Author's Point of View
Basics on the topic Author's Point of View
Author's Point of View
How to find the author's perspective in an informational text? Identify the author's perspective and learn from the author's perspective examples through a video, exercises, and worksheets!
Author's Perspective – Definition
First, let’s define the author's perspective. When reading informational texts, it is important for us to know what the author thinks about the topic.
The definition of an author's perspective is how they think or feel about the topic of the text.
Take a look at the text below to learn more about recognizing and analyzing the author's perspective, examples of the author's perspective and then try identifying author's perspective in informational texts yourself by using one of the worksheets provided.
Author's Perspective – Meaning
What does the author's perspective mean? It means that the author can have either a positive or negative opinion or feeling about the topic they communicate to the reader. Understanding the author's perspective on a topic is crucial, because it affects the information we get from the text. To become more knowledgeable and to develop critical thinking, it is important to read more than one text on a topic with different perspectives. This is how we can form our own opinion on the topic.
How to explain the author's perspective? You can find different texts on the same topic that convey the opposite messages. For example, one author can write a text about the benefits of running, while the other one can write an article about the damage running can cause to our joints. Even though the topic is the same, the authors of the mentioned texts have different perspectives on the matter.
But how do you find the author's perspective in a text? Authors do not necessarily express their perspectives in an informational text, but we can infer it through reasons, *evidence, and word choice**. To remember these better, you can use the author's perspective anchor chart:
Let’s take a look at the example of an author's perspective and try to answer the question: What is the author's perspective in the passage?
The internet is an amazing tool for students! Using the internet is helpful for students because it allows them to find information for their projects faster than without the internet. Students also can learn new, exciting things and work online together with their classmates to make learning more fun. In this way, the internet can save you several hours a day!
What does the text imply about the author's perspective? It implies that the author has a positive opinion on the internet. Let’s look at the graphic organizer for finding the author's perspective and identify the reasons, evidence, and word choice the author uses to support their thinking.
| Reasons | Evidence | Word choice |
|---|---|---|
| it allows them to find information for their projects faster can learn new exciting things and work online together with their classmates |
can save you several hours a day | amazing tool new exciting things make learning fun |
Let’s take a look at another example.
The internet is extremely harmful for school students as it may lead to spending too much time online. Just think about it - an average school student spends around 5 hours a day on the internet. This can affect students’ sleep and exercise routine and cause serious health problems.
Which statement best describes the author's perspective in this passage? * The author has a positive opinion on the internet. * The author has a negative opinion on the internet.
In the passage above the author has a negative opinion on the internet. Let’s find reasons, evidence, and word choice that helped us reach this conclusion.
| Reasons | Evidence | Word choice |
|---|---|---|
| may lead to spending too much time online can affect students’ sleep and exercise routine and cause serious health problems |
an average school student spends around 5 hours a day on the internet |
extremely harmful serious health problems |
Even though the two passages above cover the same topic (usage of the internet among the school students), it is clear the two authors have the opposite perspectives on it.
Author's Perspective – Summary
Let’s repeat what we learned about the author’s perspective in informational texts:
The author’s perspective is what the author thinks or feels about the topic. It affects what they say in the text and how they say it. Authors don’t always directly state their perspectives, but we can infer it through reasons, evidence, and word choice.
Reading more than one text on a topic with different perspectives can help us form our own opinion and develop critical thinking.
Now you know everything about determining the author's perspective. If you want more practice, check out our video, author's perspective activity, and download author's perspective worksheets.
Frequently Asked Questions about Author's Perspective
Transcript Author's Point of View
Author's Point of View “What is THAT?" “I’ve done some research. It's called PLASTICS.” “It seems like a lot of things on land are made with them.” “Let’s read to learn about the topic.” When reading informational texts it is important to understand the author's point of view. An author can have a positive or negative impression of a topic they want to communicate to the reader. An author’s point of view is how the author THINKS or FEELS about a topic. This affects WHAT they say about a topic and HOW they say it. Authors don't always directly state their point of view but we can INFER it through reasons(...)evidence(...)and word choice. Let's read an article about plastics and analyze the author's point of view. THIS is the Last Straw! Plastic is damaging our environment and hurting our animals. There are about 270,000 tons of plastic in the world’s waterways. These not only cause pollution, but they are ingested, or eaten, by wildlife. Since plastics are not biodegradable, animals can not digest them, which causes blockage or poisoning from the chemicals used in plastics, leading to their deaths. Plastic has been found in the stomachs of more than 50% of the world’s sea turtles. We need to find alternatives and not be so dependent on using plastics, or our planet’s future is in grave danger. This author feels that plastics are harmful to the environment and animals and that people should stop using them. What REASONS did they give to support their thinking? (...) It causes pollution and animals may die from eating the floating plastics. What evidence did this author give about plastics being harmful? The fact that fifty percent of sea turtles are found with plastics in their stomachs. Look at the author's WORD CHOICE used to describe plastics. Which words show their negative point of view? (...) Damaging... and grave danger. "Plastics are terrible!" "I think we need to read more before forming an opinion." Let's analyze the author's point of view in THIS article. Plastics get a bad wrap. (...) Plastics are one of the greatest inventions! Plastics are lightweight and durable making them MORE energy efficient and less wasteful than other materials produced. A cloth bag actually requires more water and energy to make than plastic bags! Our daily lives are better as a result of plastics…It helps cool or heat our homes, makes our cars safer, and keeps our food from going bad. Just think of all the medical advances made possible by plastics. We owe so much to this amazing product, including being responsible for its proper disposal. What is this author's point of view? (...) Plastics are beneficial to our lives. What REASONS did they give to support their thinking? (...) Plastics use less energy and waste(...) they benefit our daily lives,... and make medical and technological advances possible. What EVIDENCE supports their point of view? The fact that cloth bags require more resources to make. What words does the author use to show they have a positive view? (...) Greatest(...) better(...) amazing. Both authors have written about the same topic while giving two different points of view about it. While Pearl and Otis discuss what they've read, let's summarize. Remember… an author’s point of view is how they think or feel about a topic. Their point of view affects what they say and how they say it. Authors don't always directly state their point of view but we can infer it through reasons, evidence, and word choice. Reading more than one text on a topic with different points of view helps us become knowledgeable, and form our own opinions. “Pearl, you are so clever!” “This invention will help us clean up our home AND turn plastics into life-saving devices for sealife.” “Knowledge is power!”
Author's Point of View exercise
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Choose the words that support a positive point of view.
HintsThere are three correct choices.
Words that are neither positive nor negative don't support a positive point of view.
Solution- Better, amazing, and greatest are all positive word choices that support a positive point of view.
- The words, materials, and daily are neither positive nor negative.
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Find the true statements.
HintsA person's point of view is what they experience or believe about something. It is not always the same as another person's point of view.
Most texts do not directly write if the tone is good or bad. Instead, they show this throughout the text.
There are three true statements and one false.
SolutionTRUE:
- The author's point of view is how the author of a text feels or thinks about the topic they are writing about.
- The author can have a positive or negative point of view on a topic and may convey this to the reader.
- You can understand the author's point of view by considering their word choices, reasons, and evidence presented.
- The author will always clearly state if they feel positively or negatively about the topic.
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Determine if the statement is positive or negative.
HintsA synonym for negative is bad.
A synonym for positive is good.
There are 2 positive statements and 2 negative statements.
SolutionPositive
- Plastics help cool or heat our homes, and keep our food from going bad.
- There have been many medical advances made possible by plastics.
- Plastic is damaging our environment and hurting our animals.
- Since plastics are not biodegradable, animals cannot digest them.
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Connect the left and right.
HintsA reason is an overall logic used to support an argument. It can often be used in many different arguements. "Seagulls always poop on my head," is a reason to avoid the beach. It is also a reason not to like seagulls.
Evidence is a specific example or statistic used to prove a point. It can often be seen, heard, counted, or touched. "At the beach, seagulls are 75% more likely to poop on people than beach towels or toys." is evidence.
An author's choice of words best shows if they have positive or negative feelings about a topic.
Example: Terrible, depressing, scary, or horrible are words with a negative feel. Amazing, exciting, beautiful or fascinating are words with a positive feel.Another way of saying "author's point of view" could be to say "the author's opinion".
Solution- Plastic bags are bad and should be outlawed is the author's point of view.
- Plastic is difficult to dispose of is a reason.
- Plastics have been found in the stomachs of more than 50% of the world's sea turtles is evidence.
- Horrific, deadly, terrible. Awesome, incredible, inspiring are word choices.
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Determine the point of view.
HintsA synonym for positive is good.
A synonym for negative is bad.
There is one correct choice for a positive point of view, and one correct choice for a negative point of view.
Solution- "Plastics can kill animals" supports a negative point of view on plastics.
- "Plastics have helped create many great advances in medicine" supports a positive point of view on plastics.
- "California was the first state to ban plastic bags" is neutral, and does not support either a positive or negative point of view.
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Describe the author's point of view.
HintsA reason is an overall logic to support an argument. It can often be used in many different arguements. "Seagulls always poop on my head," is a reason to avoid the beach. It is also a reason not to like seagulls.
Evidence is a specific example or statistic used to prove a point. It can often be seen, heard, counted, or touched. "At the beach, seagulls are 75% more likely to poop on people than beach towels or toys." is evidence.
An author's choice of words best shows if they have positive or negative feelings about a topic. Example: Terrible, depressing, scary, or horrible are words with a negative feel. Amazing, exciting, beautiful or fascinating are words with a positive feel.
Another way of saying "author's point of view" could be to say "the author's opinion".
Solution- Point of view: Positive.
- Reason: Ladybugs like to eat aphids.
- Evidence: One Ladybug can eat up to 5,000 aphids.
- Word choice: Cute/pretty/fantastic.
- Author's opinion: Ladybugs are great.
