Author Purpose, Tone and Intent guide
Author Purpose, Tone and Intent questions ask why the author wrote the passage and how they feel about the subject — not what the passage states, but the stance behind it.
The method
- Separate content (what is said) from purpose (why it is said).
- Read tone from cue words across the whole passage, not from a single adjective.
- Match the option to the author's actual attitude, including hedged or mixed stances.
- For predicted response, ask what the author would most likely say next, given that stance.
Common mistakes
- Picking an option that is factual but not the purpose.
- Choosing a too-narrow detail as the overall purpose.
- Assigning the opposite attitude on a hedged or balanced text.
- Over-reading a neutral report as strong advocacy.
Frequently asked questions
How do I judge tone reliably?
Collect the evaluative cue words across the passage and see which attitude they add up to, rather than seizing on one emotive word.