Lesson 7 - Purpose and Tone

Townsend Press
28 Aug 201404:13
EducationalLearning
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TLDRThis script explores the critical aspects of reading: understanding an author's purpose and tone. It outlines three main purposes of writing: to inform, persuade, and entertain, each with distinct goals. The tone, conveyed through word choice and details, is pivotal in reflecting the author's attitude. The script delves into examples of contrasting tones and introduces irony, highlighting its role in literature and everyday language. It concludes by emphasizing the importance of recognizing these elements for effective critical reading.

Takeaways
  • 📰 Newspaper photos convey a purpose and tone, often to inform or evoke emotions like solemnity and respect.
  • 📝 The author's purpose for writing is crucial to understanding their work, which can be to inform, persuade, or entertain.
  • 🧐 Authors aim to inform by providing factual information that explains or teaches about a subject.
  • 🗣️ Persuasion involves convincing the reader to agree with the author's point of view, often through argumentation and proof.
  • 🎭 Entertainment in writing seeks to amuse and delight readers, appealing to their senses and imagination through various forms of writing.
  • 🎨 A writer's tone reflects their attitude towards the subject and is expressed through word choice and details.
  • 😡 An example of a bitter and angry tone is shown in a statement complaining about a job, customers, and management.
  • 😄 A contrasting example of an enthusiastic and positive tone is displayed in a statement expressing love for a job and its benefits.
  • 📚 The textbook provides a list of over eighty words that describe tone, helping readers understand the nuances of an author's attitude.
  • 😏 Irony is a tone that involves a contrast between expectations and reality, often used humorously in language and situations.
  • 🤔 Sarcasm, a form of verbal irony, is characterized by saying something but meaning the opposite, often in a biting manner.
  • 🔥 An example of situational irony is when an arsonist turns out to be a firefighter, highlighting the contrast between expected and actual outcomes.
Q & A

  • What is the primary purpose of the newspaper photo mentioned in the script?

    -The primary purpose of the newspaper photo is to inform us of the return of American soldiers killed in service, conveying a tone of solemnity, reverence, and respect.

  • What are the three common purposes for an author to write a piece?

    -The three common purposes for an author to write are to inform, to persuade, and to entertain.

  • How does an author's purpose affect the way they present information?

    -An author's purpose affects the way they present information by determining the type of content they include and the approach they take, whether it's factual, argumentative, or imaginative.

  • What is the significance of understanding an author's tone when reading their work?

    -Understanding an author's tone is significant as it reveals their attitude towards the subject, which is crucial for fully grasping the message they intend to convey.

  • How does the tone of the first employee's statement about their fast-food job differ from the second employee's statement?

    -The first employee's statement has a bitter and angry tone, while the second employee's statement has an enthusiastic and positive tone.

  • What is the difference between irony and sarcasm as described in the script?

    -Irony involves a contrast between expectations and reality, often humorous, while sarcasm is a form of verbal irony that is often biting and directly expresses contempt.

  • Can you provide an example of situational irony from the script?

    -An example of situational irony from the script is the case where the arsonist responsible for a string of fires turns out to be a city firefighter.

  • What is the purpose of the list of words that describe tone found on pages 271 to 273 of the textbook?

    -The purpose of the list is to provide readers with a comprehensive set of terms to help identify and understand the various tones an author might use in their writing.

  • How does the author's tone impact the reader's perception of the content?

    -The author's tone impacts the reader's perception by influencing their emotional response and interpretation of the subject matter, making it more relatable or distant.

  • What is the relationship between the author's purpose and their choice of words and details?

    -The relationship between the author's purpose and their choice of words and details is that the purpose guides the selection of language and specifics to effectively communicate the intended message or feeling.

  • Why is it important to recognize irony when critically reading a text?

    -Recognizing irony is important when critically reading a text because it often involves saying one thing but meaning the opposite, which can significantly alter the interpretation of the author's message.

Outlines
00:00
📰 Understanding Newspaper Photos and Author's Purpose

This paragraph discusses the significance of understanding the purpose and tone in written works, using a newspaper photo of returning American soldiers as an example to illustrate a solemn and respectful tone. It explains that authors write with a specific purpose, which can be to inform, persuade, or entertain. The paragraph also emphasizes the importance of tone in conveying an author's attitude towards the subject matter and provides examples of contrasting tones, such as bitterness and enthusiasm. Additionally, it introduces the concept of irony and sarcasm as forms of tone that involve a contrast between expectations and reality.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Purpose
The purpose of a piece of writing or a photo is the reason why it was created. In the context of the video, the purpose is to convey information about the author's intentions, which can be to inform, persuade, or entertain. The script uses the example of a newspaper photo to illustrate the purpose of conveying solemnity and respect for fallen soldiers, thus connecting the concept of purpose to the theme of understanding the message behind various forms of communication.
💡Tone
Tone refers to the attitude or feeling that the author conveys towards the subject matter. It is expressed through the choice of words and details. The video emphasizes the importance of recognizing tone in understanding the author's perspective. For instance, the script contrasts the bitter and angry tone of an employee who dislikes their job with the enthusiastic and positive tone of another who enjoys working at Burger Barn, demonstrating how tone can significantly affect the interpretation of a message.
💡Inform
To inform is one of the three common purposes of writing mentioned in the video. It involves providing factual information to explain or teach something to the reader. The script illustrates this by stating that authors with the purpose to inform wish to give information about a subject, which is crucial for the audience to gain knowledge and understanding.
💡Persuade
Persuasion is another purpose of writing, where the author aims to convince the reader to agree with their point of view. The script explains that while authors may present facts, their main goal is to argue or prove a point, highlighting the persuasive nature of such writing and its intent to influence the reader's opinion.
💡Entertain
Entertainment is the third common purpose of writing discussed in the video. It is aimed at amusing and delighting the reader, appealing to their senses and imagination. The script notes that authors may entertain through various forms, including fiction and nonfiction, emphasizing the role of writing in providing enjoyment and engagement.
💡Irony
Irony is a tone that involves a contrast between what is expected and what actually occurs, often resulting in humor. The script provides examples of verbal irony, such as sarcasm, and situational irony, like an arsonist being a firefighter, to illustrate the concept. Irony is an important concept in the video as it adds depth to the understanding of tone and its impact on communication.
💡Sarcasm
Sarcasm is a form of verbal irony characterized by saying something but meaning the opposite, often in a biting or mocking manner. The script gives examples of sarcasm, such as expressing faux happiness about a telemarketer's call during dinner or pretending to appreciate a new boss's intelligence, to demonstrate how sarcasm is used to convey a hidden, critical message.
💡Reverence
Reverence is a tone of deep respect or veneration. In the script, the tone of reverence is associated with the newspaper photo of returning soldiers, indicating the high regard and solemn acknowledgment of their sacrifice. This keyword is integral to the video's theme of recognizing and interpreting the emotional undertones in various forms of communication.
💡Soliloquy
While not explicitly mentioned in the script, the concept of a soliloquy—a dramatic form where a character speaks their thoughts aloud to themselves—could be related to the idea of tone, as it often reveals a character's innermost feelings and attitudes. Although not directly relevant to the script, it provides an additional context for understanding how tone can be expressed in various forms of communication.
💡Critical Reading
Critical reading is the process of actively analyzing and evaluating a text, which includes being aware of the author's purpose and tone. The script emphasizes that part of reading critically is to understand these elements, as they are essential for grasping the full meaning and intent behind the author's words.
💡Textbook
The script refers to a textbook as a source that provides a list of words describing tone, suggesting it as a resource for further understanding. The textbook is mentioned as having pages 271 to 273 dedicated to this topic, indicating its role in educational settings and its relevance to the video's theme of interpreting tone in written works.
Highlights

Newspaper photos have a purpose and tone, such as informing about the return of fallen soldiers with a solemn and respectful tone.

Understanding an author's purpose is crucial for evaluating their ideas, with common purposes being to inform, persuade, or entertain.

Authors aim to provide facts to explain or teach when their purpose is to inform.

Persuasion involves convincing readers to agree with the author's point of view, often through argumentation and proof.

Entertainment in writing appeals to the reader's senses and imagination, using both fiction and nonfiction.

A writer's tone reflects their attitude towards a subject, conveyed through word choice and details.

Tone is an important part of understanding what an author has written, with examples given of bitter, angry, and enthusiastic, positive tones.

Over eighty words describing tone can be found in the textbook on pages 271 to 273.

Irony is a commonly used tone involving a contrast between expectations and reality, often humorous.

Sarcasm is a biting form of verbal irony, demonstrated through contrasting what is said with what is actually meant.

Situations with a contrast between expected and actual outcomes can also be considered ironic.

Critical reading involves being aware of the author's purpose and tone to fully understand their writing.

Three common author purposes are to inform, persuade, and entertain, each with its own approach to content delivery.

A writer's tone can vary widely, including being objective, lighthearted, sympathetic, angry, affectionate, or respectful.

Recognizing irony as a tone where the author says one thing but means the opposite is important in critical reading.

The lesson emphasizes the importance of recognizing the author's purpose and tone for a deeper understanding of the text.

Transcripts

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Writing PurposeTone AnalysisInformative StylePersuasive WritingEntertaining ContentAuthor's ToneCritical ReadingIrony in TextSarcasm ExampleTextbook Guide