2.5 Author's Purpose, Tone, and Point of View

ATI TEAS 7 Nursing Admission

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1 Introduction to the ATI TEAS 7

1.1 About the ATI TEAS 7 Exam 1.2 Content Area Breakdown 1.3 Scoring and Program Requirements 1.4 Building Your TEAS Study Plan

2 Reading

2.1 Identifying the Main Idea 2.2 Making Inferences and Drawing Conclusions 2.3 Summarizing and Paraphrasing 2.4 Understanding Text Structure 2.5 Author's Purpose, Tone, and Point of View 2.6 Evaluating Arguments, Evidence, and Credibility 2.7 Integrating Information and Interpreting Graphics 2.8 TEAS Reading Strategies, Pacing, and Practice

3 Mathematics

3.1 Whole Numbers and Basic Operations 3.2 Fractions 3.3 Decimals and Percentages 3.4 Ratios and Proportions 3.5 Algebra and Equations 3.6 Measurement and Unit Conversions 3.7 Statistics and Data Interpretation 3.8 Geometry Basics

4 Science

4.1 The Cardiovascular System 4.2 The Respiratory System 4.3 The Digestive System 4.4 The Nervous System 4.5 The Musculoskeletal System 4.6 The Urinary and Reproductive Systems 4.7 Cell Biology and Genetics 4.8 Chemistry Basics 4.9 Scientific Reasoning and the Scientific Method

5 English & Language Usage

5.1 Grammar and the Parts of Speech 5.2 Sentence Structure 5.3 Punctuation 5.4 Spelling and Word Usage 5.5 Vocabulary in Context and Word Parts 5.6 Paragraph Organization and the Writing Process 5.7 Formal vs. Informal Language, Audience, and Tone 5.8 TEAS English Section Strategies and Pacing

2.5 Author's Purpose, Tone, and Point of View

Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI

The four author purposes tested on the TEAS are to inform, persuade, entertain, and express—identify them by source type and language.

Tone is the author's attitude toward the subject; mood is the feeling the passage creates in the reader.

Facts can be verified and use neutral language; opinions use judgment words like best, should, terrible, or remarkable.

Point of view (first, second, third person) is signaled by pronouns: I/we, you, and he/she/they/it.

Persuasive writing relies on rhetorical devices such as emotional appeals, rhetorical questions, repetition, and loaded diction.

Last updated: October 2026

Why Purpose and Tone Are Tested

Every passage on the ATI TEAS 7 Reading section was written by someone with a reason and an attitude. The Craft and Structure sub-content area (9 scored questions) asks you to look past the literal words and identify why the author wrote a text and how they feel about the subject. In nursing practice you will read patient-education pamphlets, drug warnings, discharge instructions, and journal abstracts—each with a different purpose. Reading the intent correctly prevents dangerous misunderstandings, which is exactly why ATI tests it.

Author's Purpose

Author's purpose is the reason a text exists. Author's purpose falls into four broad types, often remembered by the acronym PIE+E (Persuade, Inform, Entertain, Express).

• Purpose Goal Where you see it Telltale language
• Inform Explain facts or teach a process Textbooks, news reports, drug labels Neutral, factual, data-heavy

Persuade Change the reader's belief or action Editorials, ads, public-health campaigns Opinion words, calls to action, loaded diction

• Entertain Amuse or engage emotionally Fiction, humor, personal essays Dialogue, vivid imagery, plot
• Express Share personal feelings or reflection Memoirs, journals, blogs First-person "I," emotion words

Many passages mix purposes—a magazine article may inform and entertain—but the TEAS expects you to choose the dominant purpose. Ask: "If I deleted everything else, what is the author mainly trying to accomplish?"

Tone vs. Mood

These two terms are easy to confuse.

Tone is the author's attitude toward the topic—serious, hopeful, critical, sarcastic.

Mood is the reader's emotional response—anxious, calm, inspired.

Example: A passage that opens "Despite three failed treatments, the trial nurse refused to give up" has a determined, admiring tone , and it may produce a hopeful or tense mood in the reader. Same passage, two different feelings—because tone belongs to the writer and mood belongs to you.

Common TEAS Tone Words

• Positive Neutral Negative
• Optimistic, enthusiastic, admiring Objective, formal, informative Critical, skeptical, alarmed
• Hopeful, encouraging, respectful Detached, matter-of-fact Disapproving, sarcastic, indignant
• Word Choice (Diction) Reveals Tone

The single strongest clue to tone is diction —the connotation of the words an author selects. Synonyms are rarely neutral.

• Neutral Positive connotation Negative connotation
• Thrifty Economical Stingy
• Confident Self-assured Arrogant
• Persistent Determined Stubborn
• Inexpensive Affordable Cheap

When two answer choices both seem possible ("informative" vs. "enthusiastic"), let the loaded words decide. Words like remarkable , breakthrough , and thrilling push toward enthusiastic; the data indicate and researchers measured push toward objective.

Fact vs. Opinion

Distinguishing fact from opinion underpins both tone and purpose questions.

• Fact Opinion
• Verifiable against evidence Cannot be proven true or false
• Neutral wording Judgment words (best, worst, should)
• "Normal adult body temperature averages about 98.6 °F." "Thermometers are the most important tool in nursing."

A persuasive author blends the two, stating opinions as if they were facts. Spotting the unverifiable claim can unlock a tone or purpose question.

Point of View

Point of view is the narrative perspective, signaled by pronouns.

• Point of view Pronouns Typical use
• First person I, me, we, us Memoirs, reflective essays
• Second person you, your Instructions, how-to guides
• Third person he, she, they, it News, textbooks, research

A shift to second person (" you should wash your hands for 20 seconds") usually signals instructional or persuasive intent, not an objective report.

Persuasive and Rhetorical Devices

When the purpose is to persuade, authors reach for rhetorical devices :

Emotional appeal (pathos) — language that triggers fear, pity, or pride: "Imagine your own grandmother left untreated."

Appeal to authority (ethos) — citing experts or institutions to build trust.

Rhetorical question — a question asked for effect, not an answer: "Can we really afford to ignore this?"

Repetition — repeating a phrase to drive it home.

Loaded language — emotionally charged diction ( devastating , miracle ).

Worked Example

Passage: "Every winter, emergency rooms overflow with patients who never received a simple, free flu shot. We have the vaccine. We have the clinics. What we lack is urgency. It is time—past time—for every health system to make vaccination effortless. The cost of inaction is measured not in dollars, but in lives."

Step 1 — Purpose: The author wants the reader to act ("It is time…to make vaccination effortless"). That is persuade , not inform.

Step 2 — Tone: Words like overflow , urgency , and measured…in lives show an urgent, concerned attitude.

Step 3 — Devices: The rhetorical question ("What we lack is urgency" follows the implied question), the repetition of "We have," and the emotional appeal ("in lives") are all persuasive tools.

Step 4 — Fact vs. opinion: "We have the vaccine" is a fact; "It is time…past time" is an opinion stated for effect. Recognizing that mix confirms a persuasive purpose.