Thinking critically about rhetorical situations

Reading with an eye for purpose, audience, and context

Advertisements provide good examples of writing that is tailored carefully for specific audiences. Find two ads for the same product in contexts that suggest that the ads aim to appeal to different audiences—for example, men and women. What differences do you see in the messages and photography? What conclusions can you draw about ways of appealing to specific audiences?

Question

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Advertisements provide good examples of writing that is tailored carefully for specific audiences. Find two ads for the same product in contexts...

Thinking about your own attention to purpose, audience, and context

Analyze a text you have written or are working on right now for an academic course.

  • Can you state its purpose(s) clearly and succinctly? If not, what can you do to clarify its purpose(s)?

    Question

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    Can you state its purpose(s) clearly and succinctly? If not, what can you do to clarify its purpose(s)?
  • What other purposes for this piece of writing can you imagine? How would fulfilling some other purpose change the writing?

    Question

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    What other purposes for this piece of writing can you imagine? How would fulfilling some other purpose change the writing?
  • Can you tell from reading the piece who the intended audience is? If so, what in your text clearly relates to that audience? If not, what can you add that will strengthen your appeal to this audience?

    Question

    oB5vA24wBvu92yszvuox37JDsVcjpRX0irqqJpLeZN0Jq+17sgwBIQYZ5udtbpgFI1dzo+5dskQS10tNiBGkY7Odd/ho+lF5v0+GXOoTbGhAIdCy0SJgJ/T6gCNeF4ueumo/QZO9J8a82ZwIAWxscYdmF4dul2dcCK69YWzCqKNazH95wGInJfDsOaYSqNil68Uu+5JHo/GwPB99L/cJifn75Uyip6YkthZq1TQgob5btPi2sNlGaAC/NO7krvodupOAJ7nAeA8sK9py
    Can you tell from reading the piece who the intended audience is? If so, what in your text clearly relates to that audience? If not, what can you...
  • What other audiences can you imagine? How would the writing change if you were to address a different audience? How would it change if you were writing to a largely unknown audience, such as people on the web?

    Question

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    What other audiences can you imagine? How would the writing change if you were to address a different audience? How would it change if you were...
  • What changes would you have to make to create the work in a different genre or medium?

    Question

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    What changes would you have to make to create the work in a different genre or medium?
  • Does your writing follow the conventions of standard academic English—and if not, should you revise it so that it will? Note your conclusions about purpose and audience in your own writing.

    Question

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    Does your writing follow the conventions of standard academic English—and if not, should you revise it so that it will? Note your conclusions...