TYPES OF WRITING STYLES

There are four main types of writing: expository, descriptive, persuasive, and narrative. Each of
these writing styles is used for a specific purpose. A single text may include more than one
writing style.

EXPOSITORY

Expository writing is one of the most common types of writing. When an author writes in an
expository style, all they are trying to do is explain a concept, imparting information from
themselves to a wider audience. Expository writing does not include the author’s opinions, but
focuses on accepted facts about a topic, including statistics or other evidence.
Examples of Expository Writing

 Textbooks
 How-to articles
 Recipes
 News stories (not editorials or Op-Eds)
 Business, technical, or scientific writing

DESCRIPTIVE

Descriptive writing is often found in fiction, though it can make an appearance in nonfiction as
well (for example, memoirs, first-hand accounts of events, or travel guides). When an author
writes in a descriptive style, they are painting a picture in words of a person, place, or thing for
their audience. The author might employ metaphor or other literary devices in order to describe
the author’s impressions via their five senses (what they hear, see, smell, taste, or touch). But the
author is not trying to convince the audience of anything or explain the scene – merely describe
things as they are.
Examples of Descriptive Writing

 Poetry
 Journal/diary writing
 Descriptions of Nature
 Fictional novels or plays

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/englishcomp1/chapter/the-five-modes/
 PERSUASIVE

Persuasive writing is the main style of writing you will use in academic papers. When an author
writes in a persuasive style, they are trying to convince the audience of a position or belief.
Persuasive writing contains the author’s opinions and biases, as well as justifications and reasons
given by the author as evidence of the correctness of their position. Any “argumentative” essay
you write in school should be in the persuasive style of writing.
Examples of Persuasive Writing

 Cover letters
 Op-Eds and Editorial newspaper articles
 Reviews of items
 Letters of complaint
 Advertisements
 Letters of recommendation

NARRATIVE

Narrative writing is used in almost every longer piece of writing, whether fiction or nonfiction.
When an author writes in a narrative style, they are not just trying to impart information, they are
trying to construct and communicate a story, complete with characters, conflict, and settings.
Examples of Narrative Writing

 Oral histories
 Novels/Novellas
 Poetry (especially epic sagas or poems)
 Short Stories
 Anecdotes

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/englishcomp1/chapter/the-five-modes/
Persuasive Essay Elements

A persuasive essay is a multiparagraph essay designed to influence the attitudes or

actions of a specific audience on specific issues. The number of paragraphs is not
predetermined. The essay includes a beginning, a middle, and an end.

The purpose of a persuasive essay is to persuade readers to adopt the writer’s point of
view on an issue and/or agree with a suggested course of action. To accomplish this
purpose, writers need to develop a logical and reasonable argument that supports their
opinions.

Writers establish a position and include detailed and relevant evidence that is logically
organized to support their viewpoint. They differentiate between fact and opinion,
consider and respond to the views of others, and anticipate and answer reader
concerns and counterarguments. A well-written persuasive essay is based on sound
reasoning, detailed and relevant evidence, and a thorough consideration of alternatives.

1. Clear, concise, and defined thesis

In the first paragraph of a persuasive essay, writers should present the thesis. In a
persuasive essay, the thesis statement presents the writer’s position on a topic/issue.

The thesis statement should clearly and directly state a supportable position—one that
people could have differing opinions on—related to the topic/issue that is open for
debate. The thesis can include a recommendation for action.

The thesis needs to be narrow in focus. To present an effective argument, the thesis
must be supported by evidence. If the thesis is too broad, the writer will typically need
more evidence to convince readers of his or her position.

Writers need to think about how they want to approach a topic/issue—what type of
position or claim they will take in their essay. This is one way to narrow the focus of a
thesis from a broader topic/issue.

Writers need to consider their position and knowledge on the topic, their audience, and
the context of the essay.

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/englishcomp1/chapter/the-five-modes/
Even if writers begin with one type of claim, they can also use several other types to
develop their argument within the persuasive essay.

Persuasive essays can include the following types of claims:

• Fact or definition: things that have already happened, are happening now, or will
happen in the future and reasons for such occurrences

• Cause and effect: one person, thing, or event causing another thing or event to
occur

• Value: morality of an issue or what something is worth, or a call for a judgment

to be made

(e.g., right/wrong, good/bad)

• Solution or policy: an advocating for or against a plan of action to be taken

2. Strong introduction

Persuasive essays should include an introduction that captures the audience’s attention
and presents the debatable topic/issue. The introduction clearly establishes the writer’s
position on the topic/issue in a thesis statement.

The importance of the topic/issue is clearly conveyed to the audience. Background

information related to the topic/issue may be presented. A strong introduction entices
the audience to read on and consider the writer’s opinion.

Writers may begin their persuasive essays with a startling fact or a probing question.
Effective introductions often include sincere and straightforward language, rather than
strong or emotional words that may offend some readers.

3. Well-developed argument with strong evidential support

After writers define their position in a thesis statement, they are ready to develop the
argument that will defend their thesis.

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/englishcomp1/chapter/the-five-modes/
First, writers should consider their audience. Questions to consider include the
following:

• What does the audience already know about the topic/issue?

• What is the audience’s point of view about this topic/issue? Do they already
agree or disagree with my position?

• What are the chances of changing the opinions and actions of the audience?

• Are there any sensitive issues I should be aware of?

Next, writers develop their argument using specific reasons and evidence to help
convince their audience. Writers must create a logical argument by fitting the facts
together so that they lead to a reasonable conclusion.

The reasons and evidence the writer uses to support his or her position should be
specific and well chosen. The writer may choose to recognize the complexities of the
issue, use his or her unique experiences or view of the world as a basis for writing,
and/or connect ideas in interesting ways.

Each paragraph should present one of the strong reasons that support the writer’s
position and logically connect the reason to the thesis statement (presented in the
opening paragraph).

In addition to supporting the writer’s own opinion, the persuasive essay should also
consider and explain differing points of view (counterarguments) regarding the
topic/issue. Writers should point out why opposing opinions do not align with their
positions (thesis) and, if possible, expose faulty reasoning. The writer is trying to prove,
through the use of factual information, why his or her opinion is better.

Because the reasons must be supported with evidence, it is also important to explain
how and why the evidence supports the thesis. Writers should make sure that each
supporting reason or fact can be verified either through their own experience or from a
reliable source. Writers may include evidence that is factual, logical, statistical, or
anecdotal.

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/englishcomp1/chapter/the-five-modes/
Examples of different types of evidence include the following:

• Facts that can be proven

• Expert opinions or quotations

• Definitions that state the meaning of a word or phrase

• Statistics that offer scientific support

• Examples that provide powerful illustrations to support facts

• Anecdotes or incidents that are often based on the writer’s personal experiences

• Emotional appeals that are carefully chosen to provide support for reasons (can
have positive or negative connotations to sway the audience’s emotions)

• Counterarguments that give reasons and evidence to disprove the opposing

position(s)

• A call to action that urges the audience to do something

4. Clearly organized structure

The organizing structure of the essay should clearly present the writer’s position and
ensure that all ideas (pro and con) are strongly related to the position and the
topic/issue. By sustaining this focus throughout the persuasive essay, the writer is able
to create an argument that is unified and coherent.

The writer’s progression of ideas should be logical and well controlled. The most
common type of organization used in persuasive essays is order of importance. Writers
begin with the least important point or reason and build up to the most important point or
reason that supports their position. As a result, the audience is more likely to remember
the most convincing and important point that the writer has made in the essay.

Meaningful transitions and strong sentence-to-sentence connections enhance the flow

of a persuasive essay by clearly showing the audience the relationships among ideas,
making the writer’s argument easy to follow. Transitions that are often used in

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/englishcomp1/chapter/the-five-modes/
persuasive writing include although, admittedly, however, still, on the other hand,
instead, while it is true that, nevertheless, and nonetheless.

5. Strong conclusion

A strong conclusion does not simply restate the thesis, but rather readdresses it in light
of the evidence provided. The conclusion should be logically drawn from the arguments.
Writers should not introduce any new information into the conclusion. Instead, they
should synthesize the information presented in the body of the essay—restate why the
topic is important, review the main points, and/ or review the thesis. If writers want to
persuade their audience to take some action, they can also make a recommendation in
the final paragraphs.

6. Purposeful and precise word choice

The writer’s word choice in a persuasive essay should be reasonable and forceful, but
also objective.

Writers should avoid the use of words that show bias or highly charged emotions.
Effective word choice reflects a keen awareness of the persuasive purpose and
maintains a tone appropriate to the purpose and audience. Writers often focus on
refining their word choice to improve their first drafts.

Examples of how word choice can refine and improve writing include the following:

• Replacing overused words with stronger, more powerful ones

• Action verbs

• Adjectives

• Adverbs

• Inserting phrases and sensory details that describe, explain, or provide

additional detail and connections

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/englishcomp1/chapter/the-five-modes/
7. Varied sentence structure

Sentences are the building blocks of writing. The ways sentences are constructed affect
the fluency or the flow of the writing. Expository essays are enhanced when the writer
uses purposeful sentences that are varied in both length and structure.

Examples of how writers can vary sentences to improve their writing include the
following:

• Using a variety of sentence patterns: simple, compound, and complex

• Combining short sentences with prepositional phrases, appositive phrases, or

participial phrases

• Combining short sentences by linking items of equal importance with a

coordinating conjunction

• Combining short sentences containing ideas that are of unequal importance with
a subordinating conjunction

• Varying sentence beginnings by starting sentences in different ways

• With an adverb

• With a phrase (i.e., prepositional, participial, or infinitive)

• With an introductory clause

• Breaking up long, rambling sentences (often run-on sentences) into two or three
shorter sentences

Persuasive Essay Elements Mini-chart

• Clear, concise, and defined thesis

• Clearly organized structure

• Strong introduction

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/englishcomp1/chapter/the-five-modes/
• Well-developed argument with strong evidential support

• Strong conclusion

• Purposeful and precise word choice

• Varied sentence structure

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/englishcomp1/chapter/the-five-modes/
What is an Argumentative Essay?
An argumentative essay is a piece of writing that takes a stance on an issue. The main
purpose of an argumentative essay is to persuade the reader to agree with the writer’s

point of view. This is done by presenting a strong argument, which is supported by

evidence.

An argumentative text requires thorough research and analysis of all relevant sources.
Unlike persuasive writing, this one shouldn’t rely on the emotional aspect when trying to

convince the audience. What makes argument papers unique is that you are only to
substantiate your position — no more, no less.

A good argumentative essay should have:

 A clear and concise thesis statement at the end of the first paragraph
 A logical transition after every element of the essay
 Enough supporting evidence in every body paragraph
 A meaningful conclusion going beyond mere restatement

Getting started

Mastering argumentative writing allows you to gain some valuable insights. It also gives
you a competitive edge because it lets you hone your persuasive and critical thinking

skills. Getting excellent marks should not be your sole priority. It teaches students how
to argue their opinions, which is one of the most helpful skills.

First, scrutinize the definition. An argumentative essay is a piece of academic writing

that presents a claim its author must prove. The capacity to write an effective
argumentative paper can come in handy in different real-life situations. By using the

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/englishcomp1/chapter/the-five-modes/
skills you’ve gained while working on it, you can, for instance, persuade potential

investors that your business is worth being funded.

A challenge many students might face is choosing a topic. But, there are other factors
you should take into account before you start an effective argumentative essay:

 Fact-checking
 Enough background knowledge
 Proving the topic’s relevance

Answer these questions when choosing a topic:

 Are my arguments specific enough?

 Will I be able to support my arguments with verified evidence?
 Is my topic a yes-no question? (Avoid such topics)
 Will there be people with opposing views? What are their arguments?

Topic example: let’s assume you want to write about gun control in your city or state.

In a persuasive essay, you would try to persuade people that the government must
implement stricter policies or make them less stringent. But, in an argument paper, you

would also have to suggest a specific way of dealing with gun control in your area.

How to Write About Your Position

In real life, you’ll often want to examine carefully every perspective on the issue and
balance between them — don’t do it here.

In an argumentative paper, you must choose one side and stick to it.

It’s essential to show YOUR thoughts and ideas. You must tell the reader about YOUR
perspective on the matter and how YOU see things developing.

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/englishcomp1/chapter/the-five-modes/
When talking about your position in an argumentative essay:

 Avoid the indicators of uncertainty, words like “probably,” “I feel,” “might,” and so on.
 Don’t pretend to be an expert if you don’t have enough knowledge — cite those who do.
 Don’t base your evidence on moral claims — use statistics and facts instead.
 Don’t try to paint opponents in a bad light but address their opinions and refute them.

How to address the opposing side

If you struggle to understand what’s happening in the minds of people with opposing
viewpoints, try following this algorithm:

1. Try to think of several reasons you’d want to be on the other side of the discussion and
list them.
2. Study that list. Ask yourself, “Who and why will agree with the points listed? What
arguments will they use?”
3. Analyze your audience. That includes their background, interests, and factors shaping
their personality the most.
4. Start thinking about how you can refute their arguments and look for credible evidence
that can help you with that.
5. When structuring your essay, place the part where you address their views after your
argumentation.

How to Use Evidence in Argumentative Writing

Just presenting evidence won’t suffice. You must explain precisely how it backs your
argument and why it is important. Your goal here is to show a clear link between the

proof you give and the claim.

A mistake would be to assume that your reader knows everything about your topic, or
that the subject is too simple to go into more detail. Yes, whoever is reading your

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/englishcomp1/chapter/the-five-modes/
argumentative paper can be familiar with the topic or the ideas you write about. Still,

they won’t be able to know what we plan on doing with those ideas unless we provide
enough explanations.

You can always cut out a few sentences. It’s like cutting a statue from a chunk of crude

marble by removing the excess — it takes time to carve out a masterpiece from it.

Ask yourself these questions when evaluating evidence:

1. Why should anyone consider this? Why is it significant?

2. What are the implications this piece of evidence has?
3. How can I develop my train of thought if I take this position?
4. How does what I have said happen? Why is it like this?
5. How is it linked to my thesis statement?
6. Is there a relevant example I can give?

By answering those questions, you should be able to show how your evidence is

connected with your argument.

Steps to Writing an Argumentative Essay

What do you do after you’ve learned the argumentative essay definition? How do you
actually start an argumentative essay?

Begin by formulating essay topic ideas. The key ingredients of success are an

impartial analysis of the selected subject, credible sources, and convincing arguments.
To achieve that, pick a topic you like and are knowledgeable about. You might have a

hard time choosing one, so try selecting a subject that would be relevant to your class.

Avoid mundane topics or unsolvable problems. If you cannot find information online,
you can try local libraries or archives. The letter can be a lot of fun, allowing you to feel

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/englishcomp1/chapter/the-five-modes/
like the main character of “Independence Day.” An argument paper should be based on

evidence from trusted and up-to-date sources. Therefore, exclude any references older
than 5-10 years whenever possible.

Another critical pre-writing step is devising a plan. Referred to as an essay outline, it

usually includes three major parts, but it’s not limited to that number. A standard
argumentative essay is made up of three to five body paragraphs that explain your

stance on the topic. Below is a detailed example of how an argumentative essay can be
structured.

A plan will let you focus better on the topic. Search engines may offer too many

template variations, so stick to the most common one, and decide how many body
paragraphs you will have based on the number of supporting evidence. The information

you have gathered during your research will help you decide.

Your introductory paragraph is the first thing the readers will set their eyes

on. However, you should put it on the back burner and come back to it after you’re
done writing the rest. You may consider including some surprising information or a

funny story in the introduction to grab the readers’ attention. It would also be a good
idea if you gave your readers some background details on the discussed matter.

Mention opposing views. When your work cites arguments of all the involved parties,

it makes the audience perceive the author as more trustworthy and competent. So, you
can mention some opposite standpoints to disprove them, thus strengthening your

arguments.

Put all the core pieces together and sum up your arguments in the

conclusion. Refer back to what you were talking about and summarize (rephrase) all the
main points you have raised so far in your conclusion paragraph.

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/englishcomp1/chapter/the-five-modes/