Page 116 - Wordsmith A Guide to College Writing
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audience, the easier it will be to tailor your essay to anticipate and
answer the questions they might want to ask. In fact, the very idea that
someone is reading your essay is helpful in itself. How much does
your reader know about the subject you are writing about? How much
should you explain, and how much can you safely leave out? Can you
assume that your reader is on your side of the issue you are writing
about, or will your audience need to be convinced?
Purpose
Your purpose in writing will depend in large part on the assignment
you are given and the method of development you choose. If you are
asked to write about your favorite place in the world, then you will
bring out all of your best descriptive techniques so that the reader can
experience that place along with you. If you are asked to compare and
contrast two writers’ views on the same subject, your purpose will be
to pinpoint the major similarities and differences and explain them to
your reader in a comparison-contrast pattern of development. Later
chapters introduce you to nine basic methods of development that will
help you fulfill your purpose in writing an essay.
Person and Point of View
You may remember that in writing, you may use first person, second
person, or third person.
