Determine the author's purpose or tone

The study of authorial purpose and tone has roots stretching back to classical antiquity, when Aristotle's Rhetoric systematically categorized the persuasive strategies available to speakers and writers. Aristotle identified three rhetorical appeals — ethos, pathos, and logos — each of which depends heavily on an author's deliberate selection of tone and purpose. Over the millennia, scholars in rhetoric, hermeneutics, and literary criticism have refined frameworks for decoding the intentions embedded in any piece of writing. For graduate-level test takers preparing for the HESI A2, this skill is not merely academic; it is clinically relevant, because healthcare professionals must routinely evaluate the purpose and tone of research articles, patient-education materials, and institutional communications to determine credibility and appropriate application.

The central question this skill addresses is deceptively simple: Why did the author write this passage, and what attitude do they convey toward the subject? On the HESI A2, this question manifests in multiple forms — from straightforward identification of purpose to nuanced distinctions between closely related tones such as "cautious" versus "skeptical." Graduate admission candidates must develop a systematic approach that moves beyond intuition and toward evidence-based textual analysis, drawing on specific diction, syntax, and structural cues to support their conclusions.

Before dissecting passages on the HESI A2, it is essential to establish precise definitions and distinguish between related but distinct concepts. Author's purpose refers to the overarching reason a text was composed — the communicative goal the writer seeks to accomplish. Tone refers to the author's attitude toward the subject matter, audience, or both, as revealed through specific language choices. While purpose addresses the "why" of a text, tone addresses the "how" — the emotional and intellectual register through which the purpose is executed. These two dimensions are deeply interrelated: an author whose purpose is to persuade may adopt an urgent, passionate tone, whereas an author whose purpose is to inform may adopt a neutral, measured tone.

The diagram above represents the analytical framework you should internalize before approaching any HESI A2 reading comprehension passage. Notice that purpose and tone are parallel but interconnected dimensions — a single passage can be analyzed through both lenses simultaneously. The four evidence sources at the bottom of the diagram are the concrete textual features you examine to support your conclusions. For example, when a passage about medication adherence uses words like "critical," "life-threatening," and "immediate," the diction signals an urgent tone, while the inclusion of statistical evidence and a call to action reveals a persuasive purpose. Developing the habit of consulting all four evidence channels ensures that your answer choices are grounded in textual support rather than subjective impression.

To systematize your approach on the HESI A2, employ the DOST method — an acronym standing for Diction, Organization, Syntax, and Thesis/Topic. This four-step process provides a repeatable, evidence-based protocol for determining both purpose and tone. Unlike intuitive reading, which may be influenced by the reader's own biases or emotional state, DOST grounds every conclusion in specific textual features. Graduate-level candidates benefit from this structured approach because HESI A2 answer choices are deliberately designed to include plausible distractors that feel correct but lack textual support.

Step 1 — Diction Analysis

Begin by scanning the passage for charged or marked vocabulary — words that carry strong connotative weight beyond their denotative meaning. In healthcare-related passages, notice whether the author uses clinical, neutral terminology ("adverse event," "contraindicated") or emotionally laden language ("tragedy," "devastating," "breakthrough"). The connotative charge of key terms serves as the single most reliable indicator of tone. A passage describing a new pharmaceutical intervention as a "promising advance" versus "an unproven compound" reveals fundamentally different attitudes despite referring to the same drug. Pay particular attention to adjectives, adverbs, and verbs of attribution (e.g., "claims" versus "demonstrates" versus "asserts").

Step 2 — Organization Analysis

Examine how the passage is structured. An informative passage typically follows a logical progression — general statement, supporting evidence, elaboration — without building toward a conclusion that advocates for a position. A persuasive passage, by contrast, often begins with a hook or problem statement, presents evidence selectively, and culminates in a recommendation or call to action. Descriptive passages emphasize sensory details and spatial or temporal organization, while entertaining passages may employ narrative arcs, dialogue, or humor. The macro-structure of the passage is a reliable proxy for purpose.

Step 3 — Syntax Analysis

Consider the length and complexity of sentences. Short, declarative sentences often convey urgency or emphasis. Long, subordinate-clause-heavy sentences suggest measured, academic analysis. The presence of rhetorical questions signals an attempt to engage the reader persuasively, while imperative constructions ("Consider..." "Note that...") indicate either instructional or persuasive intent. On the HESI A2, syntax is particularly useful for distinguishing between closely related tones — for instance, a passage that uses consistently short, punchy sentences with exclamatory constructions conveys an alarming or urgent tone rather than merely an informative one.

Step 4 — Thesis/Topic Analysis

Identify the passage's thesis or central topic sentence and ask whether it is a statement of fact, a statement of opinion, or a hybrid. A thesis that states "Influenza vaccination rates among healthcare workers remain below recommended levels" is factual and suggests an informative purpose. A thesis that states "Healthcare institutions must mandate influenza vaccination for all clinical staff" is argumentative and reveals a persuasive purpose. The thesis often contains the strongest clues about both purpose and tone because it represents the author's most distilled and intentional statement.

One of the greatest challenges on the HESI A2 is selecting the precise tone descriptor from answer choices that may include synonyms, near-synonyms, and subtle variations. The following taxonomy organizes the most commonly tested tones into families, enabling you to navigate from broad category to specific descriptor. Understanding this taxonomy prevents the common error of confusing related but distinct tones — for example, selecting "indifferent" when the correct answer is "objective," or choosing "critical" when "cautious" is more accurate.

Question: What is the author's primary purpose, and what tone does the author convey?

Notice how each DOST step independently converges on the same conclusion. This convergence is what gives you confidence in your answer. If the steps had yielded conflicting signals — say, neutral diction but argumentative organization — you would need to weigh which evidence is stronger (typically diction and thesis carry the most weight on the HESI A2). On test day, if you can identify even two of the four DOST elements quickly, you will usually have sufficient evidence to select the correct answer with confidence.

Even well-prepared candidates make predictable errors on purpose and tone questions. The HESI A2 employs specific distractor patterns that exploit common cognitive biases. Understanding these patterns transforms potential traps into opportunities for elimination-based reasoning.

Mastering purpose and tone on the HESI A2 is a gateway to more sophisticated analytical reading skills that will serve you throughout graduate study and clinical practice. The ability to identify purpose and tone is foundational to critical appraisal of evidence — a core competency in evidence-based medicine. When reading a randomized controlled trial, for instance, you must evaluate whether the discussion section maintains the objective tone appropriate to scientific writing or whether the authors subtly shift to an advocacy-oriented tone that may overstate clinical significance. Similarly, understanding purpose helps you distinguish between primary research articles (purpose: to report findings), review articles (purpose: to synthesize), and editorials (purpose: to persuade).

As you advance in your healthcare education, the skills developed here will become second nature. The DOST method, while initially a deliberate, step-by-step process, will eventually become an automatic cognitive lens through which you evaluate every piece of written communication you encounter — from journal articles and clinical protocols to insurance correspondence and patient advocacy documents. This integration of analytical reading into your professional practice is precisely the competency that the HESI A2 is designed to predict.