Reading Comprehension Standard 2.8 Evaluate the credibility of an author’s argument or defense of a claim by critiquing the relationship between generalizations and evidence, the comprehensiveness of evidence, and the way in which the author’s intent affects the structure and tone of the text. Author’s Intent

Number of Questions The reading comprehension section of the CAHSEE contains 18 multiple choice questions. There are five questions on the CAHSEE that ask about your understanding of Standard 2.8.

Intent Understanding the intent of a passage is important because it helps the reader determine what the author is attempting to do: To entertain? To persuade? To inform?

What is Author’s Intent? Author’s intent is also known as the author’s purpose, which is the reason why the author chose to write a particular text.

Helping You Understand the Text Knowing the author's intent helps you in three ways: to prepare for the type of information you will read. to make the article easier to summarize. to make it easier for you to determine the article's main idea and important details.

Types of Author’s Intent The three most common types are: to entertain to persuade to inform

To Entertain To entertain is one of the common reasons an author chooses to write. Short stories, plays, and novels are usually designed to entertain.

Entertainment Examples Novels Short stories PoetryComicsFairytales

To Inform To provide information is another common reason an author writes a text. To provide information is another common reason an author writes a text. An example might be a magazine article about cars, designed to inform. An example might be a magazine article about cars, designed to inform.

Writing Designed to Inform Newspapers Directions in maps Manuals about how to operate something Workplace documents, such as bulletins Biographies about famous or not so famous people Magazines about news events, teenage topics… Example: President George W. Bush is the 43rd President of the United States.

To Persuade To convince someone to do something or to convince someone to think the author is right. A persuasive piece tells the reader to consider what to do or what to think.

Persuasive Examples Commercials & Advertisements Speeches Newspaper Op/Ed pages Example: “To prevent cavities, remember to brush your teeth with Toothy Toothpaste, the brand your dentist recommends!” “To prevent cavities, remember to brush your teeth with Toothy Toothpaste, the brand your dentist recommends!”

Example Question “ Parents should have their children wear school uniforms because it allows for a better learning environment. Additionally, uniforms are cheaper than purchasing the latest styles. Next year, when you send your kids to school, remember to buy uniforms. It will save you money and create a better place to learn.” What is main purpose in the passage? a. To show why uniforms are important b. To compare school uniforms to other clothing c. To convince parents to make their children wear school uniforms d. To entertain the reader in a humorous way

Example Question “ Parents should have their children wear school uniforms because it allows for a better learning environment. Additionally, uniforms cheaper than purchasing the latest styles. Next year, when you send your kids to school, remember to buy uniforms. It will create a better place to learn and save you lots of money.” What is main purpose in the passage? a. To show why uniforms are important b. To compare school uniforms to other clothing c. To convince parents to make their children wear school uniforms d. To entertain the reader in a humorous way