In the middle is neutral. While walking with his owner Mrs. H.R. Smith, a canine named Potsie urinated on the fire hydrant on the northwest corner of Canterbury and Nichols Road yesterday. The animal, a gray mottled French poodle . . . . And Another Poodle Piddles on Plug Pottsie, mutt in the company of a neighborhood dog nut, piddled on the plug yesterday . . . . The same objective event might be reported in any number of distinctly different ways according to the stylistic choices the writer exercises.
Writers always begin their writing with a purpose in mind.
Classical rhetoric tells us that writers' general purpose is to inform and delight. In your work in this course you share those ancient concerns. You may use different terms to explain your purpose. For example, you may want to share an insight gained from your experiences, or you may want to interpret your experience in a new, unusual, or surprising way. At the same time you want your reader to enjoy reading about your experiences, so you look for opportunities to express your ideas in clear, precise, and colorful language.