Y9

Non-Fiction Writing
BY SALLY AYOUB
What is Non-fiction Writing?

 Non-fiction is a type of writing that includes facts or real

events. In other words; it is the broadest category of
writing including: biography, business, cooking, health
and fitness, pets, crafts, home decorating &
improvement, languages, travel, religion, art and music,
history, self-help, science and humor.
What are the types of Non-Fiction
Writing?
 Formal: Formal & Informal letters/e-mails, articles,
reports, reviews speeches, leaflets, advertisements,
brochures, manuals, biographies, autobiographies.
 Informal: Friendly letters/e-mails (Descriptive/Descriptive
narrative/Advice/Giving news)
Letter/e-mail Writing Basics:
A good letter/e-mail should consist of:
 An appropriate greeting :
(Dear Peter / Dear Mr. Ford / Dear Sir/Madam)
 An introduction clearly stating the reason why you’re
writing this letter
 A main body in which the subject is developed. Begin a
new paragraph for each main point.
 A final paragraph in which you sum up the topic or
express your wish for something to be done.
 An appropriate ending (Yours/ Best wishes, + first name,
Yours sincerely, / Yours faithfully, + full name)
1- Greeting:
 Take care of how you start your letters/e-mails:

 To a friend: Dear + First Name

 To a brother/sister: Dear + First Name
Dear Brother Omar (Wrong×)
 To your mother/father: Dear Mum / Dear Dad
Dear Mother / Dear Father / Dear Parents (Wrong×)
 To a cousin : Dear + First Name
Dear Cousin Omar (Wrong×)
 To an aunt / an uncle: Dear Auntie/Uncle + First Name

** Take care don’t use : Dearest, My Dearest or My Best Friend (Wrong)

2- Introduction:
What’s the purpose of the introduction?

 It prepares the reader for the main part of the letter, so

the reader knows what to expect.
Ex: Dear Uncle Magdy,
I’m sorry I haven’t written to you for more than two
weeks now,…….

When it comes to informal letter writing, it could be one of the following:

• An Apology giving reason

• Nice gesture
• Something personal to show your friendship
3- Transition:
How to write a transition sentence?
 After writing a suitable introduction, the next step is to write a transition
sentence to start with it the following paragraph. It acts as the link to the
main idea of the letter..
Ex: Dear Sarah,
I’m sorry I haven’t written for ages for I’ve been rehearsing my part for the
school play.
 Anyway, I thought I would drop you a line to…..
 I thought you might like to know….
 Just a quick note to let you know
Transitions you need to avoid:
 I’m going/will to tell you about my family. (Wrong)
 I’m just writing to you to let you know. (Wrong)
 I was sorry to hear that you feel lonely and are missing your friends.
Anyway, we are all fine and going to play tennis tomorrow. (Wrong)
4- Signature:
 When you’re done with writing the letter, write on a
separate line on the left of the page one of the following:
 Informal:
Love,
Love from, + First Name under it
With love from,
Yours,
 Formal:
Yours Faithfully, + First & Last Name
Yours Sincerely,
Sample Assignment:

Exercise 5
You were recently on a school trip when something unusual happened.
 Write an email to a friend about what happened.
 In your email you should:
• explain where you were going and why
• describe what happened
• say how you felt about what happened
The pictures above may give you some ideas, and you should try to use some
ideas of your own.
 Your email should be between 100 and 150 words long.