Writing Modes: The Four Purposes of Writing Narrative Writing

Writing Modes: The Four Purposes of Writing
Narrative Writing
Narration is story telling. In many ways it is the easiest kind of writing because it comes so naturally to
most people. Practically everyone enjoys telling and hearing stories. Narratives usually progress
chronologically, and must have a clear beginning, middle and end. Examples: short stories, novels,
personal narratives, anecdotes, and biographies
Example
Narrate: I am going to NARRATE a story about the Apollo 11 space mission.
It was July 21, 1969, and Neil Armstrong awoke with a start. It was the day he would
become the first human being to ever walk on the moon. The journey had begun several
days earlier, when on July 16th, the Apollo 11 launched from Earth headed into outer
space. On board with Neil Armstrong were Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin. The crew
landed on the moon in the Sea of Tranquility a day before the actual walk. Upon Neil’s first
step onto the moon’s surface, he declared, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap
for mankind.” It sure was!
Descriptive Writing
Think of description as painting a picture with words. Of course, when you use words, you can paint
more than what you see, but also what you feel, hear, smell and taste. The idea of description is to make
the thing described seem real to your reader’s imagination. Not much writing is purely descriptive;
writers typically weave description into longer narrative works. Examples: certain types of advertising,
character sketches, and photograph captions
Example
I am going to DESCRIBE a sunset!
Sunset is the time of day when our sky meets the outer space solar winds. There are blue,
pink, and purple swirls, spinning and twisting, like clouds of balloons caught in a blender.
The sun moves slowly to hide behind the line of horizon, while the moon races to take its
place in prominence atop the night sky. People slow to a crawl, entranced, fully forgetting
the deeds that still must be done. There is a coolness, a calmness, when the sun does set.
Informative (exposition writing)

This type of writing explains or informs. It is a practical kind of writing (the kind you are reading right
now!). Examples: encyclopedia entries, news reports, instruction manuals, informative essays, and
research papers
Example
Inform: I am going to INFORM you about the Apollo 11 space mission.
On July 16, 1969, the Apollo 11 spacecraft launched from the Kennedy Space Center in
Florida. Its mission was to go where no human being had gone before—the moon! The
crew consisted of Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin. The spacecraft landed
on the moon in the Sea of Tranquility, a basaltic flood plain, on July 20, 1969. The
moonwalk took place the following day. On July 21, 1969, at precisely 10:56 EDT,
Commander Neil Armstrong emerged from the Lunar Module and took his famous first step
onto the moon’s surface. He declared, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for
mankind.” It was a monumental moment in human history!
Persuasive Writing
Persuasive writing seeks to convince the reader of a particular position or opinion. Persuasive writing is
in many ways the most difficult to do well because it requires knowledge of the subject, strong
convictions, logical thinking, and technical skill. Examples: literary essays, editorials, advertisements, and
book, movie or music reviews.
Example:
Persuade: I am going to PERSUADE my neighbors to buy tickets to the school fair.
The school fair is right around the corner, and tickets have just gone on sale. We are selling
a limited number of tickets at a discount, so move fast and get yours while they are still
available. This is going to be an event you will not want to miss! First off, the school fair is a
great value when compared with other forms of entertainment. Also, your ticket purchase
will help our school, and when you help the school, it helps the entire community. But that’s
not all! Every ticket you purchase enters you in a drawing to win fabulous prizes. And don’t
forget, you will have mountains of fun because there are acres and acres of great rides, fun
games, and entertaining attractions! Spend time with your family and friends at our school
fair. Buy your tickets now!
Sources: http://patternbasedwriting.com/elementary_writing_success/paragraph-examples/
http://blog.writeathome.com/index.php/2012/02/writing-modes-the-four-purposes-of-writing/

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