The author's purpose for writing (1/3) | Interpreting Series

Snap Language
19 Mar 201607:05
EducationalLearning
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TLDRIn this Snap Language video, Marc Franco explores the critical elements of writing: the author's purpose, point of view, and tone. He explains the importance of identifying these elements for a deeper understanding of texts. The video delves into four main purposes of writing: to inform, persuade, entertain, and share insights or feelings. Franco uses examples to illustrate how these purposes manifest in different types of texts, such as emails, textbooks, novels, and blogs, guiding viewers on how to engage with each type of writing effectively.

Takeaways
  • 📚 The author's purpose is crucial in determining how a text is written and interpreted.
  • 💬 Writing is not done without a purpose; it can be to inform, persuade, entertain, or share insights.
  • 📧 An example of informative writing is an email to a friend, aiming to share updates about one's life.
  • 📚 Informative writing aims to teach, explain, clarify, and share information, often found in textbooks and newspapers.
  • 🧠 As a reader, detecting an informative passage prompts you to learn and pay attention to definitions, explanations, and examples.
  • 💡 Persuasive writing uses information to convince readers to change their opinion, point of view, or behavior.
  • 📰 Persuasive passages can be found in editorials, political speeches, and advertisements, and require evaluating the argument's logic.
  • 🎭 Entertaining writing tells a story or a joke, focusing on literary devices like characters, plot, and figurative language.
  • 📖 Novels and poems are examples of texts written to entertain, where the primary purpose is not to inform or persuade.
  • 💭 Sometimes, writers share insights or feelings on a topic without the intent to teach or persuade, often seen in blogs.
  • 🔎 The next video in the series will discuss the author's point of view, another key element in understanding a text.
Q & A

  • What is the main focus of the video by Snap Language?

    -The main focus of the video is to explain and explore the elements of writing such as the author's purpose, point of view, and tone, and how these elements affect the writer's message and the reader's understanding.

  • What does the author suggest might be missing after reading something, even if it's understood?

    -The author suggests that something might be missing if the reader has not detected the author's purpose, point of view, and tone, which are beneath the surface and can provide deeper understanding.

  • What is the author's purpose when writing to inform?

    -When writing to inform, the author's purpose is to teach, explain, clarify, share information, and elaborate on a topic.

  • What is the reader's goal when reading informative passages?

    -The reader's goal when reading informative passages is to learn the information presented, paying attention to definitions, explanations, illustrations, examples, and more.

  • How does the author use information when writing to persuade?

    -When writing to persuade, the author uses information to create a logical argument aimed at convincing people to change their opinion, point of view, or behavior.

  • What should a reader do when they detect persuasion in a text?

    -When a reader detects persuasion, they should determine and evaluate the argument to ensure it is based on solid logic and not misinformation before changing their beliefs.

  • What is the main goal of a writer when they write to entertain?

    -When writing to entertain, the writer's main goal is to tell a story or a joke, presenting information for the reader to appreciate, without necessarily teaching or persuading.

  • What literary devices should a reader pay attention to when the purpose is to entertain?

    -When the purpose is to entertain, a reader should pay attention to literary devices such as characters, plot, setting, use of figurative language, message, or moral of the story.

  • What is the fourth purpose mentioned by the author that is often overlooked?

    -The fourth purpose mentioned is for the writer to share insights or feelings on a topic, which is often seen in blogs and is an intellectual exercise without the intention to teach or persuade.

  • Where can one find examples of writing that aims to share insights or feelings?

    -Examples of writing that aim to share insights or feelings can be found in blogs, magazines, and personal diaries.

  • What does the author suggest for readers to do after watching the video?

    -The author suggests that readers should check the video description for links to more information about the topic and stay tuned for the next video about the author's point of view.

Outlines
00:00
🔍 Understanding the Author's Purpose

This paragraph introduces the concept of understanding the author's purpose when reading a text. It emphasizes that beyond grasping the main ideas and supporting details, it's crucial to detect the author's purpose, point of view, and tone. The script is part of a series by Snap Language, hosted by Marc Franco, aiming to help viewers delve deeper into texts. The author's purpose can be to inform, persuade, entertain, or share insights and feelings. The paragraph gives examples of each purpose, such as writing an email to a friend to inform, writing a persuasive message about a new job selling vitamins, or reading a novel like 'The Namesake' for entertainment. It also mentions the importance of evaluating arguments in persuasive texts and appreciating literary devices in entertaining texts.

05:00
📚 Diving Deeper into Informative and Persuasive Writing

The second paragraph builds upon the first by focusing on the specifics of informative and persuasive writing. It explains that informative writing is about teaching and sharing information, often found in textbooks, newspapers, and journal articles. As a reader, one should learn from informative texts by paying attention to definitions, examples, and explanations. Persuasive writing, on the other hand, is about organizing information into a logical argument to change opinions or behaviors, commonly found in editorials, political speeches, and advertisements. The reader's task is to understand and evaluate the argument presented. The paragraph also touches on entertaining writing, such as novels and poems, where the focus is on storytelling and literary devices rather than teaching or persuading. Lastly, it mentions the author's purpose of sharing insights or feelings, often seen in blogs and personal writings, which is distinct from the other purposes as it is more about intellectual expression.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Purpose
Purpose refers to the underlying intention or goal of the author when writing a piece of text. In the script, it is the fundamental concept that drives the discussion on how different types of writing aim to achieve different outcomes, such as informing, persuading, or entertaining. The script uses the term to categorize writing into four main purposes, illustrating how each serves a distinct function in communication.
💡Point of View
Point of view is the perspective from which a story is told or an opinion is expressed. Although not deeply explored in the provided script, it is mentioned as an upcoming topic, implying its importance in understanding the author's stance or the narrative's angle. The script suggests that recognizing an author's point of view can enhance a reader's comprehension of the text's deeper meanings.
💡Tone
Tone represents the author's attitude towards the subject matter or audience and is conveyed through the style of writing. The script hints at tone as another element that readers should be attentive to, as it can affect how the message is perceived. It is part of the layered understanding that the script encourages readers to develop beyond grasping the main ideas.
💡Informative
Informative writing aims to teach, explain, or share information with the reader. The script defines informative writing and provides examples such as textbooks, newspapers, and journal articles. It emphasizes the reader's role in learning from such texts, highlighting the need to pay attention to definitions, explanations, and examples.
💡Persuasion
Persuasion is the act of convincing others to change their opinion or behavior using logical arguments. The script discusses how writers use persuasive writing in various contexts like editorials, speeches, and advertisements. It also underlines the reader's task to evaluate the argument's validity before being swayed by the message.
💡Entertain
To entertain in writing means to engage the reader with a story, joke, or other creative content primarily for enjoyment. The script mentions novels, short stories, and poems as examples where the main goal is not to teach or persuade but to provide an aesthetic or emotional experience, as seen in the reference to 'The Namesake'.
💡Insights
Insights refer to the deep understanding or knowledge that a writer shares about a topic, often reflecting personal thoughts or original ideas. The script points out that sharing insights can be a writing purpose on its own, as seen in blogs, where the writer's intention is to express their intellectual or emotional perspective without necessarily teaching or persuading.
💡Argument
An argument in writing is a set of statements or claims intended to establish a position or point of view. The script explains that persuasive writing is built around creating a logical argument to convince the reader. It also advises readers to critically evaluate the argument before accepting the writer's conclusion.
💡Literary Devices
Literary devices are techniques used by writers to create effects and convey their messages more vividly. The script suggests that when the purpose is to entertain, readers should pay attention to such devices, including characters, plot, and figurative language, which contribute to the storytelling experience.
💡Main Ideas
Main ideas are the central points or concepts of a piece of writing that the author wants to convey. The script mentions that while understanding main ideas is essential, detecting the author's purpose, point of view, and tone allows readers to delve deeper into the text, gaining a more comprehensive understanding.
💡Supporting Details
Supporting details are pieces of information that reinforce or clarify the main ideas in a text. The script implies that while readers should understand main ideas and supporting details, the deeper comprehension of an author's intent and style can provide a richer interpretation of the text.
Highlights

The feeling of something missing after reading can be due to not detecting the author's purpose, point of view, and tone.

Snap Language's video series aims to help identify and interpret key elements in text like author's purpose, point of view, and tone.

Author's purpose affects what the writer says and how they say it, which impacts the reader's understanding.

Writing has a purpose, such as informing, persuading, entertaining, or sharing insights/feelings.

Informing aims to teach, explain, clarify, share information, and elaborate on a topic.

Informative passages are common in textbooks, newspapers, and journal articles.

Persuasion uses information to convince people to change their opinion, point of view, or behavior.

Persuasive writing often appears in newspaper editorials, political speeches, and advertisements.

As a reader, detecting persuasion requires understanding and evaluating the argument presented.

Entertainment in writing focuses on telling a story or joke without necessarily teaching or persuading.

Novel, short stories, poems, and horror stories are examples of writing aimed at entertaining.

When the purpose is to entertain, readers should pay attention to literary devices like characters, plot, and moral.

Sharing insights or feelings is a less commonly discussed purpose, often seen in blogs.

Blogs, magazines, and personal diaries are places where writers may share their thoughts without trying to teach or persuade.

The next video in the series will cover the author's point of view.

The video provides a comprehensive overview of the author's purpose in writing and its impact on readers.

Transcripts

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Reading SkillsAuthor's PurposePoint of ViewTone AnalysisInformative WritingPersuasive WritingEntertainment WritingLiterary DevicesBlogsEducational ContentWriting Techniques