Thursday 08/01/13 Friday 08/02/13 Think about the last movie you rented or saw at the movie theater. Answer the following questions in a paragraph. - Who do you think the intended audience was? - Why do you think that? - What do you the purpose or point of the movie was? - How do you now?

Author and Purpose As a reader and a writer, the first time you approach a text it is important to think about purpose and audience. Purpose An author’s purpose is his or her main reason for writing. Think: What is this for? Audience An author’s audience is the particular group of reader’s or viewers that the writer is addressing. Think: Who is this for?

© 2008 McGraw-Hill Higher Education Chapter 10: Determining the Author's Purpose, Tone, Point of View, and Intended Audience 3 Author’s Purpose An author’s purpose is simply his or her reason for writing. Common purposes include: --to inform (to give information) --to instruct (to explain how to do something) --to persuade (to convince readers to do or believe something) --to entertain (to present humor or other enjoyable material)

What is the Rhetorical Triangle? Shows the relationship between speaker, audience, message, style, purpose, tone Understanding these rhetorical elements makes both writing and analysis much clearer

The Rhetorical Triangle Message SpeakerAudience ToneStyle Purpose

The Author / Speaker Gender / racial / geographical/ socioeconomic/ political orientation of author Author Bias / hidden agenda Other important biographical information may affect text

The Audience Are they friend or foe? (hostile or sympathetic) How will they receive the message? How will they affect tone? style? Who is the intentional audience? Who is the unintentional audience? Over time, does the message/effect of the message change as the audience changes?

The Message What is the main point being made? In other words, what is the writer’s / speaker’s thesis? Look at the message as an argument / position being sold to the audience. What is the author trying to convince the audience of?

The Message Consider this when trying to identify the exact message: What is the topic (1-2 words) about which the piece is written? What is the most important aspect or perspective about that topic that the author wants you to understand? What, exactly, does the author want the reader to think/do/feel/say? What is the “no” on the other side of the author’s “yes?” (And vice versa)

The Tone What is the author’s attitude about his / her subject / message? What words in the message let you know the tone? How does the selection of the tone affect the audience’s reception of the message? Is it appropriate for the occasion/subject matter?

The Tone Very often, tone words will vary in meaning only in the degree of intensity, in the “positiveness” or “negativeness.” Take a look at the TONE words on the following slide. Can you categorize these words into groups (positive/ negative, specific degrees of emotion)? Can you tell the difference between the word pairs?

The Tone ZealousApatheticReticent Condescending Conciliatory Complimentary RemorsefulResignedNostalgic Self-Deprecating DetachedHaughty SardonicSarcasticIrreverent

The Style What strategies does the author employ in order to get his / her message across? These strategies may include: ethos, logos, pathos; organization; diction; syntax; figurative language; grammatical structure; selection of details; imagery

Take out a sheet of paper and fold it in half. Think about the most fun you’ve had with on of your friends.  On the top half, write about a time when you have had the most fun you have ever had with one of your friends. Write as if you were describing this to another peer. Be sure to think about your purpose, audience, and how that will be reflected in your writing.  On the bottom half, write about that same experience, but this time write as if your were describing this to your parent, guardian or another adult. Think about the different ways you can change what you’ve already written to reflect a different purpose and audience. Make sure you show this in your writing.

Sources Information taken from: Katrina Boone- audience-powerpoint audience-powerpoint