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

Assessing your writing for its purpose and audience is a critical step in the revision process. Here’s a structured approach to help you evaluate your draft effectively:

Purpose Assessment

1. Purpose Fulfillment:

   • Review your thesis statement or main argument. Does it clearly communicate your primary intention?
   • Scan through each paragraph and note whether every sentence contributes to your topic. If certain sections feel off-topic, consider revising or eliminating them.

2. Clarity of Explanation:

   • If your goal is to explain a process or concept, ensure that the order of information makes sense. You could create an outline to visualize the flow of your explanation. Are there any steps that could be restructured for better clarity?
   • Use transitional phrases to guide your reader through complex information.

3. Stay on Topic:

   • Check for any instances where you stray from your main purpose. If you have included personal anecdotes or opinions that may not be relevant, reevaluate their necessity in an informative piece.
   • Aim to keep a consistent tone that aligns with your purpose throughout the entire essay.

Audience Assessment

1. Audience Knowledge:

   • Consider the background of your audience. Are they familiar with the topic? If not, you may need to provide definitions for technical terms or background information.
   • If your audience contains both experts and laypeople, try to strike a balance in your language and explanations.

2. Engagement with Points:

   • Identify which parts of your essay are likely to captivate your audience's interest. Highlight these sections and think about ways to expand or emphasize them without straying from your purpose.
   • Consider including questions or relatable examples that can engage your readers more actively.

3. Language and Structure:

   • Evaluate the tone of your writing. Is it casual, formal, or somewhere in between? Does it suit your audience’s expectations?
   • Look for complex sentences or jargon that might hinder understanding. Determine if simplifying the language or including more straightforward sentence structures could enhance comprehension.

Final Steps

• Review the Rubric: After addressing the above aspects, refer to the writing rubric for informative/explanatory texts. Check off each criterion your essay meets and note areas needing improvement.
• Get Feedback: Consider sharing your draft with peers or mentors for additional viewpoints on clarity and engagement.
• Revise: Based on your assessment, make necessary revisions to strengthen your essay's purpose and audience alignment.

By following this structured approach, you will be better equipped to refine your writing and ensure that it effectively communicates your intended message to your audience.