feelings within the text. Example: The players were locked in a tight battle, with the score tied 60-60 and just 10 seconds left on the clock. Both teams had been battling it out for the entire game, displaying their skills and strategies on the court. As one player stepped up to the free throw line, the crowd held its breath. The player took deep breaths and prepared to take the shot. Their teammates watched with bated breath as the ball left the player’s fingertips, soaring towards the hoop. The ball hit the backboard and bounced off the rim a few times before finally dropping through the net with a satisfying swish. The crowd erupted into cheers, and the player pumped their fist in the air, feeling the rush of adrenaline and excitement coursing through their veins. With just a few seconds left on the clock, the player’s team managed to hold off their opponents, and the final buzzer sounded. The game was won! The players and their teammates hugged each other, grinning from ear to ear as they celebrated their hard-earned victory. It had been a tough game, but the players’ teamwork and determination had paid off in the end. As they returned to the locker room feeling elated, they knew their hard work and perseverance had paid off. The spectators could see the joy and satisfaction on the players’ faces, knowing that they had just witnessed a hard-fought victory. Fact or Opinion? A fact is a statement that can be proven to be true by the use of evidence. Factual statements are true in all cases and for all people; in other words, facts are universal. Dogs are mammals. Albany is the capital of New York. Mount Everest is the tallest mountain on Earth. Each of these statements is true. Furthermore, each statement is verifiable and not debatable, provided that definitions are agreed upon. Put simply, evidence exists that could potentially prove or disprove each claim. Opinions, unlike facts, are neither true nor false. An opinion can express a belief, attitude, value, judgment, or feeling. Dogs are the best mammals in existence. Albany is the most interesting city in New York. World War II was a terrible war. Each of these statements expresses an opinion. Note that each is debatable. In other words, one can potentially agree or disagree with (debate) a statement of opinion. Activity No. 2: In this activity, you and your partner will work together to analyze a short text. You’ll dig deep to figure out the author’s purpose, who they were writing for, the tone they used, and the point of view they chose. This will help you understand how these elements shape the message of the text. The teacher will give short text to read. Each pair will have a different text, so get ready to dive into something new! 1. Fact or Opinion: You and your partner will identify if the given text is a factual text or an opinionated text. 2. Read and Highlight: Together, read the text carefully. As you read, highlight or underline any parts that seem important for figuring out why the author wrote the text, who they were writing for, what the tone feels like, and what point of view is used. 3. Answer the Guiding Questions: Author’s Purpose: Why did the author write this text? Find evidence in the text to back up your idea. Intended Audience: Who do you think the author was trying to reach? What clues helped you figure this out? Tone: How would you describe the tone of the text? What words or phrases made you feel this way? Point of View: What point of view is the text written in? How does this affect your understanding of the message? ONLINE REFERENCES: https://literacyideas.com/authors-purpose/#what-is-the-authors-purpose https://literacyideas.com/point-of-view/ https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/english/synthesis-essay/intended-audience/ https://www.albert.io/blog/how-to-identify-authors-tone/ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/examples-of-tone