Page 115 - Wordsmith A Guide to College Writing

Audience, Purpose, and Point

of View

2 Consider audience, purpose, and point of

view.

You know the subject of your essay, and you have decided, through

prewriting, what points your essay will cover. Perhaps you have even

made an outline. Next, take a moment to consider your audience,

purpose, and point of view in preparation for writing your thesis
statement, the foundation of your essay. Doing so will help you write a

thesis that sets your essay on the right track.

Audience

Your audience consists not of your actual readers, who may be your

instructor and your classmates, but of your “imaginary readers” or

“assumed readers”—the people you imagine would be interested in
and benefit from your essay. The better you know your intended