Chapter 3: Purpose, Thesis, and Audience

 

Chapter 3: Purpose, Thesis, and Audience

 

1.      Identifying Your Focus and Purpose

2.      Creating a Thesis

3.      Understanding Your Readers/Audience

 

1.   Identifying Your Focus and Purpose

The first question for any writer should be, "Why am I writing?" "What is my goal or my purpose for writing?" For many writing contexts, your immediate purpose may be to complete an assignment or get a good grade. But the long-range purpose of writing is to communicate to a particular audience. In order to communicate successfully to your audience, understanding your purpose for writing will make you a better writer.

 

Purpose

Think about the different kinds of writing that you have experiences with every day.Consider the newspaper that’s delivered to your door or that you read online. Itsdifferent parts do different things—they have different purposes. Its news articles andbulletin boards generally inform you about world, state, or local events; its opinioncolumns and advertisements try to persuade you either to a point of view or to buysomething; its humor columns and comics attempt to entertain you. Since writing canhave so many purposes, you have to decide exactly what you want your writing to do.What you want your writing to do will be tempered by your audience, but, for now,let’s consider purpose by itself.

 

 

Purpose is the reason why you are writing. You may write a grocery list in order to remember what you need to buy. You may write a laboratory report in order to carefully describe a chemistry experiment. You may write an argumentative essay in order to persuade someone to change the parking rules on campus. You may write a letter to a friend to express your excitement about her new job.

 

Notice that selecting the form for your writing (list, report, essay, and letter) is one of your choices that helps you achieve your purpose. You also have choices about style, organization; kinds of evidence that help you achieve your purpose

 

Focusing on your purpose as you begin writing helps you know what form to choose, how to focus and organize your writing, what kinds of evidence to cite, how formal or informal your style should be, and how much you should write.

 

Types of Purpose

Don Zimmerman says, “I look at most scientific and technical writing as being either informational or instructional in purpose. A third category is documentation for legal purposes. Most writing can be organized in one of these three ways. For example, an informational purpose is frequently used to make decisions. Memos, in most circles, carry key information.”

When we communicate with other people, we are usually guided by some purpose, goal, or aim. We may want to express our feelings. We may want simply to explore an idea or perhaps entertain or amuse our listeners or readers. We may wish to inform people or explain an idea. We may wish to argue for or against an idea in order to persuade others to believe or act in a certain way. We make special kinds of arguments when we are evaluating or problem solving. Finally, we may wish to mediate or negotiate a solution in a tense or difficult situation.

 

Remember, however, that often writers combine purposes in a single piece of writing. Thus, we may, in a business report, begin by informing readers of the economic facts before we try to persuade them to take a certain course of action.

 

Purposes and Strategies

 

A purpose is the aim or goal of the writer or the written product; a strategy is a means of achieving that purpose. For example, our purpose may be to explain something, but we may use definitions, examples, descriptions, and analysis in order to make our explanation clearer. A variety of strategies are available for writers to help them find ways to achieve their purpose(s).

 

Definition

Writers often use definition for key terms of ideas in their essays. A formal definition, the basis of most dictionary definitions, has three parts: the term to be defined, the class to which the term belongs, and the features that distinguish this term from other terms in the class.

 

Term	Class	Distinguishing characteristics
Democracy is	government	by the people, exercised directly or through elected representatives

 

Look at your own topic. Would definition help you analyze and explain your subject?

 

Illustration and Example

Examples and illustrations are a basic kind of evidence and support in expository and argumentative writing. For example, in below paragraph the writer uses several examples to develop a paragraph:

 

Another problem, lying, occurred most often when my parents tried to force me to eat. Because I was at the gym until around eight o'clock every night, I told my mother not to save me dinner. I would come home and make a sandwich and feed it to my dog. I lied to my parents every day about eating lunch at school. For example, I would bring a sack lunch and sell it to someone and use the money to buy diet pills. I always told my parents that I ate my own lunch.

 

Classification

Classification is a form of analyzing a subject into types. We might classify automobiles by types: Trucks, Sport Utilities, Sedans, Sport Cars. We can (and do) classify college classes by type: Science, Social Science, Humanities, Business, Agriculture, etc.

Comparison and Contrast

Comparison and contrast can be used to organize an essay. Consider whether either of the following two outlines would help you organize your comparison essay.

Block Comparison of A and B

• Intro and Thesis
• Description of A
• Description of B (and how B is similar to/different from A)
• Conclusion

Alternating Comparison of A and B

• Intro and Thesis
• Aspect One: Comparison/contrast of A and B
• Aspect Two: Comparison/contrast of A and B
• Aspect Three: Comparison/contrast of A and B

Analysis

Analysis is simply dividing some whole into its parts. A library has distinct parts: stacks, electronic catalog, reserve desk, government documents section, interlibrary loan desk, etc. If you are writing about a library, you may need to know all the parts that exist in that library.

 

Description

Although we usually think of description as visual, we may also use other senses--hearing, touch, feeling, smell-- in our attempt to describe something for our readers.

 

Notice how the writer uses multiple senses to describe Anasazi Indian ruins at Mesa Verde:

 

I awoke this morning with a sense of unexplainable anticipation gnawing away at the back of my mind, that this chilly, leaden day at Mesa Verde would bring something new . . . . They are a haunting sight, these broken houses, clustered together down in the gloom of the canyon. The silence is broken only by the rush of the wind in the trees and the trickling of a tiny stream of melting snow springing from ledge to ledge. This small, abandoned village of tiny houses seems almost as the Indians left it, reduced by the passage of nearly a thousand years to piles of rubble through which protrude broken red adobe walls surrounding ghostly jet black openings, undisturbed by modern man.

 

Process Analysis

Process analysis is analyzing the chronological steps in any operation. A recipe contains process analysis. First, sift the flour. Next, mix the eggs, milk, and oil. Then fold in the flour with the eggs, milk and oil. Then add baking soda, salt and spices. Finally, pour the pancake batter onto the griddle.

 

Narration

Narration is possibly the most effective strategy essay writers can use. Readers are quickly caught up in reading any story, no matter how short it is. Writers of exposition and argument should consider where a short narrative might enliven their essay. Typically, this narrative can relate some of your own experiences with the subject of your essay. 

 

Cause/Effect Analysis

In cause and effect analysis, you map out possible causes and effects. Two patterns for doing cause/effect analysis are as follows:

 

Several causes leading to single effect: Cause 1 + Cause 2 + Cause 3 . . . => Effect

 

One cause leading to multiple effects: Cause => Effect 1 + Effect 2 + Effect 3 ...

 

2.   Creating a Thesis

Writers choose from a variety of purposes for writing. They may write to expresstheir thoughts in a personal letter, to explain concepts in a physics class, to explore ideas in a philosophy class, or to argue a point in a political science class.

 

Once they have their purpose in mind (and an audience for whom they are writing), writers may more clearly formulate their thesis. The thesis, claim, or main idea of an essay is related to the purpose. It is the sentence or sentences that fulfill the purpose and that state the exact point of the essay.

 

For example, if a writer wants to argue that high schools should strengthen foreign language training, her thesis sentence might be as follows:

 

"Because Americans are so culturally isolated, we need a national policy that supports increased foreign language instruction in elementary and secondary schools."

 

The following examples illustrate how subject, purpose and thesis are related. The subject is the most general statement of the topic. The purpose narrows the focus by indicating whether the writer wishes to express or explore ideas or actually explain or argue about the topic. The thesis sentence, claim, or main idea narrows the focus even farther. It is the sentence or sentences which focuses the topic for the writer and the reader.

Subject	Purpose	Thesis, Claim, or Main Idea
Childhood experiences	To express your feelings and explain how one childhood experience was formative.	The relentless competition between me and my sisters distorted my easygoing personality.
Heart disease	To inform readers about the relationships between Type A personalities and heart attacks.	Type A personalities do not necessarily have an abnormally high risk of suffering heart attacks.
The death penalty	To persuade readers that the death penalty should be used.	Despite our belief that killing is wrong, a state-administered death penalty is fair, just, and humane.

Tips for Writing Your Thesis Statement

1.      Determine what kind of paper you are writing:

• An analytical paper breaks down an issue or an idea into its component parts, evaluates the issue or idea, and presents this breakdown and evaluation to the audience.
• An expository (explanatory) paper explains something to the audience.
• An argumentative paper makes a claim about a topic and justifies this claim with specific evidence. The claim could be an opinion, a policy proposal, an evaluation, a cause-and-effect statement, or an interpretation. The goal of the argumentative paper is to convince the audience that the claim is true based on the evidence provided.

If you are writing a text that does not fall under these three categories (e.g., a narrative), a thesis statement somewhere in the first paragraph could still be helpful to your reader.

2. Your thesis statement should be specific—it should cover only what you will discuss in your paper and should be supported with specific evidence.

3. The thesis statement usually appears at the end of the first paragraph of a paper.

4. Your topic may change as you write, so you may need to revise your thesis statement to reflect exactly what you have discussed in the paper.

Thesis Statement Examples

Example of an analytical thesis statement:

An analysis of the college admission process reveals one challenge facing counselors: accepting students with high test scores or students with strong extracurricular backgrounds.

The paper that follows should:

• Explain the analysis of the college admission process
• Explain the challenge facing admissions counselors

Example of an expository (explanatory) thesis statement:

The life of the typical college student is characterized by time spent studying, attending class, and socializing with peers.

The paper that follows should:

• Explain how students spend their time studying, attending class, and socializing with peers

Example of an argumentative thesis statement:

High school graduates should be required to take a year off to pursue community service projects before entering college in order to increase their maturity and global awareness.

The paper that follows should:

• Present an argument and give evidence to support the claim that students should pursue community projects before entering college

3.   Understanding Your Readers/Audience

How Audience and Focus Affect Purpose

All readers have expectations. They assume what they read will meet their expectations. As a writer, your job is to make sure those expectations are met, while at the same time, fulfilling the purpose of your writing.

 

Whatever your purpose, you will be writing to a specific audience. You not only must understand your audience but also keep this audience in mind at all times as you draft your paper. Many times your audience will be dictated to you by your instructor or workplace situation; other times you will get to choose an audience. In either case,you’ll have to understand and then adapt your writing to that audience.

 

Understanding the audience can be fairly easy or rather difficult depending on what you already know about them. Indeed, you may have to do some primary or secondaryresearch to learn more about your audience. The best way to see what you know andwhat you need to know about your audience is to ask yourself some questions aboutyour relationship to the audience and the audience’s relationship to your topic.

 

Me & My Audience

·         Does my audience know me personally? Would they identify me as a “type” of  person (i.e., college student)?

·         Can I identify my audience as a “type”?

·         How large is my audience?

·         Can I claim any shared experiences, characteristics, attitudes, values, or prejudices with my audience? (i.e., nationality, culture, gender)

·        Do my audience and I have any differences that would present barriers to communication?

 

My Audience & Its Relationship to My Topic

·         What does my audience know about my topic?

·         What does my audience need (or not need) to know about my topic?

·         How “close” is my audience to my topic? (emotionally, geographically, culturally)

·         Does my audience have any expectations concerning formality of language?

·         What does my audience expect as far as the format of the final document?

·         How will my audience use the final document?

 

Essentially, as you think about audience, ask yourself, “how will reading my writing change or affect how my audience thinks, feels, or understands my topic?” The answers to these questions will condition your approach to your audience.

 

Once you have determined what type of purpose best conveys your motivations, you will then need to examine how this will affect your readers. Perhaps you are explaining your topic when you really should be convincing readers to see your point. Writers and readers may approach a topic with conflicting purposes. Your job, as a writer, is to make sure both are being met.

Purpose and Audience

Often your audience will help you determine your purpose. The beliefs they hold will tell you whether or not they agree with what you have to say. Suppose, for example, you are writing to persuade readers against Internet censorship. Your purpose will differ depending on the audience who will read your writing.

 

For example: 

If your audience is computer users who surf the net daily, you could appear foolish trying to persuade them to react against Internet censorship. It's likely they are already against such a movement. Instead, they might expect more information on the topic.

 

If your audience is parents who don't want their small children surfing the net, you'll need to convince them that censorship is not the solution to the problem. You should persuade this audience to consider other options.

 

Purpose and Focus

Your focus (otherwise known as thesis, claim, main idea, or problem statement) is a reflection of your purpose. If these two do not agree, you will not accomplish what you set out to do. Consider the following examples below:

 

Focus One: Informing

Suppose your purpose is to inform readers about relationships between Type A personalities and heart attacks. Your focus could then be: Type A personalities do not have an abnormally high risk of suffering heart attacks.

 

Focus Two: Persuading

Suppose your purpose is to persuade readers not to quarantine AIDS victims. Your focus could then be: Children afflicted with AIDS should not be prevented from attending school.

 

Writer and Reader Goals

Readers and writers both have goals when they engage in reading and writing. Writers typically define their goals in several categories-to inform, persuade, entertain, explore. When writers and readers have mutually fulfilling goals-to inform and to look for information-then writing and reading are most efficient. At times, these goals overlap one another. Many readers of science essays are looking for science information when they often get science philosophy. This mismatch of goals tends to leave readers frustrated, and if they communicate that frustration to the writer, then the writer feels misunderstood or unsuccessful.

 

Purpose and Audience

Whatever reality you are writing within, whatever you chose to write about, implies a certain audience as well as your purpose for writing. You decide you have something to write about, or something you care about, then purpose determines audience.

 

Writer Versus Reader Purposes

A general definition of purpose relates to motivation. For instance, "I'm angry, and that's why I'm writing this." Purposes, in academic writing, are intentions the writer hopes to accomplish with a particular audience. Often, readers discover their own purpose within a text. While the writer may have intended one thing, the text actually does another, according to its readers.

Example Assignment

1.      Imagine you are an administrator for the school district. In light of the Columbus controversy, you have been assigned to write a set of guidelines for teaching about Columbus in the district's elementary and junior high schools. These guidelines will explain official policy to parents and teachers in teaching children about Columbus and the significance of his voyages. They will also draw on arguments made on both sides of the controversy, as well as historical facts on which both sides agree. 

 

2.      Make a note of words asking you to follow a specific task. For example, words such as:

·         Describe

·         Argue

·         Define

·         Explain

·         Persuade

These words require you to write about a topic in a specific way. Once you know the purpose of your writing, you can begin planning what information is necessary for that purpose.

 

 

 

References

http://www.time4writing.com/writing-resources/the-myths-and-realities-of-writing-well-and-great-writing/

http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/elsc/material/Writing/writing1.htm

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/engagement/2/2/53/

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/545/1/

http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/page.cfm?pageid=148

 

Ginny Redish, Letting go of the Words 

Kristina Halvorson, Content Strategy for the Web

Myths of WritingIn: Essays Into LiteracyExeter, NH: Heinemann Educational Books: 81-88

Brandon, Lee & Brandon. Kelly. 2011. Paragraphs and Essays with Integrated Readings (11^thed.). Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Mikulecky, Beatrice S. and Jeffries, Linda. 2007. Advanced reading power: extensive reading, vocabulary building, comprehension skills, reading faster. New York: Pearson Education