Purpose vs. Point of View

Two questions about an author sound alike but ask different things. One asks why the author wrote a text; the other asks where they stand on the subject. Keeping purpose and point of view apart will save you from a common test mistake.

An author’s purpose is the reason a text was written — to inform, persuade, or entertain. An author’s point of view is their position or attitude toward the subject — what they think and how they feel about it. Purpose answers “why did they write this?”; point of view answers “where do they stand?”

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Purpose: The Why

The purpose is the goal behind the writing. It explains what the author hoped to accomplish by putting the words on the page. A writer might aim to inform you about how vaccines work, persuade you to recycle, or entertain you with a mystery. To find the purpose, ask what the author wanted the reader to do or feel afterward — learn something, change a behavior, or enjoy a story. Notice that two authors can share a purpose while disagreeing completely. Two writers might both aim to persuade you about a new highway, one for it and one against it. Their purpose is the same — to convince — but what they believe is different. That is where point of view comes in, and why the two ideas must stay separate.

Point of View: The Position

An author’s point of view is the stance they take — their opinion and attitude about the topic. In persuasive writing, it is the side they argue for. To find it, ask, “What does this author think about the subject, and how do they feel?” The clues are in word choice and the arguments they emphasize. A writer who calls a project “a reckless waste” holds a negative point of view; one who calls it “a bold investment” holds a positive one. Notice how this differs from purpose: both writers may share the purpose of persuading, but their points of view are opposites. On the test, read a question carefully to see which it wants. “Why did the author write this?” asks for purpose; “How does the author feel about this?” asks for point of view.

Watch: A Short Video Lesson

Chorus Educational K-12 Content gives a clear overview to go with this lesson:

A Routine for Telling Them Apart

1. For purpose, ask, “What did the author want me to do or feel?”
2. For point of view, ask, “Where does the author stand?”
3. Use word choice and emphasis to judge the attitude.
4. Read the question to see which of the two it wants.

Practice

1. What is an author’s purpose?
2. What is an author’s point of view?
3. Which question does purpose answer?
4. Can two authors share a purpose but differ in point of view?
5. What clues reveal an author’s point of view?
6. Which question asks for point of view rather than purpose?

Answers

1. The reason the text was written — to inform, persuade, or entertain.
2. The author’s position or attitude toward the subject.
3. “Why did they write this?”
4. Yes — both may aim to persuade while holding opposite views.
5. Word choice and the arguments they emphasize.
6. “How does the author feel about this?”

Where This Fits in Your RLA Prep

This distinction builds on understanding an author’s implicit purpose and connects to recognizing other viewpoints. See every topic on the Language Arts Prep Hub.

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