Form, Purpose and Audience

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Form, Purpose and Audience

Non-fiction text- Not made up by writer. Not necessarily fact, but it's what the writer believes to be true.

Think about writer's purpose- describe? inform? explain? persuade? argue?

Intended audience- age? particular job? particular interests? written for an audience? no audience in mind? 

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Form, Purpose and Audience- Diaries

Very personal.

Written by people who want to keep a record of what they have done/ express opinions on what is happening around them.

Immediate and spontaneous, genuine, uncensored and sincere.

Gives an insight on what they thought in the past.

However, some diaries may be edited, with publication in mind, by writers conscious of giving their 'version' of events.

Chatty and informal language.

Disorganised.

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Form, Purpose and Audience- Letters

Insight into people's everyday lives.

Tone depends on purpose of letter.

Give news and opinions, discuss ideas and express feelings.

May also be asking about something, or thanking someone for something.

Unlike diaries, letter writers are more conscious of their audience.

The tone of the letter will tell you a lot about the relationship between the writer and recipient at the time of writing. 

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Form, Purpose and Audience- Autobiography or Biogr

Autobiography- writing about own life. 

Can be reflective, even 'confessional', as the writer considers past actions.

May be self-justifyng, naive or untrue. 

May be written with a purpose of promoting the subject's career.

Biography- writing about life.

Can range from 'hatchet jobs', designed to ruin their subject's reputations

to 'hagiographies', which have good stuff to say. 

The point of view may come from the writer's own relationship with the subject, or may be based on consideration of evidence.

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Form, Purpose and Audience- Travel writing

Includes newspaper and magazine articles about places to visit, which guve readers opinions and advice about a place- like reviews.

More likely to be given autobiographical accounts of more adventurous trips- personal experience.

Some writers could be awestruck/ delighted/ critical/ controversial.

Some writers use techniques of fiction writers to build tension and involve readers.

Others could be more colourful, write in a poetic description or be witty about their experience.

Some writers may be experts, perhaps using subject terminology, whereas some maybe naive travellers.

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Form, Purpose and Audience- Journalism

Anything published in a newspaper/ magazine.

Newspaper reports- give news and are factual.

Usually aimed at an adult audience, however, all have different readerships, often associated with particular political views.

Most newpapers have feature writers- can write about themselves, which encourages readers to empathise with them, or can write about controversial issues.

Magazine&Newspapers- look at issues in depth, sometimes they are balanced discussions. However, they can be biased.

Can be serious/ amusing.

Magazines- aimed at particular readerships. E.g women, men, teenagers.

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Form, Purpose and Audience- reviews

Main purpose of article is to give point of view/ opinion.

Give information, such as venue, date, time and price. 

Some reviews can be mixed with positive and negative views, though they usually arrive at a judgement. 

Others could express opinion in a witty way. 

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