Four Modes of Writing:
Descriptive Writing - Writing to relate the traits, qualities, or details of an object, place, or event. The goal of descriptive writing is to make something real for the reader, especially if the reader has little or no experience with the topic. Often, descriptive writing focuses on an appeal to the senses, hoping to immerse the reader in the topic. An example of descriptive writing would be a restaurant menu describing the experience of eating a menu item. E.G "Rich, velvety chocolate cake, smooth and delicious cream cheeese icing, drizzled in creamy dark chocolate sauce and served with a garnish of fresh local raspberries."
Persuasive Writing - Writing to convince your reader to adopt a position in a debate, to accept an opinion, or to purchase a product. Persuasive writing uses a number of different strategies, or appeals, to achieve the goal of persuasion.
All appeals fall into three categories:
All appeals fall into three categories:
- Ethos - appeal to authority. Uses expert testimony to win the audience's trust. Examples include "9 out of ten dentists recommend brushing your teeth twice daily" (I have always wondered about that tenth dentist!). This example appeals to your trust in the authority of dentists. They should know what is good for your teeth. Appeals to Ethos only work when the expert is related to the topic. I would not trust a dentist to be an expert in fly-fishing, for example, unless the dentist could demonstrate expert-level knowledge in that topic as well.
- Pathos - appeal to emotion. Appeals to emotion anticipate the audience's response to a topic, hoping to persuade the audience through empathy and sympathy (or to dissuade them by appealing to fear or anger). In fact, the terms empathy and sympathy are derived from the greek root word pathos. Examples include Re. Dr. Martin Luther King's famous civil rights speech I have a Dream: "I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice." The speaker hopes to appeal both to the audience's sense of justice (that historic wrongs will be corrected), and to their sense of hope (that there will be a better future)
- Logos - appeal to logic. Appeals to logic use facts, figures, statistics, diagrams, and so on, to reach the audience's logical, rational side. The goal is to make the audience respect the writer's knowledge on the topic, elevating them into a position of authority (see Ethos), or to shock audiences into reacting to facts (see Pathos). Sometimes, misleading, false, or out-of-context facts can work to strengthen an appeal to Pathos. Examples would be "Afghanistan, under the Taliban, has experienced a 90% illiteracy rate". Shocking, yes, and we should do something about it, right? Maybe we should remove the Taliban from power? wait a moment,.. long before the Taliban existed, rates of illiteracy were the same, so while causation is suggested, it is not fair to say the Taliban caused Afghans to be illiterate.
Narrative Writing - Writing to tell a story. Narrative writing may be fiction or non-fiction. Non-fiction narrative writing is called Creative Non-Fiction because it tells a true story, but uses the techniques of fiction writing to achieve the goal of narration. A narrative text may develop a story's action using a plot chart, with rising action, climax, falling action, etc; but that story is not necessarily fictional. An example would be a biography, written both to relate the events, but also to give a sense of the character of the biography and using suspense to heighten the excitement of the climax.
Expository Writing - Expository writing "exposes" a topic for the reader - it is the most straightforward type of writing as its goal is to communicate clearly, concisely, and effectively. Expository writing is used to teach an audience about a topic and can feature a number of different formats, including bullet pointed lists and step-by-step instructions. an example of Expository Writing would be your science or social studies text book.
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Paragraph Structure
Essay Structure
Structure
Writing an essay can be overwhelming, but it is a lot easier if you learn the formula for structure. If you can master structure you can then focus on improving the quality of your writing, which will allow you to improve your grades and to communicate effectively. This takes time and work, so make sure you start early and work hard. The benefits will be reflected in your marks. All Essays have an Introduction, Body Paragraphs, and a Conclusion. Your Introduction should start with a Hook - an interesting sentence to catch the reader's attention. It should start with a general introduction, then narrow towards a more specific focus. The end of your introduction is usually the Thesis Statement. Body Paragraphs explain, in detail, each of your main ideas. Main ideas are smaller 'chunks' of your Thesis and support the thesis. The basic body paragraph structure is to introduce a point, provide evidence, and explain the connection between the main point and the thesis. Body paragraphs usually begin or end with a transitional phrase to indicate to your audience that you are moving on to something new. Conclusion paragraphs usually summarize the discussion, re-phrase the thesis statement, and end with a concluding thought. See the essay planner to create an outline. Thesis and Thesis Statement Every good essay needs a single, unifying idea that ties the writing together. This Thesis, or main idea, can be explained in more detail in the body paragraphs. The thesis will be included near the end of your introduction paragraph in the form of a thesis statement. The thesis statement is a sentence which communicates the main idea and hints at the structure of the essay. See the Presentation at right for more information on writing a Thesis Statement. |
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Writing Rubric
You will be marked out of 6 for each of the following categories:
Content - The ideas themselves. Are your ideas detailed and complex? Do they fully answer the question? Do they skim the surface, or do they provide insight into the topic? Development - The structure and organization of your writing. Are the ideas organized in a logical fashion? From least important to most important? Chronologically? Do your paragraphs explain ideas in detail? Do your introduction and conclusion give readers a sense of structure, of beginnings and endings? Do you have a Thesis Statement and Topic Sentences? Have you selected good evidence and used it effectively? Mechanics - The 'nuts and bolts' of your writing. Have you checked your work for Grammatical correctness? Are your sentences varied and complex in structure? Have you checked spelling, punctuation, Capitals? Are there run-on sentences or sentence fragments? Can you express anything more clearly? Style - Your unique writer's voice. Have you used the best words and phrases? Does your writing flow smoothly? Have you considered finding powerful vocabulary? Do you take chances and try using literary devices to make your points more effectively?? |
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Common Errors Explained
This section in progress
Graphic Organizers
This section is under development
Journal Topics
Unsure what to write? Have a look at the list of Journal topics at right
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