TypesofWriting

Paragraphsandessayscanbewrittenindifferenttypesorstyles.Awriterwillchooseatype
dependingonwhatheorshewishestoaccomplish,whatsortofmaterialistobediscussed,
andwhatkindofeffects/hewantstohaveonthereader.Generallyspeaking,therearefour
typesofwriting,thoughnormallythesetypesaremixedtogether.

Narrative:Thenarrativeparagraphoressaytellsastory,justlikeanarratorinaplay(thoughit
shouldbeatruestory,unlikeashortstoryoraplay).Narrativewritingisbestusedtoillustrate
the"personaldevelopmentalpath"aperson(oftenyourself)hastakentoreachaparticular
pointinhis/herlife.Asaresult,itisnormallywritteninafirstpersonpointofview.True
narrativewritingisunusual,becauseitisdemanding.Anarrativemusthaveaconflictthatis
overcome.Thisisthecoreofanynarrativeformofwriting,beitaparagraph,anessay,ora
story).Inanessay,itusuallymeansasingleincident/anecdote,wherethenarratorexperiences
somebriefchallengethatismetand(hopefully)survived.This"overcoming"shouldinturnlead
tosomeformofunderstanding.Simplydescribingorexplainingone'ssurroundingsisnota
narrative.Youneeda(brief)establishmentofsetting,anexplanationofthechallenge,andthe
resolutionofthischallenge.Inotherwords,youneedaplot.

Descriptive:Descriptivewritingpaintsapicture.Initspureform,nothingmuchhappens.
"Description"tellsuswhatsomethinglookslike,feelslike,tasteslike,soundslikeorsmellslike
withoutactionorevents.Itdoesn'texplainarelationshiporaprocessbeyondoneself;it
focusesonone'simmediatesubjectiveperceptions.Thus,descriptivewritingconnectsthe
outerworldwithourinnerfeelings.Itisusuallyconcernedwithcreatingaverbalpictureof
whatweexperienceandfeelatonemoment,anditwillusemanyrichandvividadjectivesand
adverbs.So,asawriter,youshouldmakethereaderlongtosmelltherichessenceofthetrees,
thehauntingcallofthewolves,ortherankodourofthesewer...ifthat'swhatyou'rewriting
about!Descriptiveparagraphsandessaysareusuallywritteninthefirstpersonpointofview,
andaremuchmoreemotionalandpersonalthanexpositorywriting.Itshouldbesaidthatyou
willrarelywriteapurelydescriptivepassage.Normallyspeaking,descriptivewritingismixedin
withotherstylesasasupplement.

Expository:Expositorywriting"exposes"orexplainsthingsaboutasubject.Itisalsosometimes
called"informationwriting"becauseitgivesinformationaboutaperson,place,thing,
relationshiporidea.Toaccomplishthat,itisbestdevelopedbytheuseofclearreasons,facts
andstatisticalinformation,causeandeffectrelationships,orexamples.Sinceexpository
paragraphsarefactual,theyarewrittenwithoutemotionandusuallywritteninthethird
person.Nevertheless,youcanuse"I"inyourexpositorywritingifthefocusisonexternal,
neutraldescriptionsandexplanations,ratherthanpersonalfeelings(personalfeelingsmove
youinto"descriptivewriting").Indeed,expositoryparagraphsandessaysaresometimes
confusedwithdescriptivewriting,becausebothcanspendalotoftimedescribingthings.But
again,thebigdifferenceisthatexpositorydescriptiontendstofocusonexternalobjects,
situationsandprocesses,inordertoexplainsomethinginaneutral,matteroffactmanner.
Descriptiveparagraphs,ontheotherhand,tendtofocusonouremotionalresponsesaswe
perceivetheworldatonepointintime.

Persuasive:Thistypeofwritingisprobablythemostcommonformofwritingattheuniversity
level.Persuasive(orargumentative)writingattemptstoconvincethereaderthatthepointof
vieworcourseofactionrecommendedbythewriterisvalid.Toaccomplishthis,thewriter
mustdevelopalimitedtopicwhichiswelldefinedanddebatable,andhasmorethanoneside.
Itisimportantthattheauthorunderstandothersidesofthetopicsothatthestrongest
informationtocountertheotherscanbepresented.Youmaypresenttheseopposingpointsof
view,buttheymustbesummarizedatthebeginningandthenquicklyrefuted(torefute
somethingmeanstoshowitisfalseornotparticularlyimportant).Ifyou'renotsurehowtodo
this,thensimplysticktoyoursideofanargument.Whilepersuasivewritingattemptstoprove
yourpointofview,it'susuallywritteninanobjective,thirdpersonpointofview;suchastance
helpsdemonstrateyourobjectivity.Itshouldbenotedthatargumentativewritingissaidby
sometobemorerationalandempirical(i.e.basedonfacts),whereaspersuasivewritingwill
oftenuseemotionalappealstomanipulatethereaderssympathy.However,mostwriting
expertsviewthetwotermsassynonymous;fewessaysaresocoldlydispassionatethatthey
willnotusestrongandloadedlanguagetowinanargument,andanalyticfactsarealwaysa
goodwaytopersuadethereaderofonesideoveranother.