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Questions to ask about

Audience

•Who will read what I write?

•How will the intended audience influence what I write and the way I write it?

•What examples and details should I include and emphasize?

•How does my audience determine my word choice and tone?

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E-mail to Principal Smith

Dr. Principal Smith,

How r u? Just shooting you an em to ask u 4 the new txtbks. The class is going SFSG. BTW, the students have been asking abt the field trip. Could you pls em me back b4 2 long to work out the details? Thnx. TTYL.

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Let’s Talk about Your Audiences

–e-mailing a college to inquire about admissions

–texting a classmate to ask about a definition you forgot to write down in class

–Typing a research paper on World War II

–Telling a joke around the dinner table

–writing a persuasive article to the principal on why there needs to be air conditioning on the school bus

–writing a thank you note to a grandparent for a gift

–typing a letter of acceptance into a new school

–calling a friend to catch up on his or her life

–Writing about an entertaining experience on the first day of school for publication in the school newspaper

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Author’s purpose is the reason for writing, speaking, or performing.

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Questions to ask about

PURPOSE

•What do I want this piece of writing to accomplish?

•What reaction or response do I want my audience to have?

•How will my purpose for writing influence what I write and how I write it?

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Why?

•Authors always have a purpose for writing, and good readers can tell whether an author is writing to inform, persuade, or entertain. Knowing how to identify the author's purpose leads readers to adjust the way they read in order to better understand what the author is attempting to accomplish.

•Above all, audience and purpose give writing a focus.

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Think about it…

•Your best friend and your grandmother (or another adult family member) want to know what you thought of the movie (or television show) that you saw last weekend. Both are considering going to see the show (or watching a rerun of it) tonight, and they want to know if you recommend it for them and why.

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…

Think about it...

•You are applying for a new job at Starbucks that you really hope to get. The company asks that you describe in detail your work experience so far, especially experience serving customers and working in the coffee business.

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…

Think about it...

•You received the lead part in the upcoming school play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

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