STAAR EOC Reading

State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness End-of-Course Reading exam.

Understanding GenresMain Idea and Supporting DetailsMaking Inferences
Analyzing Author’s Purpose and ToneInterpreting Figurative LanguageSynthesizing Information
Reading for Everyday LifeAnalyzing Media and AdvertisementsCommunicating Effectively
Active Reading TechniquesTime Management on Test Day
Understanding GenresMain Idea and Suppor...Making InferencesAnalyzing Author’s P...Interpreting Figurat...Synthesizing Informa...Reading for Everyday...Analyzing Media and ...Communicating Effect...Active Reading Techn...Time Management on T...
Advanced Topics

Analyzing Author’s Purpose and Tone

Understanding Why and How Authors Write

Every author writes with a purpose, such as to inform, persuade, entertain, or explain. Tone is the attitude or feeling the author expresses in their writing.

Identifying Author’s Purpose

  • To Inform: Provides facts or explains something.
  • To Persuade: Tries to convince the reader.
  • To Entertain: Aims to amuse or tell a story.
  • To Explain: Clarifies a process or concept.

Recognizing Tone

Tone can be serious, humorous, sarcastic, hopeful, and more. It’s shown through word choice, sentence structure, and details.

How to Analyze

  • Look for emotional words and phrases.
  • Pay attention to the way information is presented.
  • Ask: How does the author want me to feel or think?

Real-World Relevance

Spotting purpose and tone helps you evaluate news, advertisements, and even social media posts.

Examples

  • An article using exciting words and exclamation marks has an enthusiastic tone.

  • A commercial tries to persuade you to buy a product by highlighting its benefits.

In a Nutshell

Authors write with a purpose and tone that shape how you understand their message.

Key Terms

Purpose
The reason an author writes a text.
Tone
The author’s attitude toward the subject or audience.
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Interpreting Figurative Language