{"id":8273,"date":"2013-10-29T18:56:35","date_gmt":"2013-10-29T18:56:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/?page_id=8273"},"modified":"2026-03-26T09:45:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T14:45:10","slug":"authors-position","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/authors-position\/","title":{"rendered":"Author&#8217;s Position"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t\t<div id=\"mmDeferVideoEncompass_OYw_3Kn1h-g\" style=\"position: relative;\">\n\t\t\t<picture>\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\">\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> \n\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"eager\" id=\"videoThumbnailImage_OYw_3Kn1h-g\" data-source-videoID=\"OYw_3Kn1h-g\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" alt=\"Author&#8217;s Position Video\" height=\"464\" width=\"825\" class=\"size-full\" data-matomo-title = \"Author&#8217;s Position\">\n\t\t\t<\/picture>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<style>img#videoThumbnailImage_OYw_3Kn1h-g:hover {cursor:pointer;} img#videoThumbnailImage_OYw_3Kn1h-g {background-size:contain;background-image:url(\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/779-author-s-position-1.webp\");}<\/style>\n\t\t\t<script defer>\n\t\t\t  jQuery(\"img#videoThumbnailImage_OYw_3Kn1h-g\").click(function() {\n\t\t\t\tlet videoId = jQuery(this).attr(\"data-source-videoID\");\n\t\t\t\tlet helpTag = '<div id=\"mmDeferVideoYTMessage_OYw_3Kn1h-g\" style=\"display: none;position: absolute;top: -24px;width: 100%;text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic;font-size: small;border-top: 1px solid #fc0;\">Having trouble? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v='+videoId+'\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to watch on YouTube.<\/a><\/span><\/div>';\n\t\t\t\tlet tag = document.createElement(\"iframe\");\n\t\t\t\ttag.id = \"yt\" + videoId;\n\t\t\t\ttag.src = \"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/\" + videoId + \"?autoplay=1&controls=1&wmode=opaque&rel=0&egm=0&iv_load_policy=3&hd=0&enablejsapi=1\";\n\t\t\t\ttag.frameborder = 0;\n\t\t\t\ttag.allow = \"autoplay; fullscreen\";\n\t\t\t\ttag.width = this.width;\n\t\t\t\ttag.height = this.height;\n\t\t\t\ttag.setAttribute(\"data-matomo-title\",\"Author&#8217;s Position\");\n\t\t\t\tjQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoEncompass_OYw_3Kn1h-g\").html(tag);\n\t\t\t\tjQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoEncompass_OYw_3Kn1h-g\").prepend(helpTag);\n\t\t\t\tsetTimeout(function(){jQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoYTMessage_OYw_3Kn1h-g\").css(\"display\", \"block\");}, 2000);\n\t\t\t  });\n\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t\n<p><script>\nfunction mnV_Function() {\n  var x = document.getElementById(\"mnV\");\n  if (x.style.display === \"none\") {\n    x.style.display = \"block\";\n  } else {\n    x.style.display = \"none\";\n  }\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"moc-toc hide-on-desktop hide-on-tablet\">\n<div><button onclick=\"mnV_Function()\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/toc2.svg\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"show or hide table of contents\"><\/button><\/p>\n<p>On this page<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<nav id=\"mnV\" style=\"display:none;\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Showing_Bias\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Showing Bias<\/a>\n<ul><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h3\"><a href=\"#Adjectives\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Adjectives<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h3\"><a href=\"#Subtle_Words\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Subtle Words<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h3\"><a href=\"#Omission\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Omission<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Review\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"accordion\"><input id=\"transcript\" type=\"checkbox\" class=\"spoiler_button\" \/><label for=\"transcript\">Transcript<\/label>\n<div class=\"spoiler\" id=\"transcript-spoiler\">\n<p>Hi, and welcome to this video on identifying an author\u2019s position!<\/p>\n<p>Whether you are reading a post on social media, an article in a magazine, or a novel in class, whoever wrote the piece that you\u2019re reading probably has their own <a class=\"ylist\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/fact-or-opinion\/\">opinion<\/a> about the subject.<\/p>\n<p>We all have opinions, and these opinions not only spill into the words we speak, but also seep into the words we write. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important for readers to be able to identify when bias is being revealed in what is read\u2014doing so can help you as the reader to separate fact from opinion and be accurately informed on whatever topic you are researching.<\/p>\n<p>Today, we\u2019ll look into this further by identifying language that shows <a class=\"ylist\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/bias-and-stereotype\/\">bias<\/a>, discussing the importance of omission, and why identifying the author\u2019s position is important for effective reading. Let\u2019s get started.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Showing_Bias\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Showing Bias<\/h2>\n<h3><span id=\"Adjectives\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Adjectives<\/h3>\n<p>\nAdjectives that an author uses can be a clear way of figuring out their stance on a subject. For example, when recalling a series of events such as the final score of a basketball game, someone may write:<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\">The blue team beat the red team by 7 points.<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nThis is an unbiased statement. The author tells us objectively who was playing and what happened with no opinions to be seen. In contrast, what if the author reported the same game in this way:<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\">My favorite team, the red team, lost to the cheating blue team.<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nIt\u2019s pretty obvious in this sentence that the author favors the red team over the blue team. This sentence is riddled with bias because the author blatantly states their opinion about the two teams. <\/p>\n<p>The author also says that the blue team cheated. Now that we know that the author likes the red team more, can we believe his account that the blue team actually cheated as a fact? Has the author made himself credible? No way. <\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Subtle_Words\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Subtle Words<\/h3>\n<p>\nNow, what if the author wrote an account of the same game this way:<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\">The blue team, unfortunately, beat the red team by 7 points.<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nIn this sentence, just by adding the word <em>unfortunately<\/em>, there seems to be some bias on the author\u2019s part. Language that conveys emotion is another means that authors use to show their position. He seems to be upset that the blue team won and not the red team. Even subtle words like this can give away an author\u2019s opinion on a subject, so it\u2019s important to take the weight of each word thoroughly when reading. Here\u2019s one more example:<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\">The red team had their victory stolen from them by the blue team.<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nAgain, language is very important when identifying the author&#8217;s position. Instead of saying the red team lost, he chose to describe the outcome of the game as a \u201cstolen victory\u201d. That\u2019s very strong language and hints at the author\u2019s bias towards the red team since he compared their loss as being the victim of a crime.<\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Omission\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Omission<\/h3>\n<p>\nOmitting information from a piece of writing can also be a form of bias. By leaving out information, an author can inform the reader on only what he wants us to know and therefore sway our opinion on the subject. Let\u2019s look at a few examples:<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\">Nicole is notorious for being late to work.<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nIn this sentence, the reader is left to assume why Nicole is always late. Could she be a bad worker? Is she bad at time management? All we know is that she is often late and the word notorious emphasizes how this is not a positive trait for her to have. This sentence doesn\u2019t shine a positive light on Nicole. What if the author were omitting some information? Let\u2019s look at a similar sentence.<\/p>\n<div class=\"transcriptcallout\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Nicole is notorious for being late to work because she doesn\u2019t have a car and lives far away.<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nNow that we know Nicole\u2019s circumstances, she doesn\u2019t sound like such a bad worker, does she? The fact that she lives far away and doesn\u2019t own a car even makes her sound like she works very hard to get to work although she\u2019s often late. If the author didn\u2019t share this information, we likely wouldn\u2019t have come to this conclusion. Reading critically and finding missing pieces in an author\u2019s narrative is an important way of identifying the author&#8217;s position.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2><span id=\"Review\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Review<\/h2>\n<p>\nFacts and opinions can sometimes seem very similar. That is why readers must consider the writer\u2019s personal feelings when they wrote the piece and qualify what is credible and what should be questioned. We do this by identifying emotional language, keeping track of opinion statements, and identifying information that is omitted or not clearly stated. Doing these things can lead to meaningful discussions on the subject but also filter the relevance of the information we take in to make our comprehension of the subject clearer. <\/p>\n<p>Here is a short exercise to practice what we\u2019ve gone through today:<\/p>\n<p>Which sentence doesn\u2019t show the author\u2019s position?<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Yellow flowers are my favorite<\/li>\n<li>Yellow flowers are better than purple ones<\/li>\n<li>There were purple and yellow flowers on the lawn<\/li>\n<li>There were homely purple flowers next to the yellow ones<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div style=\"text-align: center; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><button class=\"buttontranscript\" onClick=\"toggle('Answer1')\">Show Answer<\/button><\/div>\n<div id=\"Answer1\" style=\"display:none; box-shadow: 1.5px 1.5px 5px grey; background-color:#E0E0E0; padding: 30px; padding-bottom: 15px; width: 60%; margin: auto; text-align: center;\">\n<strong>The answer is number 3.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">This sentence contains no adjectives and doesn\u2019t state anything other than the basic facts on the situation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nThanks for watching, and happy studying!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"home-buttons\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/reading-comprehension\/\">Return to Reading Comprehension Videos<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\nfunction toggle(obj) {\n          var obj=document.getElementById(obj);\n          if (obj.style.display == \"block\") obj.style.display = \"none\";\n          else obj.style.display = \"block\";\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Return to Reading Comprehension Videos<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":99916,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-8273","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"page_category-reading-comprehension-videos","7":"page_category-video-pages-for-study-course-sidebar-ad","8":"page_type-video","9":"subject_matter-english"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8273","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8273"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8273\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":279700,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8273\/revisions\/279700"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99916"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}