Main Types of Writing

Before we go into analysis and imitation of paragraphs let's talk a bit about the main types of writing. According to most modern manuals on writing, there are four main types of writing: expository, persuasive, narrative, and descriptive. Most high school courses expect you to know something about this, even though in actual reality most writing doesn't fall neatly into a specific category.

Four Main Types of Writing:

* Expository – Writing in which author’s purpose is to inform or explain the subject to the reader. (This is also called "explanation")
* Persuasive – Writing that states the opinion of the writer and attempts to influence the reader. (This is also called "argument")
* Narrative – Writing in which the author tells a story. The story could be fact or fiction. (some examples of non-fiction narrative are autobiography and biography)
* Descriptive – A type of .. writing that uses the five senses to paint a picture for the reader. This writing incorporates imagery and specific details. (this can be fiction or non-fiction, of course)

Most actual writings use a combination of the different elements. This is true whether the writing is fiction or non-fiction.

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