I have an assignment, now what?

Writing for an Audience


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Why is my Audience Important?
Knowing your audience helps you to make decisions about what information you should include, how you should arrange that information, and what kind of supporting details will be necessary for the reader to understand what you are presenting. It also influences the tone and structure of the document. In order to develop and present an effective argument, you need to be able to appeal to and address your audience. 


While it is important to consider your instructor’s needs when writing your papers, especially if he or she specifies particular requirements that you must meet, you should consider whether there is a specific intended audience for your assignment. This handout is designed to help you understand the importance of audience and determine what your audience needs to know to follow your ideas.

In order to effectively plan your assignment, you need to figure out who your audience is and what specific needs they might have. The best place to begin is your assignment handout. Look to see if your professor specified an intended audience. If not, you might ask whether your instructor if there is a particular intended reader for the assignment. Common audiences include the following:

  • Generalized Group of Readers: Sometimes your audience is just a generalized group of readers. For example, your assignment might specify something like this: “Assume that your classmates are your audience.” Generally, this means that your readers are college educated and know about as much (or as little) as you do on the subject. These readers will need you to provide some background information, as well as examples and illustrations to help them understand what you are presenting.