1.9 Intended audience

The intended audience is linked closely to the purpose of the text. If a text is trying to persuade its readers to buy children’s toys, it is likely to be aimed at children and parents and perhaps grandparents. If an advert is trying to sell beer it will not be aimed at under-18s. At least, legally it shouldn’t!

When it comes to entertainment, audiences watch or read the things they enjoy. Arsenal fans watch Arsenal and Tom Cruise fans watch Tom Cruise films. People who love poetry read poetry and cycling fans read cycling magazines. Interestingly, the writer’s intended audience isn’t always the one that reads the text. For example, the Harry Potter books were initially aimed at older children and young teenagers, but they have been read by millions of adults around the world.

Audiences can be categorised by age, gender, interests/hobbies, work and language, among other things. The reason you are reading this text is because you are interested in studying and improving your English. You are the intended audience of this text.

Activity 10 Check what you’ve learnt: the texts you read

Timing: Allow about 10 minutes

1. For each of the following texts, select its main purpose from the options given.

Select the answer for

Question 1a

here

a. Advertisement for a car

instruct

persuade

inform

 

a. 

instruct

b. 

persuade

c. 

inform

The correct answer is b.

Select the answer for

Question 1b

here

b. Instructions for a new printer

instruct

describe

persuade

 

a. 

instruct

b. 

describe

c. 

persuade

The correct answer is a.

Select the answer for

Question 1c

here

c. Leaflet with flat-pack furniture

instruct

describe

persuade

 

a. 

instruct

b. 

describe

c. 

persuade

The correct answer is a.

Select the answer for

Question 1d

here

d. OXFAM appeal advert

instruct

describe

persuade

 

a. 

instruct

b. 

describe

c. 

persuade

The correct answer is c.

Select the answer for

Question 1e

here

e. Review of a new film

instruct

describe

inform

 

a. 

instruct

b. 

describe

c. 

inform

The correct answer is c.

Select the answer for

Question 1f

here

f. Letter from a friend telling you about her new flat

instruct

describe

persuade

 

a. 

instruct

b. 

describe

c. 

persuade

The correct answer is b.

2. Read the following two texts.

Can you identify the format of each text (or where it might have come from), its purpose and the intended audience?

Text A

Figure 6 Text A

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Text reads ‘Well, we’re here at last! We had the usual hold-ups at the airport, of course, and then found we had forgotten the towels. Never mind, the sun and beach are lovely and we’re already quite tanned.’

Figure 6 Text A

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Discussion

This is a postcard. Its purpose is to inform and the intended audience is friends or family.

Text B

Figure 7 Text B

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Text reads ‘The holder of a valid passport is not exempt from the need to apply for a visa if his/her stay in the host country is to exceed three months, or to include an application for a work permit for longer than one month.’ At the top it says, ‘Passport Office’.

Figure 7 Text B

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Discussion

This comes from a passport information leaflet.

Its purpose is to inform.

The intended audience are people travelling to the country in question.

Now that you’ve thought about different types of text and their intended audience, you’ll now look at deciding what and how to read.