Understanding purpose and audience

Begin by taking a look at your writing situation. Consider your subject, your purpose, your audience, available sources of information, and any assignment requirements such as genre, length, document design, and deadlines (see the checklist at the bottom of this page). It is likely that you will make final decisions about all of these matters later in the writing process—after a first draft, for example—but you will become a more effective writer if you think about as many of them as possible in advance.

Purpose

In many writing situations, part of your challenge will be determining your purpose, or your reason, for writing. The wording of an assignment may suggest its purpose. If no guidelines are given, you may need to ask yourself, “Why am I communicating with my readers?” or “What do I want to accomplish?” College writers most often write for the following purposes:

to inform to analyze
to explain to synthesize
to summarize to propose
to persuade to call readers to action
to evaluate to change attitudes

Audience

Analyzing your audience can often help you determine how to accomplish your purpose—how much detail or explanation to provide, what kind of tone and language to use, and what potential objections to address. The choices you make as you write will tell readers who you think they are (novices or experts, for example) and will show respect for your readers’ values and perspectives. The checklist at the bottom of this page includes questions that will help you analyze your audience and develop an effective strategy for reaching your readers.

note: When you write e-mail messages to instructors, classmates, or potential employers, respect your reader by using a concise, meaningful subject line; keeping paragraphs brief and focused; proofreading for careless errors; and paying attention to your tone. Don’t write something that you wouldn’t feel comfortable saying directly to your reader. Finally, avoid forwarding another person’s message without permission.

Genre

Pay close attention to the genre, or type of writing assigned. Each genre is a category of writing meant for a specific purpose and audience—an essay in a writing class, a lab report in a biology class, a policy memo in a criminal justice class, or a case study for an education class. Sometimes the genre is yours to choose, and you need to decide if a particular genre—a poster presentation, an audio essay, a Web page, or a podcast, for example—will help you communicate your purpose and reach readers.

Checklist for assessing the writing situation

Subject

  • Has the subject been assigned, or are you free to choose your own?
  • Why is your subject worth writing about? What questions would you like to explore? How might readers benefit from reading about it?
  • Do you need to narrow your subject to a more specific topic (because of length restrictions, for instance)?

Purpose and audience

  • Why are you writing: To inform readers? To persuade them? To call them to action? Some combination of these?
  • Who are your readers? How well informed are they about the subject?
  • Will your readers resist any of your ideas? What possible objections will you need to anticipate and counter?

Genre

  • What genre—type of writing—does your assignment require: A report? A proposal? An analysis of data? An essay?
  • If the genre is not assigned, what genre is appropriate for your subject, purpose, and audience?
  • Does the genre require a specific design format or method of organization?

Sources of information

  • Where will your information come from: Reading? Research? Direct observation? Interviews? Questionnaires?
  • What type of evidence suits your subject, purpose, audience, and genre?
  • What documentation style is required: MLA? APA? CMS (Chicago)?

Length and document design

  • Do you have length specifications? If not, what length seems appropriate, given your subject, purpose, audience, and genre?
  • Is a particular format required? If so, do you have guidelines or examples to consult?
  • How might visuals—graphs, tables, images—help you convey information?

Reviewers and deadlines

  • Who will be reviewing your draft in progress: Your instructor? A writing tutor? Your classmates?
  • What are your deadlines? How much time will you need for the various stages of writing, including proofreading and printing or posting the final draft?