What are the Different Forms of Writing & Why are they Important?*
What is Expository Writing? Expository writing is commonly found in textbooks and online. The goal of Expository writing is to inform, explain, describe or define something to the reader.
What is Descriptive Writing? Descriptive Writing is the use of visual words by an author to aid the reader in visualizing a person, place or thing. Metaphors, similes, and symbols are commonly used when writing descriptively.
What is Narrative Writing? When writing narratively an author assumes the role of the character and writes as if they were that person for example, novels, poetry, and biographies are commonly written as narratives.
What is Persuasive Writing? The content of this type of writing style expresses the opinions of the writer and are commonly found in advertising (i.e. commercials and infomercials).
What is Creative Writing? In creative writing any idea that the author can imagine can be used to enthrall and captivate the reader. Examples of creative writing are short stories, poetry, novels, and plays.
What Makes Writing So Important? Writing is the primary basis upon which your work, your learning, and your intellect will be judged—in college, in the workplace, and within the community. With that mindset, our goal is to equip all students with writing skills through grammar in order to allow do one or more of these
- Writing is portable and permanent. It makes your thinking visible.
- Writing helps you move easily among facts, inferences, and opinions without getting confused—and without confusing your reader.
- Writing fosters your ability to explain a complex position to readers, and to yourself.
- Writing out your ideas permits you to evaluate the adequacy of your argument.
- Writing stimulates you to extend a line of thought beyond your first impressions or gut responses.
- Writing helps you understand how truth is established in a given discipline.
- Writing equips you with the communication and thinking skills you need to participate effectively in democracy.
*Based upon brochures from Brown University, University of Missouri, and Marquette University
