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Learn how to figure out what an author thinks or why they wrote something — and spot the clues that reveal it.
Every time you read an article, a textbook chapter, or even a social media post, someone made choices about what to include, what to leave out, and how to say it. Those choices reveal something important: the author's point of view (what they think or feel about the topic) and their purpose (why they wrote the piece in the first place). Understanding these two things helps you become a smarter, more critical reader.
People have been thinking about how writers persuade and inform audiences for thousands of years. Here are a few key moments in that story.
So here's the big question this lesson answers: How can you figure out what an author believes about a topic and why they wrote about it — just by reading carefully?
Before we dig into examples, let's get clear on the key vocabulary. These four ideas are the building blocks of everything that follows.
When you read an informational text, there are several types of clues that help you figure out the author's point of view and purpose. The diagram below shows how these clues connect to the two big ideas.
Let's walk through each clue. Word choice is about the specific words an author picks — "pollute" versus "impact" tells you very different things. Tone is the overall feeling — is the author excited, worried, angry, or calm? Details included are the facts, examples, and stories the author chose to put in. Details left out can be just as revealing — what did the author decide not to mention? Structure is how the text is organized — does it lead with a shocking fact, or start with a question? Finally, direct statements are moments when the author simply tells you what they think, like "I believe…" or "In my opinion…"
All six clues work together. As you read, you collect these clues like puzzle pieces. Together, they paint a picture of the author's point of view and purpose.
Reading for point of view and purpose isn't something that happens by magic. You can follow a reliable process every time you face an informational text. Think of it as a detective's checklist.
Don't try to analyze while you're still on the first paragraph. Read the whole thing through so you get the big picture. Pay attention to how you feel as you read. If you feel persuaded, angry, curious, or amused, that's already a clue about the author's purpose.
Go back through the text and mark the six types of clues from our diagram. Circle strong word choices. Underline any direct opinion statements. Note what kinds of details and examples the author uses. Ask yourself: are the details mostly positive, mostly negative, or balanced?
Put the clues together. Based on the word choices, tone, and details, what seems to be the author's attitude or opinion? Even if they never say "I believe," the clues tell you. For example, an author who uses words like "devastating," "tragic," and "urgent" about climate change clearly feels that it is a serious problem.
Now think about purpose. Is the author mainly trying to teach you something new (inform)? Are they trying to get you to agree with them or take action (persuade)? Or are they telling a story in a way that's fun to read (entertain)? Some texts do a mix — for example, a persuasive article might also inform you about background facts so its argument makes sense.
The most important part! Whatever you decide about point of view and purpose, you need to back it up with evidence from the text. Point to specific words, sentences, or details. This is what separates a strong reader from a guessing one.
This flowchart is your go-to method. Whenever a test question asks you about point of view or purpose, these five steps will guide you to a strong answer.
Let's take a closer look at the three main purposes — inform, persuade, and entertain — and the clues that help you tell them apart.
| Purpose | What the Author Wants | Common Clues You'll See |
|---|---|---|
| Inform | To teach or explain facts, ideas, or processes | Neutral tone, facts and statistics, definitions, balanced presentation, words like "according to," "research shows" |
| Persuade | To convince you to think, feel, or act a certain way | Strong opinion words, emotional language, one-sided details, calls to action ("we must," "you should"), rhetorical questions |
| Entertain | To amuse, engage, or create enjoyment | Humor, vivid descriptions, storytelling, surprising twists, playful language, personal anecdotes |
Many informational texts blend purposes. An article about endangered animals might inform you about the problem (facts and stats), then persuade you to donate to a wildlife charity (call to action). When this happens, identify the primary purpose — the main thing the author wants to accomplish.
Now let's look at how point of view (the author's attitude) can range from very negative to very positive. The word choices an author makes slide along a scale.
| Author's Attitude | Example Word Choices | What It Tells You |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly Negative | "disastrous," "reckless," "a waste" | The author disapproves and wants you to feel the same way |
| Mildly Negative | "concerning," "questionable," "risky" | The author has doubts but isn't being extreme |
| Neutral / Balanced | "shows," "indicates," "according to data" | The author is reporting without pushing an opinion |
| Mildly Positive | "promising," "encouraging," "noteworthy" | The author is hopeful but measured |
| Strongly Positive | "extraordinary," "a breakthrough," "inspiring" | The author is enthusiastic and wants you to be excited too |
Let's put our detective skills to work on a real passage. Read the paragraph below, then follow along as we break it down step by step.
Sometimes figuring out an author's point of view and purpose is straightforward. Other times, it can be tricky. Let's compare situations where it's easy versus hard.
| Easy to Identify | Trickier to Identify |
|---|---|
| The author says "I believe…" or "In my opinion…" | The author never states their opinion directly |
| Word choices are clearly emotional or one-sided | Word choices seem neutral but subtly lean one way |
| The text has an obvious call to action | The text seems informational but quietly favors one side |
| The purpose is a single, clear type (inform or persuade) | The text mixes purposes (inform and persuade together) |
| The topic is familiar to you, so bias is easier to spot | The topic is unfamiliar, so you may not notice what's left out |
Here's the most important thing to remember about tricky texts: even when an author doesn't say "I think," they still reveal their viewpoint through every choice they make. The details they include, the details they skip, and the words they pick all add up. Don't worry if you don't catch everything on the first read. Go back, reread, and look for patterns.
Right now, you're learning to identify point of view and purpose. As you move through middle school and into high school, this skill grows more powerful. Here's a peek at how it expands.
| What You're Learning Now | What Comes Next |
|---|---|
| Identify the author's point of view | Compare two different authors' points of view on the same topic |
| Name the purpose (inform, persuade, entertain) | Analyze how the purpose shapes every part of the text's structure and style |
| Find clues like word choice and tone | Study rhetorical strategies — the specific techniques (like appeals to emotion, logic, and credibility) that authors use on purpose |
| Explain how point of view is conveyed | Evaluate whether the author's argument is effective and whether their evidence is sufficient |
The skill you're building right now is the foundation for all of these. Once you can spot what an author thinks and why they wrote something, you're ready to start evaluating whether they did a good job of making their case. That's a skill you'll use in every class — and in real life — for the rest of your life.
Time to test your skills! Try each problem on your own before clicking "Show Answer." The problems get harder as you go.
Every informational text carries two hidden layers beneath the words on the page: the author's point of view (their opinion or attitude about the topic) and their purpose (the reason they wrote the text — to inform, persuade, or entertain). To uncover these layers, you act like a detective, looking for six key clues: word choice, tone, details included, details left out, structure, and direct statements. Even when an author never says "I believe," their choices leave fingerprints all over the text.
The five-step process — read, notice clues, ask what the author thinks, ask why they wrote it, and support with evidence — gives you a reliable method for analyzing any informational text you encounter. Remember: strong readers don't just understand what a text says. They understand how and why it says it. That's the skill that will make you a powerful thinker in school and beyond.