Most Commonly Taught Writing Styles.As a teacher, you are probably familiar with the different types of writing styles. You also know that while the structure could be the same, different writing assignments have different purposes and call for a different emotional appeal level.
Despite the experience, you are going to find new approaches that are not familiar. That is the point of this article – to give you the means to maximize your students’ understanding of the different types of writing styles. Of course, the easiest way of learning is to force students to read different books and essay samples, but the better way is to make students understand the difference instead of learning by rote.
Below, we have covered the common writing styles and their teaching strategies. This can be useful not only for teachers.
Persuasive Writing
A persuasive essay requires a learner to develop a logical argument and write a cohesive summary. Still, the primary purpose is to persuade. Therefore, a learner should focus on logic as well as emotional appeal.
To persuade a reader, the writer should have a logical argument. So, you should tell learners to choose an argument they can back up with logic.
The next step is using sympathy to convince the reader. Students should focus on speaking to the mind and heart of the reader. For this reason, the student needs to pick a topic they are passionate about.
Argumentative Writing
Students, as well as teachers, easily confuse argumentative writing for persuasive writing and vice versa. Both types of writing require the writer to convince the reader of their main argument. However, while a well-defended heartfelt opinion is enough for a persuasive essay, in an argumentative essay, scientific and authoritative sources must be cited.
The writer must first conduct extensive research on the given topic. Then, create an argument based on the facts they gathered from their research. There is also some degree of formality required in argumentative writing, and such papers are typically written in the third person.
Analytical Writing
Analytical writing requires a student to read and understand a text to identify the theme or subject. The student should dissect the subject and develop an argument they can support with excerpts from the text.
The mistake many students make in this type of writing is plainly describing and explaining the theme. Make them understand that they require to develop an argument, aka thesis, which they can back up with evidence from the text. Each piece of evidence should clearly support the main argument.
Expository Writing
An expository essay explains or describes an idea. Typically, there is a wide range of topics to choose from, including politics, nature, hobbies, and family.
Unfortunately, the five-paragraph structure can limit learner’s ability to express their idea well. It would help if you allowed your students to write as many paragraphs as they would like so that that they can effectively communicate their idea and create an interesting read. Still, they should focus on a good introduction and conclusion.
Additionally, the writer should write an introduction that does not necessarily give away the paper’s newsworthy element. Similarly, the conclusion shouldn’t be a direct rehash of the paper.
Narrative Writing
Narrative writing involves writing a story, with the main character, typically the writer, and a central theme. The purpose of such writing is to put across a human idea using a story creatively. So, the focus should not be the story, but what people can learn from the story.
This type of writing should make use of narrative elements such as description, dialogue, and action. Additionally, for the story to be compelling, the writer should use literary elements such as metaphors, symbolism, and similes.
By using the strategies outlined above, your student’s writing skills can improve substantially.
