Understanding Your Purpose

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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.

• A Definition of Purpose
• Types of Purpose
• Purposes and Strategies
• How Audience Affects Purpose
• Purpose and Writing Assignments
• Purpose and Thesis
• Additional Resources