Minutes a day n e w y o r k

T H I N K I N G   A B O U T   A U D I E N C E   A N D   P U R P O S E
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P r a c t i c e   1
1. Briefly explain how to write for an audience that will remain unknown to you personally.
2. A Martian has just landed in your backyard. He asks where he’s landed. You answer, “America.” “What kind of
place is America?” he replies.
a. Who is your audience for this writing assignment?
b. Given your audience, how should you approach your topic, and why?

K n o w i n g   Yo u r   P u r p o s e
Whether you’re writing a college application essay or an essay for your political science class, one of your goals is
to receive a positive evaluation for your essay. But for that to happen, the essay itself must have a clear purpose.
As important as knowing whom you’re writing for is knowing why you’re writing. What is the goal of your
essay? What are you hoping to convey through your writing? If your essay effectively achieves its purpose, you’re
more likely to achieve your goal of a high grade or score.
To help you clarify your purpose, you can try a simple fill-in-the-blank:
My goal in this essay is to 
.
Try to find a verb, or verbs, that best describe what you want your essay to do. For example:
My goal in the essay is to:
demonstrate that I am a resourceful person.
explain why I took a year off after high school and show how that year prepared me
for college.
prove that Victor Frankenstein, rather than his creature, is the monster.
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