Writing Book 7 · Lesson 16

Identifying goals — use the words

These phrases announce what a piece of research DID. They are only honest if it did it.

The words

the aim of this

what this is for

this paper examines

this looks at

we set out to

we tried to

the objective is

the goal is

in order to determine

to find out

this raises the question

this makes us ask

the focus of

the main part of

with a view to

so as to

the scope of

how much it covers

address the issue

deal with the problem

1the aim of this means about the same as what this is for.
The aim of this essay is to compare.

2this paper examines means about the same as this looks at.
This paper examines two causes.

3we set out to means about the same as we tried to.
We set out to test the claim.

✗ The aim of this essay is to compare. — this is not wrong, but it is everyday talk.

✓ The aim of this essay is to compare. — this is how a writer says it.

Ask yourself: “Did I actually do what this phrase says I did?”

A goal narrow enough to be finished is worth more than a grand one.