Audience is who reads the piece, and purpose is what the piece is for. Checking both before you write tells you what to include, what to cut and what tone to use.
This lesson is part of expository and practical writing in SPM Bahasa Cina. It pairs with choosing appropriate format and register.
What two questions should I ask first?
Ask these before drafting, and write a short answer to each.
- Who reads this? Name the reader in a word or two.
- What must they know or do afterwards? Write one line.
The answers give you a filter. Every sentence must serve the reader or the purpose, or it leaves.
Worked example
Task: 你是华文学会的会长。请写一则通知，告诉会员下周的活动改到星期五下午三点，在礼堂举行。
Audience: 华文学会的会员 (fellow students). Purpose: inform them of a change so they attend at the new time and place.
Draft A: 各位会员大家好！最近天气很热，大家都辛苦了。我们学会一直很努力，希望大家继续支持。至于活动，改了时间。
Draft B: 通知：本学会下周的活动改在星期五下午三点，于礼堂举行。请各位会员准时出席。华文学会会长谨启
| Test | Draft A | Draft B |
|---|---|---|
| Gives the new day and time | No, only “改了时间” | Yes, 星期五下午三点 |
| Gives the place | No | Yes, 礼堂 |
| Tells the reader what to do | No | Yes, 准时出席 |
| Sentences that serve the purpose | 1 of 4 | All |
Draft A looks friendly but fails the purpose: a member finishing it still does not know when or where. Draft B gives the three facts and stops.
A sentence-by-sentence test
Read each sentence and ask: does this help my reader know or do what the purpose requires? If the answer is no, cut it or move it.
Weather, apologies and general praise are the usual intruders in short practical pieces. They may sound polite, but they use space the facts need.
The mistake that costs marks
The common slip is to write for an imagined marker, not for the reader in the task. Many students think more words show more language ability, so they add greetings and general remarks.
The fix is to answer the two first questions in the margin and keep them in view. A piece that fits a real reader in one short read is usually stronger than a longer one.
A second slip is forgetting a listed point. If the task says to include day, time and place, tick each one off after writing.
Check yourself
Task: 你是班长。请写一则短通知，告诉同学星期三下午的运动会因下雨延期，新的日期是下星期一。
Decide the audience and purpose, list the facts needed, and write the notice.
Answer
Audience: classmates. Purpose: tell them the sports event is postponed and give the new date.
Facts: what (运动会), the change (因下雨延期), the old day (星期三下午), the new day (下星期一).
Model: 通知：原定星期三下午举行的运动会因下雨延期，改在下星期一举行。请同学留意。班长谨启
Checkpoint: if your notice included a story about the weather, it did not serve the purpose.
What to study next
Continue with choosing appropriate format and register, then try the expository and practical writing practice set. The Chinese composition structure planner can help with planning short pieces.
If you want a teacher to test each sentence of your drafts against the reader, see online one-to-one Chinese tuition.