The Purpose and Reader Focus

Purpose statements that begin with verbs such as “to give observations” or “to discuss” show that the writer will express what he or she knows, but there is no regard for the reader.

Purpose statements that use phrases such as “to conduct a study” reveal a misunderstanding about the writer’s intentions. Your task as a writer is not to tell your reader what you’ve done (e.g., conduct a study). Your task is to communicate findings and other ideas so that the reader can use them.

Part of good planning involves matching your purpose as a writer with the needs and expectations of your readers. The previous examples show what happens when writers think about reports only from their own perspective. The good examples illustrate how writers can tailor their knowledge of a topic to what their readers need to know. That’s why writing a clear, action-oriented purpose statement is so critical when planning a report.

Ultimately, your purpose has to respond to the reader’s question:

“What action will I take on the basis of this report?” or “How does this report  affect my work?”

In order to keep your readers focused, you need to give them a reason to read on.

We will be returning to the perspective of the reader in greater depth later on in this section. But for now, let’s look at some purpose statements in the context of the reports you may be writing.