Georg
New member
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2026
- Messages
- 15
We had a heated discussion in my AP English class today about what two factors shape an author's purpose when writing a text. Half the class argued it's audience and message—that you can't have purpose without knowing who you're writing for and what you're trying to say .
The other half insisted it's author and audience, because the writer's own background and intentions matter just as much as who's reading . Our teacher just smiled and said 'you're both right in different ways,' which didn't help at all. I'm trying to write my essay on this and I'm still confused. Can someone settle this? Is there a definitive answer, or is this one of those things where multiple frameworks work depending on the situation? I need to cite something concrete for my paper.
The other half insisted it's author and audience, because the writer's own background and intentions matter just as much as who's reading . Our teacher just smiled and said 'you're both right in different ways,' which didn't help at all. I'm trying to write my essay on this and I'm still confused. Can someone settle this? Is there a definitive answer, or is this one of those things where multiple frameworks work depending on the situation? I need to cite something concrete for my paper.