composed. According to Miller, to make the written keep on the track and clear to whom it is written, writing should have some purposes
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:
a. To Inform
In writing, the students not only pour their ideas into writing, but they must also have clear message to inform it to the reader. The students usually
have more knowledge about a thing that they want to share to readers. Here the writing is not based on the students
’ experience but published sources which usually do in most frequently in university courses.
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One of the purposes in writing is to inform the readers about events or anything that occurs and exists surrounding people and to give the evidence
about its fact. The information which is given should be accurate, clear, concise, and objective. The students can give the information through kind
form, such as newspapers, nonfiction books, text books; guidebooks, etc.
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b. To Explain
Writing does not only give the information to the readers but also how to deliver or explain it well to make the readers understand about the writing.
Moreover, not all the readers understand easily or have same knowledge about what the students write.
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Here, the students need to build a bridge in developing the readers understanding by explaining the content of their
writing. In addition, the students also have to ensure that the readers can figure out
about the complex topic they made. So, explanation in writing is important to make sure that the readers probably understand or not about the writing, then
the students can engage it in meaningful communication in their writing.
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Robert Keith Miller, Motives for Writing, fifth edition, New York: McGraw Hill, 2006, p. 5.
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George Braine and Claire May, Writing from Sources: A Guide for ESL Students, California: Mayfield Publishing Company, 1995, p. 141.
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David Nunan, Language Teaching Methodology, New York: Prentice Hall, 1991, p. 84.
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Miller, op. cit., p. 173.
c. To Persuade
Persuasion is fundamental to everyday life, because it can attempt to get someone to do something what the people want.
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Through writing, the students
can accuse or defend and affect the reader’s minds, because writing persuades the readers to engage with their thoughts or actions. The examples
of persuasive writing are recipes, maps, instructions on food and tools, telephone directories; ballot papers, etc.
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d. To Amuse