WRITING SKILLS

Writing skills are the skills you use to write effectively. A good writer is
someone who can communicate their point to their audience.
Writing skills don’t just include the physical act of writing. Skills like
research, planning and outlining, editing, revising, spelling and grammar,
and organization are critical components of the writing process.
Writing skills are the abilities used to clearly communicate ideas through
writing in various forms. Technical knowledge about writing
conventions, style guides and formatting for different situations is also
an important part of writing abilities. Knowing what situations call for
different styles of writing and being able to set an appropriate tone over
text are both good writing abilities that any person can use at work.
 Elements
• Purpose: the purpose of your writing is the main idea(s) you want the reader to
take away. In most professional writing, you directly state the purpose in the
first sentence or two.
• Audience: your audience typically includes the readers you want to read the
piece, and in some cases, you may consider a general audience who may come
across your piece as part of your secondary audience.
• Clarity: clarity is how easily and accurately readers can understand your purpose
and the supporting features of your piece.
• Unity: unity addresses whether every segment of the piece at the word-level,
sentence-level, paragraph-level and section-level all relate to one another and
emphasises or supports the purpose.
• Coherence: a coherent piece is one that is well-organised on every level, where
the ideas expressed in the piece relate and each segment leads the reader to
the next segment.
 KINDS OF WRITING ABILITIES
• Writing abilities you may use in an educational or professional setting:

• Research
• Research allows writers to find accurate information and best
practices related to writing in a particular style or about a particular
piece of content. Writers often write about subjects that they are not
familiar with, so finding quality sources quickly is an important skill.
The information from research may also inspire you to write more
content.
• Organization
• Organization in writing refers to the ability to put ideas into an easy-to-
understand and logical order, which you do by outlining. Outlining is creating
a plan for the structure and flow of a piece of writing. Good writing needs to
have a logical structure in order to make sense to a reader. Your ability to
organize sentences and paragraphs in the most interesting way influences
how others perceive you and understand the point of your writing.
• Reading comprehension
• This skill is your ability to read a passage, understand the context, content
and subtext and retain the information you've read. Reading comprehension
skills help you respond to prompts, reply to messages and learn about new
content. People use reading comprehension skills to assess the tone and
main idea of a piece of writing. Having good reading comprehension also
helps you edit your own work by determining if you communicate a point
effectively from the perspective of a reader.
• Editing
• Editing refers to being able to review your work for issues with clarity,
structure, coherence, accuracy and language. Editing also involves
reading your own writing from another perspective and considering
how well it suits your goals. You may write multiple drafts of a piece
because you keep editing and revising to make it easier to read,
clearer, more concise and better organised. When editing your own
work, think about your word choice and tone, removing any irrelevant
phrases.
• Proofreading
• Proofreading is the ability to review a piece for sentence-level items,
like grammar, punctuation, spelling, word choice and other minor
errors. Being able to proofread your own work is a highly sought-after
skill because some writers find it challenging to catch smaller errors in
their work. And being able to proofread others' work is an equally
important skill because your employer or colleagues may ask you to
proofread documents.
• Critical thinking
• Critical thinking in writing involves carefully considering a topic or
passage and determining if it meets the overall goals of the piece. A
few goals may include clarity, accuracy and relevance. Critical thinking
in writing can also mean using research to support your points or craft
arguments against research.
•Types of writing
•
1. Narrative writing
• In narrative writing, the writer tells a story about real life experiences. While writing a narrative writing,
the writer try to involve the reader by making the story as vivid as possible.
• Example
• For example, the writer is writing a story of particular experience.
•
1. Descriptive writing
• A descriptive writing paints a picture with words. Descriptive writing try to communicate a deeper
message through the description. In descriptive writing the writer show thoughts by using colourful
words and sensory details.
• Example
• For example, descriptive writing about the trip to park, the writer would give great details about what
he experienced.
•
1. Persuasive writing
• Persuasive writing is that type of writing in which the presenter share information and convince the
readers to believe in an idea or opinion and take an action. The writer give arguments or suggestions
and convince the readers logically.
• Example
• A writer from particular company try to convince the people to buy a particular product.
•
1. Expository writing
• In an expository writing, the writer explain or define a topic using facts, figures and examples. In
expository writing the writer full details about the topic or theme.
• Example
• For example, an expository writing with step by step instruction on how to make a Chicken Biryani.
 For example:
Compare and Contrast Essay Compare and contrast two oranges or two
apples, rather than comparing and
The compare and contrast essay is a contrasting an apple with an orange. You
type of essay in which the writer can compare and contrast the color of
compares and contrasts two things. apples, the shape, the size, etc. You cannot
compare the color of an apple with an
The writer compares the similarities orange. It doesn’t make sense as they don’t
between the two selected subjects belong to the same category.
and contrasts the differences in those
subjects. The subjects should belong
to the same category.
 For example:
Cause and Effect Essay Modern technology has transformed how we
In the cause and effect essay, the writer tries to find the cause of something; why did something happen? communicate. This essay explores the causes behind this
shift and its effects.
and what effects it might have. This type of essay has built around the reason that caused something to Cause - Rise of Social Media: Global connectivity through
happen and its possible impacts. social media has reshaped communication patterns.
Cause - Mobile Technology: The ubiquity of smartphones
There are two ways to structure a cause and effect essay: has made constant connectivity the norm.
•Block structure: All the causes are presented first, and then all of their effects. Effect - Decreased Face-to-Face Interaction: Direct
communication has dwindled in favor of screen-based
•Chain structure: Each of the causes is followed by its effect straight away. interaction.
Effect - Altered Communication Dynamics: Social norms
This essay could be based on assumptions or could be based on facts, but either way, they should be now embrace brevity and emojis, changing the nature of
validated. conversations.
In conclusion, the rise of social media and mobile
technology has led to a decline in face-to-face interaction
and introduced new communication norms. Technology's
impact on interpersonal communication is profound,
shaping our social interactions in unprecedented ways.
Process type
• This type of essays will tell you
about a task and how to complete
that task. For example, an essay
about how to make something. You
will need to first address the
problem, then give the main steps
the reader will take, and the end
result. You can also include
substitute steps in the conclusion
or beside the main steps.
 For example:
• Definition Essay Resilience, often defined as the ability to bounce back from
• The definition essay is a type of difficulties, goes beyond mere toughness. This essay explores its
expository essay that gives a purpose, key traits, and practical ways to cultivate this essential
complete description of the topic. It quality.
explains what the term or the topic of What - Dictionary Definition: Resilience is the quick recovery
the essay exactly means. Some terms from challenges, embodying toughness and elasticity.
have concrete meanings like glass, Why - Overcoming Challenges: It serves to empower
book, etc. Whereas some have individuals in overcoming personal, professional, or societal
abstract meanings like love, respect, challenges, fostering growth.
How - Key Characteristics: Resilience is characterized by
honor, etc.
adaptability, perseverance, and a positive mindset, essential for
• The definition essay revolves around navigating life's ups and downs.
explaining the purpose, what, why, Cultivation - Practical Strategies: Practical strategies, such as
and how aspects of the topic of the building a support network and embracing change, are crucial
essay. This essay could start with the for cultivating resilience.
dictionary definition and ultimately In essence, resilience is more than a dictionary entry; it's about
provide the extended definition. overcoming challenges with adaptability, perseverance, and a
positive mindset. Understanding and cultivating resilience
empowers individuals to thrive in the face of adversity.
• Classification Essay
• Classification essays are a
type of expository writing that
categorizes and organizes For example:
In a classification essay on movie genres, you might categorize
objects, people, ideas, or
films into different genres based on their themes, styles, and
concepts into distinct groups audience appeal. Each category would have its defining
based on shared characteristics, such as plot elements, tone, and typical
characteristics, features, or audience demographics.
criteria. The goal is to help
readers better understand the
relationships and differences
between these categories.
• Problem and Solution Essay
• In the problem solution essay,
the writer identifies a problem
and then proposes its solution. For example:
The writer examines the You choose to write about the coronavirus. You’ll examine the
particular subject from various problem thoroughly, i.e., how the virus came into existence?
How is it spreading? What problems has it caused for society?
aspects and perspectives prior Etc.
to providing a solution. This After examining the problem, you’ll suggest its possible
essay is somewhat similar to solutions; how to overcome this situation? What preventive
the cause and effect essay. measures do we need to take to protect ourselves from the
virus? Etc.
• Descriptive Writing
• Descriptive writing is a The golden leaves crunched beneath my feet as I ventured
type of expository writing deeper into the autumn woods. The air was crisp and carried
that aims to paint a vivid the earthy scent of fallen leaves.
Tall oak trees loomed overhead, their branches adorned with a
picture of a person, place, tapestry of red, orange, and yellow leaves, as if nature herself
object, event, or concept in had decided to decorate the forest for a grand celebration.
the reader's mind. It uses
sensory details and vivid
language to create a
sensory experience for the
audience.