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Identifying Author's Purpose & Tone on the TEAS 7

By Emily Chen, B.A. English · Updated April 18, 2026

Student actively reading and taking notes for the TEAS 7 reading comprehension section
What is the fastest way to identify author's purpose on the TEAS 7?

Use the acronym P.I.E. Ask yourself: Is the text trying to Persuade me (opinions, 'should', 'must')? Is it trying to Inform me (facts, textbooks, recipes)? Or is it trying to Entertain me (fiction, stories, humor)? Look at the adjectives to determine the tone.

The biggest mistake pre-nursing students make on the TEAS 7 Reading section is treating it like a speed-reading race. The ATI isn't just testing if you can read fast; they are testing if you understand why the text was written in the first place.

Because the Reading section has 45 questions squeezed into only 55 minutes, you need a systematic method. I recommend reading our Ultimate TEAS 7 Study Guide to see how time management works across the full exam.

The P.I.E. Method

Every piece of writing on the TEAS falls into one of three overarching categories. Write the acronym P.I.E. on your scratch paper the second you sit down for the reading section.

  • P - Persuade: The author wants you to agree with them or take action. Look for highly emotional adjectives, opinions stated as facts, or words like "should," "must," "best," and "worst." (Examples: Editorials, political speeches, advertisements).
  • I - Inform: The author is acting like a robot, just giving you data. The text is entirely factual and lacks personal opinion. (Examples: Textbooks, encyclopedias, recipe instructions, manual guides).
  • E - Entertain: The author wants to evoke an emotional response through a story. Look for characters, plot lines, and dialogue. (Examples: Fiction novels, poems, dramatic plays).
💡 Tutor's Tip: Do not get tricked by "informative" looking passages that sneak opinions in at the end. If a passage spends three paragraphs giving you facts about climate change, but the last sentence says, "Therefore, you must vote for Proposition A," the core purpose of the entire passage is Persuasive.

Identifying Tone

While "Purpose" is why the author wrote it, "Tone" is their attitude toward the subject. The TEAS will routinely ask: "Which of the following best describes the tone of the passage?"

To find the tone, circle the adjectives. Imagine the author speaking the words out loud. Are they yelling? Are they crying? Are they a bored librarian?

  • Objective Tone: Uses neutral, factual words. ("The temperature rose by 3 degrees.")
  • Subjective Tone: Uses biased, emotional words. ("The oppressive, suffocating heat destroyed the beautiful town.")

📋 From the Tutor's Desk

During a reading drill, my student Amanda kept choosing "Sarcastic" for passages that were actually "Critical." She was confusing the two because she didn't isolate the exact words. Sarcasm requires irony—the author says the exact *opposite* of what they mean (e.g., "Oh, what a brilliant idea to leave the ice cream out in the sun.") A critical tone is direct and harsh (e.g., "Leaving the ice cream out was a foolish, careless mistake.") I taught her to look for irony to prove sarcasm. If the words literally match the insult, it's just critical.

Check Your Knowledge

Reading comprehension requires practice to build speed. Try reading the short passages in our Free TEAS 7 Practice Quiz inside of a 60-second timer constraint.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does P.I.E. stand for in reading comprehension?
P.I.E. stands for Persuade, Inform, Entertain. These are the three primary reasons an author writes a passage, and identifying which one applies is frequently tested on the TEAS 7.
How do I know if an author's purpose is to persuade?
Look for opinionated language, call-to-actions, and emotional adjectives. If the author uses words like 'should,' 'must,' 'best,' or is trying to make you agree with a specific viewpoint, the purpose is to persuade.
Are tone and mood the same thing?
No. Tone is the author's attitude toward the subject (e.g., objective, sarcastic, urgent). Mood is how the writing is meant to make the *reader* feel (e.g., anxious, hopeful).
How many Reading questions are on the TEAS 7?
There are 45 Reading questions on the TEAS 7, and you have 55 minutes to complete them. A significant portion tests Key Ideas and Details, including author's purpose.

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