3.2: Audience Awareness

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For success in any project, a writer must be aware of and carefully consider his audience. Zach seems to know his audience pretty well—the evidence he presents that a loan would benefit both Zach and his father shows that Zach understands his father’s values, and chances are good that Zach considers his filial status as an advantage with this audience. After all, he did ask his father, rather than a stranger, for the loan.

On the other hand, an academic audience can be a tough one since scholars are trained to consider claims critically, rigorously questioning and testing their validity. Your professors are in this camp, and you and your peers are quickly joining these ranks as well. While this audience is not a highly sympathetic one, its critical rigor is not intended for intimidation but for establishing and maintaining high standards of thought and research. Academia’s purpose is to maintain and improve the quality of our world, so you are encouraged to consider this audience as a factor as you work to produce increasingly significant and well-written texts.