Like most college writing assignments, every assignment in this book asks you to write for a definite reason. For example, you’ll recall a memorable experience in order to explain its importance for you; you’ll take a stand on a controversy in order to convey your position and persuade readers to respect it. Be careful not to confuse the sources and strategies you apply in these assignments with your ultimate purpose for writing. “To compare and contrast two things” is not a very interesting purpose; “to compare and contrast two Web sites in order to explain which is more reliable” implies a real reason for writing. In most college writing, your purpose will be to explain something to your readers or to convince them of something.

To sharpen your concentration on your purpose, ask yourself from the start: What do I want to do? And, in revising, Did I do what I meant to do? These practical questions will help you slice out irrelevant information and remove other barriers to getting your paper where you want it to go.