How to find the author's point of view and tone
TEAS 7 outline: Evaluate the author's point of view or perspective
Also covers HESI A2 Reading (Author's purpose and tone)
- First person uses I or we; second person addresses you.
- Third person uses he, she, it, or they and describes others.
- Perspective is the author's attitude toward the subject.
- Judgment words and contrast signals like but or still reveal the attitude.
- Name the attitude's direction (for, against, mixed, neutral) and its strength.
Key facts
- First person uses I, me, we and our; the narrator takes part in the events and knows only what they see, hear or are told.
- Second person addresses the reader as you; third person uses he, she, it or they and describes people from outside.
- Perspective (stance) is the author's view of the subject; tone is the attitude that word choice conveys.
Show all 6 key factsShow fewer
- Judgment words (far from perfect, finally, merely, should) reveal attitude; plain facts and numbers on their own do not.
- Contrast signals such as but, however, still, yet and though often mark where a mixed or qualified view begins.
- Name the attitude in two parts: its direction (for, against, mixed or neutral) and its strength (mild or strong).
Quick check1 question · 2 more at the end
Handoff by Tablet: One Nurse's View
When our unit replaced paper handoff sheets with bedside tablets last spring, I was one of the loudest skeptics. I had spent eleven years scribbling notes on folded paper, and I worried that a screen would pull my eyes away from my patients. Six months later, I have changed my mind, though not completely.
The good news is real. Medication times, allergies, and pending lab results now appear in the same place for every nurse, so I no longer have to decode a colleague's handwriting at 7 a.m. Our manager reports that notes about missed tasks have dropped since the switch, and I believe it: I have not chased a lost sheet in months.
Still, the tablets are far from perfect. The battery on our oldest model dies halfway through a twelve-hour shift, and the login screen times out so quickly that I sometimes type my password four times in one room. Those seconds add up when a call light is flashing.
I would not go back to paper. But before the hospital buys tablets for every unit, leaders should spend a week on the night shift and watch how the devices actually behave. Nurses are willing to change; we simply want the tools to work as hard as we do.
From which point of view is the passage written?
Correct answer: C.
Point of view starts with the pronouns the narrator uses. This narrator says "I," "our unit," and "we" and describes their own experience with the tablets, so the passage is in first person. Third-person narrators stand outside the events and use he, she, or they, and second person addresses the reader as "you."
A The narrator never addresses the reader as "you"; the passage is about the narrator's own experience.
B A third-person narrator would call the nurse "she" or "he"; this narrator says "I" and is the nurse.
C Correct: "I," "our," and "we" show a narrator who is part of the events, which is first person.
D The narrator shares only their own thoughts and says "I," so this is not an all-knowing outside narrator.
Full lesson
Each part starts with its main idea. Open a part when you want the details.
The short answer: Point of view has two layers. Grammatical person tells you who is speaking: first person uses I or we, second person addresses you, and third person describes others. Perspective is the author's attitude toward the subject. Find it by marking judgment words, noticing contrast signals like but or still, deciding which way the author leans, and then naming how strongly.
1 What does point of view mean on the TEAS?Point of view questions ask either who is telling the text or how the author feels about the subject. 1 min
Point of view questions ask either who is telling the text or how the author feels about the subject. The first layer is grammatical person, which you spot from pronouns. The second is the author's perspective (also called stance), the view of the subject that shows through the writing.
| Person | Pronouns | What it usually feels like |
|---|---|---|
| First | I, me, we, our | Personal, from inside the events |
| Second | you, your | Direct, speaks to the reader |
| Third | he, she, it, they, names | From outside; often formal |
A first-person narrator knows only what they saw, heard or were told. A third-person narrator stands outside the events. Third person often sounds more objective, but that is not guaranteed.
2 How do you find the author's attitude?Attitude lives in word choice, so read the words, not your own opinion of the topic. 1 min
Attitude lives in word choice, so read the words, not your own opinion of the topic. Tone is the attitude those words carry toward the subject and the reader. Use four steps.
- Who is speaking? Note the pronouns and the author's role (nurse, manager, parent).
- Words: underline judgment words, such as adjectives, adverbs and verbs that praise or criticize.
- Which way: decide whether the author leans for, against, mixed or neutral.
- How strong: pick the tone word whose strength matches the text, not one that goes further.
3 What does that look like on a real text?Apply the four steps in order, and the attitude label almost writes itself. 1 min
Apply the four steps in order, and the attitude label almost writes itself. Here is a short original example from a clinic newsletter.
Our new self-check-in kiosks were supposed to save everyone time. In the first month, average waits did drop by a few minutes. Yet many patients now stand in line twice: once at the kiosk, then again at the desk for help. Before we order more machines, we should ask who they were really built for.
- Who: "Our" and "we" make it first person, a staff member.
- Words: "supposed to", "stand in line twice", "really built for" all doubt the kiosks.
- Which way: mostly against, but the author admits one benefit ("did drop").
- How strong: questioning, not furious. Skeptical or concerned fits; "hostile" and "enthusiastic" do not.
4 Which tone words should you know?Most answer choices use a small set of tone words, so learn them in groups. 1 min
Most answer choices use a small set of tone words, so learn them in groups.
| Leaning | Mild | Strong |
|---|---|---|
| For | approving, hopeful | enthusiastic, celebratory |
| Neutral | objective, informative | (no strong form) |
| Mixed | cautious, balanced | conflicted, ambivalent |
| Against | concerned, skeptical | hostile, scornful |
Signal words to watch: but, however, still, yet, though (a turn is coming); unfortunately, finally, merely, only (judgment); should, must, need to (the author's position).
5 Which wrong answers look most tempting?The most tempting wrong answer has the right direction but the wrong strength. 1 min
The most tempting wrong answer has the right direction but the wrong strength. If the author only raises concerns, "hostile" goes too far.
- Borrowed view: the choice matches what "some people argue," not what the author believes.
- Half the passage: the choice fits the first paragraph, but a "but" later changes the picture.
- Pronoun shortcut: one "you" or one "I" quote does not decide the narrator.
Common mistakes
The traps students fall into most. Read these before you practice.
Watch out: Right direction, wrong strength: an author who points out problems is critical or skeptical, not hostile, unless the words are that extreme.
Watch out: A view the author reports (some people argue, critics say) is not the author's own view; check who is speaking.
Watch out: Third person is not automatically neutral, and first person is not automatically one-sided; read the word choice.
Watch out: One positive sentence does not make a mixed passage enthusiastic; weigh the whole text, especially what follows but or still.
Watch out: A single you in a sentence does not make a whole passage second person; ask who the narrator is.
How to remember it
Four short cues, Who, Words, Which way, How strong, carry you from evidence to a label. Because the label comes last, your answer never goes further than the text. The Reading section gives you 55 minutes for 45 questions, so practice until the four steps feel automatic.
Self-check:
- Write one sentence about your commute in first person, then rewrite it in third person.
- Add one judgment word to a plain fact and say what attitude it creates.
- Read any short opinion piece and name its tone with one mild and one strong word, then decide which fits better.