Interpreting What You Read | Part 2
Previously, you saw the importance to advance beyond simply understanding words and sentences in a paragraph.
You learned that writers use transition words to show the relationships between ideas and that they often use figures of speech to express their ideas clearly.
It is up to you, the reader, to identify these elements of writing so that you can interpret what the writer wants to communicate.
Other parts of the message are important for readers to interpret are
- the author’s purpose,
- the author’s point of view, and
- the author’s tone.
Understanding the author’s purpose for writing a passage, point of view, and tone will help you
get deeper into the writer’s thinking and, therefore, understand what you read more deeply.
The Author’s Purpose
When you write, you have a purpose in mind. That purpose is not always stated directly in the passage, but it changes how the writer approaches the topic. As the reader, it is important for you identify the writer’s purpose so you can interpret the message.
Isaque Pereira | Pexels
Here, you will learn to identify when the author’s purpose is to inform, persuade, entertain, and share insights or feelings; which publications are likely to have each purpose; and what you should do as the reader to interpret the writer’s message written for each of these purposes.
Video Activity 12
Watch a video to learn about the author’s purpose and how recognizing the writer’s purpose helps you read more effectively. Take good study notes.
The Author’s Point of View
In this section, you will learn how to interpret the author’s point of view. Writers’ viewpoints color their perceptions and affect what they say and how they say it.
Understanding the author’s viewpoint helps you evaluate the information the writers present and question what the author may be choosing to include or exclude from the passage.
Video Activity 13
Watch a video to learn about the author’s point of view and how recognizing the writer’s point of view improves your reading comprehension. Take good study notes.
The Author’s Tone
How writers state something (that is, the tone they use when stating it), often tells you more about the information than what is actually being presented.
Writers have their own points of view and feelings toward the topics they write about. Through word choice, they can use words that convey the tone that expresses their ideas exactly.
In this section, you will learn about the author’s tone in writing, which you must detect and interpret to improve your reading comprehension.
Video Activity 14
Watch a video to learn about the author’s tone and how detecting the writer’s tone helps you read more effectively. Take good study notes.
Up Next: Interpreting What Your Read | Part 3
Continue the lesson to learn about detecting and interpreting irony.