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The Four Main Types of Writing – Write with a Purpose!

As an avid staff writer at Simpson Street Free Press, I believe it’s only fair to explore the four ways a writer can construct a story. Whether one chooses the complex, detailed route of descriptive writing, or the logical, clear-cut direction of expository, all writing styles contain their own unique purposes to both readers and writers.

Expository writing means to explain or expose a topic in a chronological order. This type of writing is the most common and can be found in textbooks, business writing, and journalism. The writer synthesizes multiple sources of information into an unbiased, factual, easy-to-understand paper. Some elements of expository include compare and contrast, cause and effect, and analysis. The main goal is to inform the reader about the topic at hand.

Narrative writing is when the writer tells a story to the reader. Unlike expository writing, a narrative doesn’t have to be read chronologically; the writer’s sole focus is to maintain the reader’s attention. Narratives can be fun, compelling, evoking, and even personal. Whichever direction is taken, the goal is to make the reader feel a part of the story. The language, dialogue, and mode are some of the necessary fundamentals to crafting an engaging, profound narrative.

Descriptive writing paints a colorful portrait in the form of words for the reader to enjoy and visualize a story. Imagine the five senses as tiny, dot-like seeds. We plant them into beautiful, dark, rich, fertile, soil on a gorgeously sunny day. The five senses are strong, stable, and sturdy, sprouting so graciously. These newly-blossomed senses are the very own that a well-distinguished writer uses to illustrate their story in a way that engages the reader.

Persuasive writing incorporates the elements of rhetorical devices in a way that not tells the reader, but convinces. This style mostly relies on conviction. The languages of logic, credibility, and biases are used to emphasize the facts and the argument.

Writing is more than words. Its entire basis centers on fostering dialogue and giving and receiving information. Knowing the core writing styles is vital to being a well-rounded writer.

[Sources: Study.com; Newyorker.com; Grammarly.com]

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