Writing Purposes and Analysis

Writing Purposes

• Writing has multiple purposes, including exploring thoughts, expressing emotions, entertaining, recording events, communicating, and persuading.
• Writers often have multiple purposes simultaneously.
• Krugman's 2012 op-ed essay explored the declining marriage rates and male labor force participation among the working class.
• Krugman attributed this trend to a reduction in work opportunities for less educated men.
• Income trends in America, often presented in household terms, are misleading when analyzing individual situations.
• Women's increased participation in the workforce and reduced wage gap contribute to perceived household income advancement.
• Male high school graduates have experienced declining wages adjusted for inflation since 1973.
• The availability of employment benefits for recent high school graduates has decreased from 65% in 1980 to 29% in 2009.

Identifying Purpose

• Defining the primary purpose of a writing task—entertaining, informing, persuading, demonstrating knowledge, or demonstrating writing ability—is crucial.
• Writers should consider audience expectations and goals when defining purpose.
• Understanding the desired reaction (thoughts, feelings, actions) of the audience or purpose of the assignment (specific strategy or genre) should guide choices about writing style, tone, and content.
• Choosing the best medium, design, or genre helps achieve purpose effectively.