Which content area focuses on analyzing the author’s purpose and tone in informational texts?

• A. Literary Texts – Central Idea/Theme.
• B. Informational Texts – Author's Purpose and Tone.
• C. Language/Writing Conventions – Grammar.
• D. Reading – Word Recognition.

Answer: (B)

Analyzing author’s purpose and tone in informational texts means looking at why the author wrote the piece and what attitude they convey about the topic. The purpose is the author’s goal—whether they want to inform, explain, describe, persuade, or analyze. The tone is the author’s attitude toward the subject, which you can sense in word choice, emphasis, and the way evidence is presented. In informational texts, you learn to identify both of these elements to understand how the author shapes the information for the reader.

This focus is most appropriate here because it targets nonfiction that aims to convey facts and explanations, not fiction. The emphasis is on what the text is trying to do and how the author feels about it, rather than on literary aspects like central idea or theme that are more common in literary texts. Grammar and conventions relate to sentence structure and punctuation, while word recognition deals with decoding, so they aren’t about analyzing purpose and tone in nonfiction. For example, a piece explaining how recycling works might have the purpose to inform and persuade, with a hopeful or urgent tone shaped by specific wording and evidence—precisely what this content area teaches you to examine.