Highway to success with Charles Dube
TYPES of texts you may be asked to write in class or in your examinations. Examples: leaflets, reports, speeches, reviews, articles and formal letters. In this case, we will start with articles, reports, speeches and so on.
Articles — an article is a piece of writing included in a newspaper or magazine. It is not the headline news, but a discussion of a topical issue, often from a particular point of view.
Articles
Features of an article consist of a lively opening providing an idea, example or anecdote to interest the reader; a clearly-argued position on the topic being discussed, a clear variation in sentence lengths, showing impact, subtlety and clarity, a consideration of the opposing views, integration of supporting evidence and examples and a conclusion or ending that attempts to take the argument forward.
If you missed the discussion on these before make sure you are not left out now. Reports are written in an informal style. They may be written by an individual but they often represent the viewpoints of a number of people. Reports are usually directed at an official leader of an organisation, for instance the chairperson of a governing body.
Features of reports: report heading, for example, (Report on the trip to a place of interest by a class), the recipient of the report (for example, head of department), the sender of the report (for example, (from a representative of the class), an introduction, impersonal style (for example, avoid the use of “I”- The class has decided . . .), conclusion or recommendations (suggestions for future action).
Speeches – a speech can be formal or informal depending upon the audience. However, even an informal speech such as a contribution to a phone-in should be Standard English. Here are some guidelines for speeches: in most cases, a speech should begin without a fuss. Write in full sentences because you are arguing a case. Notes are not enough — use paragraphs to create a sense of order and usually, you will argue from a personal point of view.
The last time I talked about reading I emphasised that for you to improve your writing skills you need to read constantly. I repeat, you can improve your writing by reading. This will help you to get used to different types of writing and to increase your vocabulary. Try to read everyday texts such as newspapers, magazines, websites and advertisements.
One way of making your writing personal and imaginative is to choose your vocabulary carefully. This can help the reader to understand you and what you feel. Words can build up a balanced picture of an experience. Use a thesaurus to improve your writing. A thesaurus lists synonyms (different words with similar meanings) and gives you the opportunity to try new words.
Imagine!
Let your imagination go to work! Here are some tasks which will help you to practise your personal and imaginative writing skills. These ideas will help remind you of what you need to think about. You ask questions like: What type of text are you writing? What is the main purpose? Who is the target reader? What are the main points? How can you vary sentence structure and length? How can you make the opening grab the reader’s attention? Will the paragraphs work in a sensible order? How can you make your vocabulary interesting? How can you make your personality come through? What are features of prose fiction? Provide detailed setting to help build atmosphere. It has characters to interest the reader.
The story has a set-back or crisis, descriptive passages, includes dialogue and has a satisfying end. When you write wherever possible you should aim to entertain your audience and show a range of writing skills. Assessment of your work will focus on how well you can grab and hold the reader’s attention, use a variety of sentences, use paragraphs to divide up your work, use interesting vocabulary with correct spellings and correct use of punctuation.
What makes a good opening? The most important part of any story is the opening. When you read story openings you should think about how the reader is drawn into the story and how language is used to interest the reader and think about what type or genre each story belongs to. As you write your story you develop settings. To develop a good story you need more than just action.
Imagine!
If you describe the setting, you take your reader into the heart of the story, help create atmosphere and build up tension. Use the following checklist to help you describe a setting: think about what effect you want to have on your reader. Imagine what the setting looks like in your mind before you describe it and describe sounds, smells, textures as well as sights.
To create believable characters you need to have a closer idea of them in your head. Imagine how they: look, behave, think and respond to other characters.
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