THE MODES (style)

OF WRITING:
HOW TO WRITE
FOR DIFFERENT
PURPOSES

NARRATIVE
WRITING

The Purpose of Narrative

Writing:
To tell a story
To recreate an experience
(real or imagined)
To give an account
(fiction or nonfiction
personal story)

Use the
following
strategies to
write
narrative
text:

Plan your story with

conflict and resolution in
mind.
Think of the conflict as a
problem, a mystery, a
question, or a lesson to be
learned.

Include all important

elements:
characters
setting
events or plot
conflict
resolution

Grab the
readers
attention
with an
exciting or
unexpected
lead!

Set the stage; time

and place are
important. Setting
creates a mood or
tone.

Make complex
characters who
grow or learn
something.

Tell how
someone
struggled,
changed, or
made
something
happen.

Use dialogue and

action to present
characterization; in
other words,
let the characters
words and deeds
show what he/she
is like.

Use foreshadowing to
make the events
believable.

Solve a mystery or
build up to a
discovery.

Make the
reader
wonder what
will happen.

Use chronological
sequence:
beginning,
middle,
end.

Once you resolve

the conflict, end
your story before
you become
boring.

DESCRIPTIVE
WRITING

Purpose:
To tell about the
characteristics of a
person, place, or thing
To tell about the
features of a subject,
event, or process

To create a
picture in the
mind of the
reader
To give the
reader a strong
sense of
being there or
seeing it

Use the following

strategies to write
descriptive text:

Appeal to
the readers
senses
(sights,
sounds,
feelings...).

Close your
eyes and try to be
there.
Look for and listen to the
little things other people
miss.

Pay attention to the

unusual.
Practice observing people,
actions, and situations
carefully;
take notes in a journal.

Use figurative language to

develop images.
Choose words that
double as images rather than
using mere descriptive words.

Use strong
action
verbs to
bring the
piece to
life.

Make the
reader
able to
picture it
through
word
choice.

Vary your sentence structure.

Details become the icing

on the cake as you
describe.
Find vivid,
exciting adjectives and
adverbs.

Compare
and contrast things that
seem similar or different.

Let your own

personality
(your voice)
shine through!

EXPOSITORY
WRITING

Purpose:
To inform
To explain an issue, a
situation, or point of view
To share facts about a
particular subject
To guide the reader to a
clear understanding of the
subject

Use the
following
strategies to
write
expository
text:

Know your topic!

Research carefully to find
all appropriate facts on
your topic.
Select only the best
information from your
research.

Organize points by order

of importance or degree.

Make sure that each

fact clearly relates to
the topic.
Be choosy!
You cant tell
everything!
Be picky!

Supporting Details:
Use statistics.
Use examples.
Use reasons.

Liven it up by using a
good story (anecdote) to
make a point.

Use
figurative
language;
without it,
your writing
is like a
clock
without a
battery!

Use a variety of
sentence
structures or your
reader
will fall
asleep.

Use clear language by

paying attention to
your word choice.

Tell about the causes of

something.
Tell about how to do
something.
Tell about the different kinds
of something.
Turn a little-known subject
into a familiar subject.

Read your paper from

another persons point of
view.
Have your anticipated the
readers questions? Have
you addressed them before
they were even asked?

PERSUASIVE
WRITING

Purpose:
To change the readers
mind or attitude
To influence the readers
thinking
To prompt the reader to
do something

To convince the reader to

accept the writers
position or opinion
To take a clear stand
on something and
stick with it

Use the following

strategies to write
persuasive text:

Dig up all of
the
facts first!

Make sure that the evidence

does not lack credibility.

Sort through all available

information to choose the
strongest, most convincing
points.
Leave out weak,
unconvincing, or
misleading
information.

Consider all
sides, but
argue in favor
of only one;
dont be
wishy-washy.

Make your opinion strong

by backing it up with
strong facts.
Impress the reader with
your knowledge of the
facts.

Make your
position
obvious
through clear
word choice.
Revise,
revise, revise!

Use a variety
of sentence
structures to
keep the readers
interest.

Use
transitional
language for
a smooth,
fluent flow
of ideas.

Use
figurative
language;
the mighty
metaphor is
a powerful
tool in
persuasive
writing.

Ask others to
read your
paper to judge
whether you
have
constructed
your argument
clearly enough.

Never lose
sight of
your main
point or
thesis
statement!

Manipulate this!

TOPIC: Rainbows

Narrative: The first time I saw a rainbow.

Descriptive: Describing how a rainbow looks, feels
(senses)
Expository: Explore how rainbows are formed and
what the rainbow has represented throughout
history.
Persuasive: Rainbows have a positive affect on
people.
TOPIC: High School