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Southern City Colleges

Pilar Street, Zamboanga City
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
S. Y. 2021-2022

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES

Identifying the Author’s Tone and Point of View
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
After this lesson, learners should be able to:
1. Distinguish words that create a positive, a negative, or a neutral tone in written texts;
2. Explain what tone a written text sends to the reader;
3. Evaluate personal experiences that may influence a personal point of view to a certain societal issue;
4. Synthesize cultural exposures (or lack of it) to determine the limitations of one’s point of view; and
5. Relate how an author of a text may also have personal experiences and/or cultural exposures that might affect
his or her tone and point of view when writing texts

The Author’s Tone and Point of View

 In speaking, we can easily tell the emotions behind the words from a person’s tone. The sentence “That’s
okay.” changes in meaning based on the speaker’s tone in relaying the same message.
 We tend to believe more the emotions behind the words (i.e., the connotative meaning) than the words’ denotative
meaning.

For example, if a person looks into your eyes, holds your hands, and whispers, “That’s okay,” in a firm and assuring
way, then you know that the person is sincere.

However, if the person says the same sentence, “That’s okay,” in a snappy tone and then turns and walks away
from you while rolling his or her eyes, then you know from both the body language and the tone that the person is
not sincere but may be displeased or angry.

 In writing, we also convey a tone. The tone is the author’s attitude toward the topic or issue. Do not misinterpret
the tone (such as sarcasm), or you will also misinterpret the message.
 The reader can tell whether the author has a positive, negative, or neutral point of view at a certain thing or
issue based on the tone of the author’s choice of words.

When an author takes side in an issue, the author is said to be biased. There are many factors that may affect an author’s
point of view. We will discuss two of them here: personal experiences and cultural exposures.

Personal Experiences

 One’s personal experiences can greatly affect one’s point of view. Look at actors and actresses who can
effectively portray challenging roles. They would usually mention that they draw from personal experiences in acting
out a very emotional scene. In writing, an author’s personal experiences and attitudes toward those experiences
affect his or her point of views. For example, a president of a company who had been through many of the
company’s ups and downs will be able to share much wisdom about running a business.

On the other hand, a fresh graduate from a business school may come in with a stronger personality, very high ideals, and
well-defined goals. However, because this person lacks experiences, there are some realities of the business that may
still be so obscured and unrealized on his or her part.

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Cultural Exposure

There’s an old story of people who lived in an island. They were born like normal people except for one thing—they were
born with blue sunglasses. Everything they saw—the sand, the sun, and the plants and animals—was through the blue lens
of the glasses. These people were called the blue people from the Blue Island.

Not far away was another island, and the people who lived there were pretty much the same
as normal human beings except for one thing—these people were born with yellow sunglasses.
Everything they see were through the yellow lens of the glasses. These people were called the yellow
people from the Yellow Island.

One time a blue person happened to surf too far from the Blue Island. He got carried away by
the waves and winds close to the next island, which was the Yellow Island. A yellow person,
thankfully, saw him gasping for breath and waving his hands wildly. The blue person was
rescued successfully and was taken to the Yellow Island to recuperate.

Now, the yellow people were friendly and accommodating, and they were very proud of everything in
their Yellow Island. They started showing him everything they had. They fed him their yellow food
and taught him their yellow ways. But there was one problem. While the blue person was very
willing to try everything the yellow people wanted him to do and see, he couldn’t quite understand
what they meant when they talked about colors. Finally, he figured it out, and he shared his dilemma
to the yellow people.

Because the blue person cannot take out the blue lens he was born with, he just placed the yellow
lens given to him by the yellow people on top of his blue lens. Suddenly, he started seeing
things in a different color other than blue. He began to understand the yellow people a lot better. He
stayed in the yellow island for a long time until he was pretty sure he knew everything in the ways of
the yellow people. One day, he decided to leave the Yellow Island and go back to the Blue Island to
share his wonderful discovery of another color other than blue.

He went back to his own blue people in their Blue Island and told them how that in another island not
far away from them, lived the green people in their Green Island.

The End

 Our own culture is our own identity that can never be completely erased from us. Similar to what you have read in
the story, no matter how much we expose ourselves to other cultures, we will still have that “blue” lens in us. You
have to understand that the more exposed you are to other cultures, the more different colors of lenses you’ll be
wearing, and you will always see things in a different “color” and not in exactly the same “color” that a person
without cultural exposure can see.

With the ASEAN integration and globalized world economy, you have to keep an open mind to the different cultures
of the world. Allow yourself to be exposed to different cultures and experience their “yellow” ways. But you should also
never forget that you are wearing your own “blue” lens, and no matter how much you think you understand another
culture, there will always be that slight bias coming from you.

 Cultural exposures, along with other personal experiences, can affect a person’s perspective. For example, a
foreign businessman who has been nabbed in the Philippines will surely not agree with some people when they say
that Filipinos are very hospitable. When he goes back to his home country, he will tell people how dangerous it is to
live in the Philippines.

So when you read academic texts or any articles, especially those coming from personal blogs, keep in mind that the
author’s perspective is based on the lens he or she is originally wearing, plus all the other colored lenses that he or she had
acquired over the course of his or her cultural exposures and personal experiences.

Essential Learning
A text has a tone that can be positive, negative, or neutral depending on the author’s choice of words. An author’s point of
views may also be affected by his or her personal experiences and/or cultural exposures.
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Facts, Opinions, and Incorrect Information

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
After this lesson, learners should be able to:
1. Point out words that signal personal opinions;
2. Differentiate factual statements from those with opinions and/or incorrect information;
3. Balance opinions and factual statements in a publishable blog article on a particular celebrity or group of
celebrities of your own choice; and
4. Form opinion based on facts.

Before you can determine whether a statement is a fact, an opinion, or an incorrect information, refer first at their
definitions below:

 An opinion is subjective. It is based on or influenced by personal beliefs or feelings.

 An opinion is not the opposite of a fact. The opposite of a fact is incorrect information.
 A fact is objective. It is not influenced by personal feelings or judgment.

Even if some people may agree with the statements that contain opinions, their consent does not make the statements true
or factual because there may be other people who would think otherwise. There is a saying that beauty is in the eye of the
beholder. This saying makes sense because what is beautiful for one may not be beautiful for another. Thus, in
determining whether a statement is a fact or opinion, always remember that opinions contain words of judgment or
personal taste. The opposite of facts, though, are not opinions. Rather, when facts are proven to be not true at all, what
you have is called incorrect information.

Essential Learning
 A factual statement is objective. It is not influenced by personal feelings or judgment. On the other hand, a
statement with opinions is subjective. It is based on or influenced by personal beliefs or feelings. An opinion is not
the opposite of a fact. The opposite of a fact is incorrect information.

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Fallacies in Reasoning

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

After this lesson, learners should be able to:

Illustrate what sound reasoning is;

2. Distinguish the different types of
fallacies from one another; and
3. Identify fallacies used in
advertisements.
1. Illustrate what sound reasoning is;
2. Distinguish the different types of fallacies from one another; and
3. Identify fallacies used in advertisements.

Sound Reasoning
 Sound reasoning is used every day. In fact, we make decisions and judgments based on sound reasoning, even in
the most insignificant thing we do for the day.
 There are two well-known types of sound reasoning: deductive reasoning and inductive reasoning.

 Deductive reasoning is from a general statement to a specific one.

 For example, your prior knowledge tells you that Muslims do not eat pork. Your boss is a Muslim.
You will not take him to restaurant that serves only lechon because you know that eating pork is not
allowed in his faith.

You can present the statements in the following way:

o Muslims do not eat pork.
o My boss is a Muslim.
o Therefore, he does not eat pork.

 Inductive reasoning is from specific to general.

 For instance, because you are sick with influenza, you just stayed home and didn’t go to school. You texted
your classmate and asked him to tell your teacher that you are sick with the flu. Your classmate texted back
and told you that he also has the flu. You logged in to your social media account. You saw that most people
are complaining of getting sick with the flu.

From these similar incidences, you concluded that there’s an outbreak of the flu. Your logical reasoning can be arranged
like this:
o I am sick with influenza.
o My classmate is also sick with influenza.
o Most of my friends in social media are complaining of getting sick with influenza.
o There is an influenza outbreak.

 The conclusion for both deductive and inductive reasoning is only acceptable if the preceding premises are
acceptable.
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 Take caution in the fallacies of reasoning that can be very subtle yet deceptive. Do not use them and neither be
persuaded by any of them.

Fallacies in Reasoning
 A fallacy in reasoning makes an argument false or unreliable.

Here are a few most common fallacies in reasoning:

1. Bandwagon – This is a reasoning based on popularity rather than on scientific evidence or facts. This gives one a feeling
of “you are the only one not doing (or using) it, so why not join now?”

2. Hasty generalization – This is reaching a conclusion without enough pieces of evidence or further studies. You should not
use an isolated experience to make a general statement or judgment on something or someone.
o For example, if you see a Chinese being disrespectful to an older person, you should not say, “Chinese people are
disrespectful to the elderly.”

3. Red herring – A red herring is an argument that distracts the opponent away from the real issue and leads them to an
irrelevant issue.
o This is a term that originated from the legend that criminals in England during the 17th century would use a red
herring (a fish) to confuse the bloodhounds on the trail that pursue them. The bloodhounds would then veer away in
the opposite direction, which is away from where the criminal was.

4. Attack on a person – This reasoning attacks the person instead of the issue. This happens a lot in politics. If you hear
politicians attacking their opponents instead of the issue.
o beware! “He is always late for his meetings. How do you expect him to advance the progress of this country if
he is always running late?”

5. Either-or reasoning – This presents only two alternatives and acts as if there are no other choices.
o For example, “Eat an apple a day or you will get sick.” It’s not apples only that will keep you from getting sick. There
are many other nutritious fruits that are as healthy as apples.
o And besides, it’s not only fruits that keep you healthy. You should have a balanced nutrition to stay healthy.

Essential Learning
 As a reader, you should be able to spot whether a writer is using sound reasoning or not.
 There are two common types of reasoning: deductive reasoning and inductive reasoning.
 Deductive reasoning is using a general premise first and then a specific premise before coming up with a
conclusion.
 Inductive reasoning is using a specific premise first and then a general premise before making a conclusion

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