You will write most effectively when you will be “writing with a purpose.” Inexperienced writers have difficulty writing with a purpose, because they see many purposes such as to complete the assignment, to earn a good grade, to publish their writing. These “purposes” are outside the writing situation, but they certainly influence the way you think about your purpose. For most students the main purpose will be to write successful essay and to receive a good grade. Guiding by this purpose in your essay, you will define it in terms of your teacher’s writing assignment. After you determine the purpose you will know what kind of information you’ll need, how you want to organize and develop it, and why you think it is important.
Use the following guideline in order to determine the purpose for your successful essay:
• What are the requirements of my essay?
If I am writing to fulfill an assignment, do I understand that assignment? If I am writing on my own, do I have definite expectations of what I will accomplish?
• As I proceed in this project, what do I need to know?
Do I have a good understanding of my subject, or do I need more information? Have I considered the possible audiences who might read my writing?
• What hypothesis can I use as my working purpose?
How many different hypotheses can I formulate about my subject? Which of them seems to direct and control my information in the most effective manner?
• What purpose have I discovered for this essay?
Has my purpose changed as I learned more about my subject and audience? If so, in what ways? Have I discovered, by working with a hypothesis or hypotheses, what I want to do in my writing?
• What is my thesis?
How can I state my main idea about my subject in a thesis sentence? Does my thesis limit the scope of my writing to what I