JOSTeaching

FORMS OF WRITING
The four forms of writing are classified by their purpose of the piece. Students generally start learning about the different forms of writing in or around the third grade (although it varies by school district). This is where the fundamentals will be built for stronger writing in middle school, high school and adulthood. However, this topic will continue to pop up in literature and grammar classes throughout school.
1. The first form of writing is Narrative. This is the form of writing that tells a story. It can be non-fiction (auto-biographies, biographies, etc.) or non-fiction (fairy tales, ficticious novels or short-stories.) This form of writing has a beginning (character development and introduction to the plot line), middle (additional plot, climax of the story) and end (conclusion or resolution of the story). Narrative writing has at least one character (person, animal or personified object) and a problem (conflict) that needs to be solved.
2. Expository writing is the second form. This form of writing exists to give facts. It does not require the plot line of narrative writing, nor the character development. You will find this form of writing most frequently in news stories, articles, and reports. The information in expository writing develops the main idea and provides additional details to support this evidence, including facts or quotations. As in all writing, it should have a introduction, body and conclusion that support the main idea.
3. Descriptive writing is generally the third form of writing that a student will learn. This form of writing includes using descriptive phrases and figurative language. This includes (but is not limited to) metaphors, similes, onomatopoeia, alliteration, personification, hyperbole, etc. The writing is used often to create a feeling or visual experience. Words that are strong to the senses are often used, as well. The reader should be imagine how to see, hear, feel, touch, and/or smell what the author is describing. Descriptive writing is found in literature and poetry, but it is also found in advertisements, menus and a slew of other daily reads.
4. The final form of writing is persuasive. This is exactly what it sounds like. In persuasive writing, the author is trying to get the reader to believe in what he or she is writing. Political speeches and speeches given by lawyers in the courtroom are persuasive writing, as are reviews of movies or books and opinion articles in the newspaper. Persuasive writing includes a main idea, introduction, body and conclusion. The main idea encompasses what the author wants the reader to believe, and the remaining information supports that central idea. Good persuasive writing includes facts and strong arguments to make the author’s opinion sound logical.

ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF WRITING
Alternative Types of Writing Assignments Below is a list of types of writing that may be employed for various purposes in a course. Some types, such as the personal letter, the journal, and the freewrite, lend themselves to students’ exploration of ideas, stimulating insight. Some, such as the outline, the annotated bibliography, and the review of literature, can be used to practice specific skills like summary and analysis; they build skills necessary in certain kinds of professional writing but are not precisely like any forms students will use after college. Other types, such as the business letter, the memo, the letter to the editor, and the scientific report, are professional modes students will use later. None of the types serves one goal only, and all of them can lead students to learning, clarification, and discovery. abstract answer to a question briefing paper brochure, poster, or advertisement case analysis character sketch contemplative essay definition description (of process, of place, etc.) dialogue editorial email essay exam freewrite group journal the “I-Search” instructional manual journal, laboratory, or field notebook letter to editor or open letter list materials and method plan memo microtheme narrative news story or feature story newspaper ‘filler’ notes on reading or lecture outline personal letter play proposal question or muse response or rebuttal resume review of book, play, work of art, etc. rough draft script for film or slides summary survey of literature technical or scientific report term paper thesis sentence web site word problem A journal can be either a response to a given assignment or lecture or just an open response to the course. The group journal is a notebook or computer site (i.e. email group list) where assigned groups of students can respond to one another. The freewrite is an assignment, which can be timed or untimed, in which students do not have to worry about grammar and form but rather concentrate on generating ideas. The microtheme is a brief essay, written on something small, such as a five-by-eight card that, because of its limited scope, forces students to be concise. The “I-Search” is a first person account of the writer’s process in researching a question or developing a paper. Many of these types of writing are much shorter, consequently requiring less grading time or not requiring grading at all, than the traditional term paper. Yet, as they still emphasize the written word, the help students use writing to learn. Adapted from Barbara E. Fassler Walvrood. Helping Students Write Well: A Guide for Teachers in All Disciplines. New York: MLA, 1986. 8-9.