Assessing Purpose and Audience Portfolio

Question

In this unit, you have been writing for a particular goal or reason—that is, a purpose. Most of your writing has been to inform or to explain. Here is a list of writing purposes:

to inform readers about a topic
to explain a process or issue
to persuade readers to agree with an opinion
to motivate readers to do something
to describe a person, place, or thing
to entertain readers with a work of fiction or poetry
to reflect on an experience or feeling
Furthermore, no matter what you write, you are writing for an audience. You may write for a single reader, such as your Learning Coach or a friend. You may write for a larger audience, such as newspaper readers or for members of a club or student group.

As you read over your finished draft, ask yourself how well it suits your purpose and audience. You may need to make some final revisions to ensure that you are communicating information well. Here are some questions to consider.

PURPOSE

Does my essay fulfill my purpose? Does every sentence in my essay teach my reader more about the topic?
If my purpose is to explain, can my reader follow along? Should I reorder any steps in the process?
Have I departed from my purpose too much? Should I remove any opinions or personal reflections that do not belong in informative or explanatory writing?
AUDIENCE

Does my audience know a lot about this topic? Do I need to define terms or explain things more clearly?
Which points that I made will interest my audience most? How can I emphasize those points?
Are the words and sentence structures I used appropriate for my audience? Should I make my language simpler or more formal?
The rubric here will help you to assess your writing. Read it carefully to see how well you have followed the rules for writing informative/explanatory texts.

Answer 1

It looks like you are engaged in the process of writing an informative or explanatory essay, and you want to ensure that your work meets its purpose and is appropriate for your audience. Here’s a structured approach to assess your draft based on the criteria provided:

Assessing Purpose

1. Fulfillment of Purpose:

   • Check each sentence: Read through your essay and assess whether each sentence contributes to your overall purpose. If a sentence seems off-topic or doesn't add value, consider revising or removing it.

2. Clarity of Explanation:

   • Step-by-step flow: If you're explaining a process, ensure that it flows logically. Ask yourself if the reader can easily follow along. If not, consider reordering steps or adding transitions to clarify the progression.

3. Avoiding Off-topic Content:

   • Stay on Purpose: Remove any personal opinions or reflections that detract from the informative nature of the essay. It’s essential to maintain a focus on facts and objective explanations.

Assessing Audience

1. Level of Knowledge:

   • Audience analysis: Consider who your audience is. Are they familiar with the topic? If not, you might need to define certain terms or concepts. This could involve including brief explanations or examples to enhance understanding.

2. Interest Points:

   • Highlight engaging aspects: Identify which parts of your essay are most likely to resonate with your audience. You may want to emphasize these sections through more detailed descriptions or by presenting compelling data.

3. Language Appropriateness:

   • Word choice and structure: Reflect on the tone and complexity of your language. If your audience is casual or less knowledgeable, simplify your language. Conversely, if your audience is more formal (like academic peers), ensure your writing is polished with appropriate terminology and structure.

Final Checklist

• Have you read through your essay with the purpose and audience in mind?
• Are there any sections that need clarity or further detail?
• Have you eliminated any unnecessary content that lacks relevance to your main purpose?
• Have you assessed the vocabulary and style to ensure they match your audience's expectations?

Using this approach will help refine your work and ensure that it is both informative and audience-appropriate. After you make revisions, consider seeking feedback from peers or your Learning Coach to gain additional insights before finalizing your draft. Good luck with your writing!