Who’s Your Audience?

How an audience affects your writing

Audience

When you write, your AUDIENCE is the person or persons who will be reading your writing

Who’s Your Audience?

Teenagers Scientists Doctors Politicians Babies Criminals Voters

Grandmother Friend Another student Teacher Adult Young Children Tax payers

Audience and Purpose Go Hand In Hand

If you are trying to PERSUADE your parents to let you go to a dance, it’s

going to look different than if you are trying to PERSUADE

a friend to go to a dance

Parents

Mom and Dad-There is a dance on Friday that I

would really like to go to. Teachers and parents will be there to

chaperone and so will the principals. This means I will be safe. Also, I think I have been doing a good job of not

back talking to you. Please let me go!

Friend

Brosef-You need to go to this dance

because if you don’t, not only will you be a loser, but Dillon is

probably going to hook up with your girl! You don’t want that, do you? Also, I heard there wasn’t going to

be a lot of teachers there so…

Read and determine the audience

Hey, man, I need to borrow twenty bucks. Okay? I have to buy this stupid book for my music class. It's about lullabies or something. I can't believe a book of lullabies is so expensive. And I can't believe my

instructor is making us buy this book. I know. I should've used the twenty bucks I had yesterday to buy the book, but I forgot about it, and, besides, I really wanted that new CD. So, come on, be cool and lend me the money. I'll pay you back on my

next payday

Read and determine the audience

A. The writer's music instructor

B. The writer's supervisor at work

C. The writer's friendD. The writer's parents

What’s the Purpose?

A. To tell the audience how expensive music books are

B. To convince the audience that the writer has a job

C. To persuade the audience to lend the writer twenty dollars

D. To apologize for having spent book money on a CD

Read and determine the audience

As I prepared to send you my payment, I noticed an error in my monthly statement. You listed a charge against my credit card (account number 1234-5678-9123-4567) in the amount of $23.56 for a purchase at Wal-Mart twice. I made only one purchase at Wal-Mart for that

amount not two. Please correct this error immediately by crediting my account in the

amount of $23.56. Thank you.

Read and determine the audience

A.The writer's credit card company

B. The writer's friendC. The writer's parentsD. Wal-Mart

What’s the Purpose?

A. To tell the audience that the writer shops at Wal-Mart

B. To convince the audience to correct the error

C. To inform the audience that a payment is on the way

D. To show the audience what a good shopper the writer is

Read and determine the audience

Single, white female, 25 years of age, in search of a single male, 25–30 years of age, who likes romantic movies, quiet walks on the beach and chili-cheese fries. I love junk food, hate working

out, and want to date someone with similar tastes. You be the same.

Read and determine the audience

A. A single male who is 25 to 30 years of age and interested in dating someone like the writer

B. Single womenC. Married menD. The writer's parents

What’s the Purpose?

A. To find someone suitable for the writer to date

B. To inform the audience that the writer is desperate for a relationship

C. To tell the audience that the writer is the perfect date

D. To convince the audience that the writer should have found Mr. Right by now