WITH REVISIONS MADE BY MRS. LOPEZ Write Better Essays

Lesson 1: Purpose and Audience _______: Answers the question: ___ am I writing this? The three main purposes for writing are to Persuade, to Inform/explain, or to Entertain (___). Your _______ for writing is determined by the prompt and your _______. _______: Answers the question: ____ am I writing for? Depending on who will be reading your writing determines the tone you will write in, and the details you choose to include. Therefore, ______ and ______ shapes ___ and ____ you will write.

Understanding Your Audience Who They AreWhat They’re Looking For an engaging essay that reveals your personality goals, and values; evidence that you can organize your thoughts and communicate effectively a polished rough draft that responds to the topic, develops a point of view, and supports that point of view with examples and evidence a clear and cohesive essay that demonstrates mastery of the subject matter a combination of the following: mastery of the material (do you understand the book, concept, issue?); a clear and original thesis; mastery of the essay form (clear thesis, strong support, logical organization); mastery of standard written English Note: Even when writing about the same poem, an AP Exam scorer and your teacher will be grading you differently; therefore, _______________________________________.

The Audience’s Relationship to the Subject Do NOT ________ your readers know as much as you do about the subject Example: a college essay about “robotics” may need some clarifications Example: an essay about a novel may need a brief summary of plot and characters How Your Readers Feel about the Subject Is your topic interesting? If not, how can you make it interesting? Will your readers share you opinion on an issue? If they are likely to disagree, how can you help them understand your position? No matter the situation, you are the _______ and they are the ________ Evaluators read to evaluate, not for pleasure It is in your best interest to be _______ (but not stuffy), ___________, and ___________. Also follow guidelines (__________________)

Practice 1 1. Briefly explain how to write for an audience that will remain unknown to you personally. ____________________________ _______________________________________________ 2. A Martian has just landed in your backyard. He asks where he has landed. You answer, “America.” “What kind of place is America?” he replies. a. Who is your audience for this writing assignment? ______ b. Given your audience, how should you approach your topic? Why? _____________________________________ _________________________________________

Practice 2 1. Describe the purpose of the following assignment: Read Langston Hughes’s essay, “Salvation.” Discuss the central conflict that he describes. How does Hughes resolve this conflict? ___________________________________________