Characterizing writing only in terms of communication, however, is overly simplistic. Writing does often provide us with important information that we never would have uncovered ourselves, but we also use it for persuading, promoting understanding, prompting emotions, and many more purposes. These are often cast in specific circumstances whose impact on the character of the writing depend on our audience, constraints, presuppositions, and goals. Without setting the writing tasks we give students in these broader contexts, we detach writing from what gives it meaning as a human enterprise.