Chapter 5-

Examination of
Author’s Main
Argument and Point
of View
Determining Author’s Purpose

 The reason the source was

created
 Purpose in Writing

1. Persuade- wants you to

believe, do or buy
something; persuasive
writing; advertisement,
campaign speech
2. Inform- give you
information or instruction
 Called expository writing
 Documents, contracts, law
3. Narrate or Recount- wants
to relate a story or recount
past events
 Called narrative writing
 History text, non-fiction
books, biographies
4. Describe- visualize or
experience of something or
someone
 Called descriptive writing
 Stories, poems, drama, song
5. Explain- tell how to do
something or how something
works
 Called expository writing
 Instructions, directions,
step by step procedure
6. Entertain- amuse you or to
enjoy the writing
 Called creative writing
 novel, stories, poems,
drama
 Clue Words to Find Author’s
Purpose

 Compare- both, similarly,

like, just as, in the same
way
 Contrast- however, but,
dissimilarly, on the other
hand
 Criticize- bad, wasteful,
poor
 Describe/Illustrate-
adjectives like red, lusty,
morose, sparkling
 Identify- idea or series of
idea
 Intensify- superlative
adjectives
 Suggest-propose an idea
 Explain- break idea to
simpler terms
 Determining Author’s main
Argument

 Argument- claiming that

something is true
 3 components
1. Point of view- a claim. We
are arguing in favor of
2. Actual argument- evidence
 3. statement- link initial
statement to argument
 Warrant- argument for
connection between initial
claim and argument
 Claim- known as thesis
statement
 Conclusion- open discussion
towards a claim
 Evidence- argument that
substantiate a claim
 Warrant- link between
argument and claim; known
as research method
 Backing- foundation or
support
 Qualifiers- a true critique of
text must build upon where
You present your counter
arguments in a balanced
manner