Who Is the Audience?

Authors shape their writing for the people they expect to read it.

The audience is the group of people an author is writing for. Authors adjust their word choice, examples, and tone to fit that audience, and noticing these choices helps you understand the purpose. Compare two texts about brushing teeth. Text A: 'Brush, brush, brush! Make those teeth sparkle like stars. Count to 20 for the top and 20 for the bottom!

' Text B: 'Dentists recommend brushing for two minutes twice daily with fluoride toothpaste to reduce plaque and prevent cavities. ' Text A uses simple words, a playful comparison, and counting, so its audience is young children. Text B uses terms like fluoride and plaque, and a serious tone, so it's written for older readers or adults.

When you read, ask: 'Who did the author expect to read this, and how can I tell? '

• 1The audience is who the author writes for.
• 2Word choice, examples, and tone reveal the audience.
• 3Ask: who was this written for, and how can I tell?