Characteristics of Writing formats for EFL Students

FIVE QUALITIES OF GOOD WRITING

An essay should have a single clear central idea. Each paragraph should have a c
FOCUS
point or topic sentence.

Each paragraph should support or expand the central idea of the paper. The idea
DEVELOPMENT
paragraph should be explained and illustrated through examples, details, and des

Every paragraph in an essay should be related to the main idea. Each paragraph
UNITY
to its main point.

An essay or paper should be organized logically, flow smoothly, and "stick" togeth
COHERENCE
words, everything in the writing should make sense to a reader.

A paper should be written in generally correct standard English, with complete sen
CORRECTNESS
be relatively error-free.

One additional quality, not part of this list, but nevertheless, very important, is
creativity. The best writing carries some of the personality

Reports
Purpose
The purpose of a report is to describe and classify information. Reports have a
logical sequence of facts that are stated without any personal involvement from the
writer.

Informative reports are written about living things like plants and animals and non-
living things like cars or oceans. An information report is used when we talk and
write about, eg. Bikes. (When writing a description, we only talk/write about one
specific thing, eg. My Bike).

Structure
Reports usually consist of the following:

 an opening statement. (The Antarctic is a large continent at the South Pole;

Possums are nocturnal animals that were introduced to New Zealand from
Australia.)

 a series of facts about various aspects of the subject eg where possums

live, what they eat, problems they cause, etc. These facts are grouped into
paragraphs and each paragraph has a topic sentence.

 diagrams, photographs, illustrations and maps may be used to enhance the

text

 reports don't usually have an "ending", although sometimes the detailed

information is rounded off by some general statement about the topic.

Language
 Nouns and noun phrases are used rather than personal pronouns. The use
of personal pronouns is limited.

 Most reports are written in the present tense.

 Some reports use technical or scientific terms.

 Linking verbs are used, eg. is, are, has, have, belong to, to give coherence.

 Uses some action verbs (climb, eat).

 Descriptive language is used that is factual rather than imaginative eg

colour, shape, size, body parts, habits, behaviors, functions, uses.

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ESSAY
An essay does three things. It addresses a topic, it answers a question, and, it
(usually) takes the form of an argument.

Parts
The main parts (or sections) to an essay are the intro, body, and conclusion. In a
standard short essay, five paragraphs can provide the reader with enough
information in a short amount of space.
1. restate your main idea.
2. directly link back to the essay title or question.
3. briefly summarise the key supporting points in paragraphs
4. give readers something to remember - a final thoughtful idea or reflection.
Elements
 Thesis. The thesis is the statement or questions to respond of an essay that
determines the primary focus.
 Outline. One of the main steps in writing an essay is creating an outline of
material to create the most effective structure.
 Introduction.
 Body.
 Conclusion.
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REVIEW
Purpose
The purpose of a review paper is to succinctly review recent progress in a
particular topic. Overall, the paper summarizes the current state of knowledge of
the topic. It creates an understanding of the topic for the reader by discussing the
findings presented in recent research papers.

Format
1. Introduction. In the introduction, you should include some basic facts about
the story, including the title, the author and the story genre. ...
2. Summary. Briefly summarise the story. ...
3. Personal reflection. ...
4. Critical analysis. ...
5. Conclusion.

ARTICLE

The Format of Article Writing
1. Heading / Title.
2. A line having the writer's name.
3. Body (the main part of the article, 2 – 3 paragraphs)
4. Conclusion (Ending paragraph of the article with the opinion or
recommendation, anticipation or an appeal)