Purpose, Tone, and Kinds of Texts

The tone an author uses can help us identify her or his purpose for writing. And an author’s purpose will

influence how we read and what we pay attention to. Here, we’ll look at the three primary purposes an

author has for writing and the kinds of texts associated with each purpose, as well as some tones that

are associated with each purpose.

One purpose for writing is to entertain. Texts that entertain include novels, most movies, short stories,

memoirs, comic books, graphic novels, most TV shows, and lots more. It’s important to note that the

word “entertain” does not mean the same thing as the word “amuse.” We’re entertained by mystery

novels, even if they never make us crack a smile. The tones you’re likely to find in texts that entertain

include: irreverent, funny, sarcastic, gloomy, and intense.

Another purpose for writing is to inform. Texts that inform include newspapers, documentaries, field

guides, magazines, textbooks, handbooks, some web content, and more. The tone that you’ll most

likely find in informative texts is called “matter-of-fact,” which means there’s not a whole lot personality

coming through in the writing, and the author is not going out of her or his way to make you feel

something. The tone I’m using in this webcast would be considered “matter-of-fact,” though my tone is

also probably a bit “casual.”

Finally, the last purpose for writing is to persuade. Texts that persuade include essays, letters,

advertisements, political speeches, and more. A text that includes words like “should,” “must,” or “need

to,” is probably persuasive. You can find a variety of tones in persuasive texts, including: passionate,

emotional, accusatory, and sincere.

You might be thinking, “But, I’ve read novels that are also informative!” or, “I’ve read plenty of

informative texts that are funny.” And this is definitely true. Most authors write for multiple purposes,

and most texts fulfill multiple functions and use a variety of tones. However, what’s important is that

you’re aware of why an author has written a text that you’re working with, especially if an author claims

to be informing you, but is actually trying to persuade you.