Learn the Types of Writing: Expository, Descriptive, Persuasive, and Narrative

Whether you write essays, business materials, fiction, articles, letters, or even just notes in your journal, your writing will be at its best if you stay focused on your purpose. While there are many reasons why you might be putting pen to paper or tapping away on the keyboard, there are really only four main types of writing: expository, descriptive, persuasive, and narrative.

Each of these four writing genres has a distinct aim, and they all require different types of writing skills. You may also have heard them referred to in an academic setting as modes of discourse or rhetorical modes. Institutions of higher learning teach nine traditional rhetorical modes, but the majority of pieces we are called upon to write will have one of these four main purposes.

Expository Writing

The word expository contains the word expose, so the reason expository is an apt descriptor for this type of writing is that it exposes, or sets forth, facts. It is probably the most common writing genre you will come across throughout your day. In an expository piece, a topic will be introduced and laid out in a logical order without reference to the author’s personal opinions.

Expository writing can be found in:

Textbooks Journalism (except for opinion and editorial articles) Business writing Technical writing Essays Instructions

All of these kinds of writing are expository because they aim to explain and inform.

The municipal government of Happyville unanimously approved the construction of sixty-two miles of bike trails in 2017. Made possible by a new tax levy, the bike trails are expected to help the city reach its sustainability and clean air goals while reducing traffic and congestion. Eighteen trailheads with restrooms and picnic areas have been planned at a variety of access points. The city expects construction to be complete in April 2021.

Because this paragraph supplies the reader with facts and figures about its topic, the new bike trails, without offering the author’s opinion on it, it is expository.

Descriptive Writing

The aim of descriptive writing is to help the reader visualize, in detail, a character, event, place, or all of these things at once. The author might describe the scene in terms of all five senses. Descriptive writing allows the writer a great deal more artistic freedom than expository writing does.

Descriptive writing can be found in:

Fiction Poetry Advertising Journal and diary writing

The children pedaled leisurely down the Happyville Bike Trail, their giggles and whoops reverberating through the warm spring air. Sweet-scented wildflowers brought an array of color to the gently undulating landscape, tempting the children to dismount now and then so they could lay down in the springy, soft grass.

Through description, this passage paints a vivid picture of a scene on the new bike trail.

Persuasive Writing

The aim of persuasive writing, or argumentation, is to influence the reader to assume the author’s point of view. The author will express personal opinions in the piece and arm him- or herself with evidence so that the reader will agree with him or her.

Persuasive writing can be found in:

Advertising Opinion and editorial pieces Reviews Job applications

The bike trail is the glittering gem of Happyville’s new infrastructure. It winds through sixty-two miles of lush landscape, dotted by clean and convenient facilities. If you haven’t experienced the Happyville Bike Trail yet, ditch your car and head outside! Could life in Happyville get any more idyllic?

A number of statements in this paragraph are opinion rather than fact: that the bike trail is a glittering gem, that the facilities are clean and convenient, and that life in Happyville is idyllic. Clearly, the author’s aim here is to use these depictions to persuade readers to use the bike trail.

Narrative Writing

The purpose of narrative writing is to tell a story, whether that story is real or imaginary. Pieces in a narrative style will have characters, and through the narrative, the reader learns what happens to them. Narrative writing can also include dialogue.

Narrative writing can be found in:

All types of fiction (e.g., novels, short stories, novellas) Poetry Biographies Human interest stories Anecdotes

As I cycled down the trail, I heard children giggling and whooping just around the bend. I crested a small hill and coasted down the curving path until I found the source of the noise. Three little girls sat in the grass by a big oak tree. They were startled to see me, and I smiled kindly to put them at ease.

“Whatcha doing?” I asked.

“Nothing,” they chirped in unison.

In this passage, the author sets the scene on the bike trail from his or her own point of view (which is referred to as narrating in the first person). Using both description and dialogue, the story that takes place is laid out in chronological order.

Understanding Your Purpose Empowers Your Writing

Simply puzzling out which of these four types of writing best suits your purpose and adhering to it can help you write more efficiently and effectively.

To summarize:

• Expository writing sets forth facts. You can find it in textbooks, journalism (except opinion or editorial articles), business writing, technical writing, essays, and instructions.
• Descriptive writing evokes images through rich description. You can find it in fiction, poetry, journal writing, and advertising.
• Persuasive writing aims to sway the reader toward the author’s point of view. It is used heavily in advertising, and can also be found in opinion and editorial pieces, reviews, and job applications.
• Narrative writing tells a story. It can be found in fiction, poetry, biographies, human interest stories, and anecdotes.

Republican Primary Candidates Grammar Power Rankings

At Grammarly, we believe that every time we write, we make a statement. Technology encourages fast-paced typing and textspeak—and while we don’t think that’s always bad—we do think it can fuel misconceptions and get out of hand.

In the interest of fun and a little gamesmanship, we’ve started a series of studies to award Grammar Power Rankings to different categories of commenters across the web. After a quick look at NFL and MLB fans, we’ve decided to focus on the upcoming presidential race, starting with the Republicans (who begin their GOP primary debates this week).

Stay tuned for a potential study about Democratic candidates’ supporters in the near future. For now, check out this infographic for the results and methodology from the GOP study:

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Please attribute this infographic to https://www.grammarly.com/grammar-check.

Methodology

We began by taking a large sample of Facebook comments containing at least fifteen words from each candidate’s official page. Next, we created a set of guidelines to help limit (as much as possible) the subjectivity of categorizing the comments as positive or negative. Since the point of the study was to analyze the writing of each candidate’s supporters, we considered only obviously positive or neutral comments. Obviously negative or critical comments, as well as ambiguous or borderline negative comments, were disqualified.

We then randomly selected two hundred fifty of these positive and neutral comments to analyze for each candidate. Using Grammarly, we identified the errors in the comments, which were then verified and tallied by a team of live proofreaders. For the purposes of this study, we counted only black-and-white mistakes such as misspellings, wrong and missing punctuation, misused or missing words, and subject-verb disagreement. We ignored stylistic variations such as the use of common slang words, serial comma usage, and the use of numerals instead of spelled-out numbers.

Finally, we calculated the average number of mistakes per one hundred words by dividing the total word count of the comments by the total number of mistakes for each candidate.

 

Why You Should Take a Vacation, Even If You’re Busy

“I hate vacation,” said no one ever. So why are we so bad at taking time off? North Americans in particular are notorious for rarely taking time off work. A study by Expedia found that each year workers in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico take twelve, fifteen, and twelve days off respectively, while Europeans take between twenty and thirty days off.

Granted, employers in North America tend to offer significantly less vacation time than European ones, but workers often don’t even take all the time they’re entitled to, and that’s bad. Reasons vary—we’re too busy, we feel guilty, our bosses make it hard—but the truth is that you’re not doing yourself (or your employer) any favors by skipping vacations. Read on to find out why you need to step away from the office and relax for a little while.

Skipping Vacation Is Bad for Your Health

Research suggests that men who don’t take vacations are 30 percent more likely to have a heart attack than those who do. Women who don’t take vacations are 50 percent more likely to have a heart attack than women who do.

Taking a vacation, on the other hand, can reduce stress and associated symptoms like sleeplessness, fatigue, and headaches. But—and this is an important but—a poorly planned vacation can leave you more stressed than you started. Plan thoroughly. Make sure you request the time off well in advance of your trip. And don’t forget to warn your colleagues that you’ll be out! They’ll appreciate the heads up, as long as you don’t brag too much.

Vacations Make You More Productive

Four in ten American workers say that even though their employer supports time off, they’re just too busy to take it. The irony, of course, is that taking a vacation actually makes you more productive. As much as we like to pretend otherwise, mental resources are finite. Once in a while, you have to step away and replenish those resources if you want to continue doing great work. According to the New York Times, an internal study by the accounting firm Ernst & Young found that “for each additional 10 hours of vacation employees took, their year-end performance ratings from supervisors (on a scale of one to five) improved by 8 percent.”

So don’t feel guilty about taking your hard-earned vacation days. Your performance will be better, not worse.

Vacations Are Good for Your Personal Life

Traveling opens you up to new cultures and perspectives. Even if you’re staying local, relaxing with a good book can be its own kind of new experience.

But time off is also important for keeping your relationships healthy. According to one survey, 43 percent of American workers dedicate less than twenty hours a week to family time. But the majority of the households surveyed who plan out their time off are happier than those who don’t. Even if you can’t take everybody on an extravagant adventure in a faraway land, there’s probably plenty to do close to home. What about a family bike ride? Why not explore that odd little museum downtown that’s only open on Wednesdays at 10 a.m.? In the end, it’s the together time that counts.

Do you take as much time off as you’d like to? Tell us about your favorite ways to relax and recharge in the comment section below.

Empower Your Writing: Transform the Passive Voice

Tell a writer that he should avoid the passive voice in writing, and he’ll usually agree – although the passive voice is perfectly acceptable grammatically.

Most writers know that the sentence, “The cow jumped over the moon” is better than “The moon was jumped over by the cow.” However, if you check a few documents with Grammarly’s Add-in for Microsoft Office Suite, you’ll see that this ghost continues to haunt. Even veteran writers have a problem with the passive voice on occasion.

But, why?

Active voice involves writing that jumps off a page and immediately grabs a reader’s interest. Let’s look at a breakdown of passive vs. active voice (and how to switch between the two) for a better understanding:

What is an Active Sentence? Active sentences have a subject that directly performs the action of the sentence. For example: “He washed the dishes.” The subject of the sentence, the pronoun “he,” directly performs the action, “washed.”

What is a Passive Sentence? Passive sentences switch the direct object and the subject, allowing the subject to receive an action passively. For example: “The dishes were washed by him.” Here, the pronoun, “him,” takes a back seat to the target of the sentence. It is also important to notice that the verb, “washed,” got a bit longer. It turned into “were washed.” File this away in your mind for a moment. Sentence length and complexity are lures that often hook us into the regular use of passive voice.

What are “To Be” Verbs? Many times, it is the “to be” verb that alerts us to a passive voice sentence. Watch out for phrases like “have been,” “will have,” and “are being.” Although not universally the case, they often point to the use of passive voice in a sentence.

Why Use Active Voice? Active voice makes our writing more exciting and energetic. It snags a reader quickly and encourages him to continue reading. Active voice sentences are also easier to read, so using active voice broadens your audience. Finally, passive sentences are usually wordy. Active voice provides us with succinct and precise writing.

How Do You Change a Sentence from Passive to Active? Once you’ve spotted a passive sentence, changing it to active is fairly easy. Turn the direct object of the sentence into the subject. Change the form of the verb used in the sentence, and then remove any unneeded prepositional phrases, simply by removing the preposition.

Passive sentence: Yesterday, the job was completed by her.

Make “her/she” the subject, and move the object, “job.” Then, discard the preposition “by,” and move “yesterday.”

Active sentence: She completed the job yesterday.

Passive sentences can be far more complex, but the basic solution to transforming them into active voice is the same.

The Trap: Sentence complexity is the basic trap that usually locks our writing into passive voice. Often our sentences need to be complex, due to a complicated thought or a stylistic choice. However, the passives can slip in whenever complexity becomes a necessity.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that active sentences have to be simple. They do not. This insidious illusion often summons the passive voice. Let’s look at a complex sentence expressed in passive voice that can be changed to active.

Complex passive sentence: Before they left for the theatre, a pearl necklace with silver beads was given to Sally by her husband Joe.

Using the simple solution of switching the direct object and the subject works here too. Remember to remove the unnecessary preposition, “by.” The only extra step involves moving around the clauses, and this sentence becomes active.

Complex active sentence: Joe gave his wife, Sally, a pearl necklace with silver beads before they left for the theatre.

If you want much more immediate and dynamic writing, it is best to use active voice. Aside from academic use, passive voice rarely makes for sparkling prose.

How do you insure that your writing falls into the active category? The solution is simple: active voice has to become a habit. Write with it every day, and do so consciously. Whenever you see a passive sentence slip into your writing, change it to active. Soon you’ll find that your passive sentences begin to fade as your active voice naturally emerges.

What’s the Most Irritating, Enraging Work Communication Habit?

Ah, March Madness. Every year, this season reminds college basketball lovers to root for the underdog, try their hand at predicting tournament results, and believe in their team. Similarly, our March MADness tournament to choose the worst work habit has had some upsets, a few underdogs, and ultimately, one champion. If you voted in one or more of the polls, thank you! Your voice has been heard. Here are the highlights of the search for the worst office pet peeve.

The Conference Champs

If you recall, we originally had four conferences defining the common areas where your coworkers may annoy you: work chat, email, phone calls, and in person. We had some tough competitions both in the first round and in the Not-So-Sweet 16 between these contenders, but here were the worst pet peeves for each medium.

The Worst Chat Crime: Emoji Overload

��������☠️ These people like to send a string of seemingly useless emojis in work chat, especially in public channels. While they may think it’s cute, it actually shows they have nothing to say.

The Worst Email Fail: Autonotification Email Hell

Autonotifications are sent automatically when someone updates a task, project, or chat. In the best-case scenario, these autonotifications can be batched, but usually your inbox gets swamped by minor updates to various channels. Is it really necessary to know that someone left a chat? Rarely.

The Worst Call Catastrophe: Background Noise Nuisances

We’ve all joined a call where the other participants sounded like they were either in an echo chamber, a wind tunnel, or the middle of Times Square. Nobody likes those calls, and nobody likes distracting background noise.

The Worst IRL Irritation: “Well, actually . . .”

This phrase is the hallmark of a know-it-all. With a penchant for perfection and an inability to filter relevant details from irrelevant ones, these people never miss an opportunity to correct or clarify themselves and others.

The Ultimate Champion: Background Noise

According to our followers, background noise on phone or video calls is the worst work communication offense. And we have to admit, it’s pretty obnoxious to hear microphone feedback, talking, crunching, beeping, traffic, or much of anything on a call.

Now that we’ve identified the worst office crime, where do we go from here? Check back in the coming weeks and months to learn how to avoid background noise, CC faux pas, and other behaviors our followers have identified as obnoxious.

What do you think of this champion? Let us know your thoughts (and feelings) in the comments below.

Reddit Politics Writing Breakdown: The Right and Left Are Closer Than You Think

When it comes to language, it turns out that conservatives and liberals are more alike than you might think. The intrepid Grammarly team delved into the unfiltered political maelstrom on Reddit to get a look at how the Trump and Clinton subreddit communities write when they discuss the 2016 U.S. presidential election online. We used the Grammarly app’s powerful algorithms and new political correctness checks to find out not only how many spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors each camp made but also how often the software flagged their language as politically incorrect.

#NoFilter

In 2015, we took a lighthearted look at the presidential primaries, ranking the leading candidates by how well their supporters wrote about them on the candidates’ official Facebook pages. Now that Clinton and Trump have been officially nominated by their respective parties, we decided to peer into a less moderated community where the members, not the campaigns, direct the conversation. The differences were stark. For one thing, Redditors write significantly better than Facebook users. On Facebook, Hillary Clinton’s supporters made 6.3 errors per 100 words; Trump’s were twice as error-prone at 12.6. By contrast, Clinton’s Reddit supporters made just 1.82 errors per 100 words with Trump’s following close behind at 2.10.

In an unfiltered setting, Trump supporters weren’t daunted by having to add a dollar to the virtual swear jar. They used profanity 135% more often than Clinton’s supporters. Grammarly’s soon-to-be-released political correctness checks for people who want to make their writing more inclusive also got a workout in r/The_Donald. These checks analyze text for language that may be considered sexist, racist, ableist, or non-inclusive in other ways. Trump’s supporters used politically incorrect terms 88% more often than Clinton’s.

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Trump’s and Clinton’s Reddit Supporters Are More Alike Than Different

As we analyzed the data, one surprising discovery emerged—Trump and Clinton supporters share much in common. Not only do both sides write well, but they also care about similar issues. Foreign policy ranked as the number one topic for the Clinton subreddit and came in at number two for Trump. Both sides frequently asked the question “Who’s supporting him/her?” and both thought that the other candidate could bring about “America’s demise.” Clinton supporters see Trump’s campaign as “shameful” and “offensive,” while Trump supporters believe Clinton to be “crooked” and “corrupt.”

Trump supporters were unique in one aspect: they’ve created their own lingo. “Cuck-” was an oft-used prefix (Cuckington Post, Cuckbook, CuckKaine). MAGA (an acronym for Trump’s ubiquitous “Make America Great Again” slogan) was the fourth most commonly repeated bit of jargon. Even Pokemon played a role. Coming in third was Trigglypuff, a play on the slumber-inducing Pokemon, Jigglypuff, and the word “trigger,” used in the context of something with the potential to cause anxiety. (Example: “She should pick Trigglypuff as running mate. Quality attracts quality.”)

Commonly Confused Words

Redditors stumbled on some common English language mistakes, mixing up words like then and than and using the wrong form of too or to. They struggled with frequently confused compound words like everyday/every day and anymore/any more. The Grammarly blog could help them (or anyone else) amp up their writing skills. Here are just a few recommendations:

• Apostrophe Mistakes
• Then / Than
• Too / To
• Everyday / Every Day
• Anymore / Any More

Although our study is a playful take on the language people use in discussion forums like Reddit, written communication skills will always be essential to how we understand each other in the online world. Clear communication is even more important when the political stakes are high, as they are in an election year. By keeping their writing mistakes to a minimum, Redditors seem to be on the right track.

Top 30 Commonly Confused Words in English

Everyone knows the problem with spell-check: your word might be spelled right, but it may be the wrong word. English is full of confusing words that sound alike but are spelled differently. It’s also full of words that share similar (but not identical) meanings that are easy to misuse. Below are some of the most commonly confused and misused words in English.

Here’s a tip: Looking for a specific pair of commonly confused words on this page? Use ctrl+F or command+F to search the page quickly.

Advice/Advise Advice is a noun: Chester gave Posey good advice. Advise is a verb: Chester advised Posey to avoid the questionable chicken salad.

Affect/Effect Affect is usually a verb: Chester’s humming affected Posey’s ability to concentrate. Effect is usually a noun: Chester was sorry for the effect his humming had. If you find yourself stumped about which one to use in a sentence, try substituting the word “alter” or “result.” If “alter” fits (Chester’s humming altered Posey’s ability to concentrate), use affect. If “result” fits (Chester was sorry for the result his humming had), use effect.

Among/Amongst Among is the preferred and most common variant of this word in American English. Amongst is more common in British English. Neither version is wrong, but amongst may seem fussy to American readers.

Among/Between Among expresses a collective or loose relationship of several items: Chester found a letter hidden among the papers on the desk. Between expresses the relationship of one thing to another thing or to many other things: Posey spent all day carrying messages between Chester and the other students. The idea that between can be used only when talking about two things is a myth—it’s perfectly correct to use between if you are talking about multiple binary relationships.

Assure/Ensure/Insure Assure means to tell someone that something will definitely happen or is definitely true: Posey assured Chester that no one would cheat at Bingo. Ensure means to guarantee or make sure of something: Posey took steps to ensure that no one cheated at Bingo. Insure means to take out an insurance policy: Posey was glad the Bingo hall was insured against damage caused by rowdy Bingo players.

Breath/Breathe Breath is a noun; it’s the air that goes in and out of your lungs: Chester held his breath while Posey skateboarded down the stairs. Breathe is a verb; it means to exhale or inhale: After Posey’s spectacular landing, Chester had to remind himself to breathe again.

Capital/Capitol Capital has several meanings. It can refer to an uppercase letter, money, or a city where a seat of government is located: Chester visited Brasίlia, the capital of Brazil. Capitol means the building where a legislature meets: Posey visited the cafe in the basement of the capitol after watching a bill become a law.

Complement/Compliment A complement is something that completes something else. It’s often used to describe things that go well together: Chester’s lime green boots were a perfect complement to his jacket. A compliment is a nice thing to say: Posey received many compliments on her purple fedora.

Disinterested/Uninterested Disinterested means impartial: A panel of disinterested judges who had never met the contestants before judged the singing contest. Uninterested means bored or not wanting to be involved with something: Posey was uninterested in attending Chester’s singing class.

Defence/Defense Defense is standard in American English. Defence is found mainly in British English.

Emigrate/Immigrate Emigrate means to move away from a city or country to live somewhere else: Chester’s grandfather emigrated from Canada sixty years ago. Immigrate means to move into a country from somewhere else: Posey’s sister immigrated to Ireland in 2004.

E.g./I.e. These two Latin abbreviations are often mixed up, but e.g. means “for example,” while i.e. means “that is.”

Empathy/Sympathy Empathy is the ability to understand another person’s perspective or feelings. Sympathy is a feeling of sorrow for someone else’s suffering. A sympathizer is someone who agrees with a particular ideal or cause.

Farther/Further Farther refers to physical distance: Posey can run farther than Chester. Further refers to metaphorical distance: Chester is further away from finishing his project than Posey is.

Flaunt/Flout Flaunt means to show off: Chester flaunted his stylish new outfit. Flout means to defy, especially in a way that shows scorn: Posey flouted the business-casual dress code by wearing a tiara and flip-flops.

Gaff/Gaffe A gaff is a type of spear or hook with a long handle: Chester completed his sailor costume with a gaff borrowed from his uncle’s fishing boat. A gaffe is a faux pas or social misstep: Posey made a gaffe when she accidentally called Chester by the wrong name.

Gray/Grey Gray is the standard American English spelling. Grey is the standard British English spelling.

Historic/Historical Historic means famous, important, and influential: Chester visited the beach in Kitty Hawk where the Wright brothers made their historic first airplane flight. Historical means related to history: Posey donned a historical bonnet for the renaissance fair.

Imply/Infer Imply means to hint at something without saying it directly: Chester implied that Posey was in trouble, but he wouldn’t tell her why. Infer means to deduce something that hasn’t been stated directly: Posey inferred that Chester was nervous about something from the way he kept looking over his shoulder.

It’s/Its It’s is a contraction of “it is”: Posey needs to pack for her trip because it’s only two days away. Its is a possessive pronoun that means “belonging to it”: Chester is obsessed with both the book and its author.

Lay/Lie To lay means to put or to place. One way to remember this is that there is an a in both to lay and to place: Posey will lay out her outfit before she goes to bed. To lie means to recline. One way to remember this is that there is an e in both to lie and to recline: Chester will lie down for a nap. Be careful, though. The past tense of to lay is laid: Posey laid out her outfit. The past tense of to lie is lay: Chester lay down for a nap over an hour ago.

Lead/Led Lead, when it rhymes with “bed,” refers to a type of metal: Posey wore a lead apron while the dentist X-rayed her teeth. Led is the past tense of the verb to lead, which means to guide or to be first: Chester led the way.

Learned/Learnt Learned is standard in American English. Learnt is standard in British English.

Loose/Lose Loose is usually an adjective: Posey discovered that the cows were loose. Lose is always a verb. It means to misplace something or to be unvictorious in a game or contest: Chester was careful not to lose his ticket.

Principal/Principle Principal can be a noun or adjective. As a noun, it refers to the person in charge of a school or organization: Posey was called into the principal’s office. As an adjective, it means most important: The principal reason for this meeting is to brainstorm ideas for the theme of Chester’s birthday party. A principle (always a noun) is a firmly held belief or ideal: Posey doesn’t like surprise parties as a matter of principle.

Inquiry/Enquiry Inquiry and enquiry both mean “a request for information.” Inquiry is the standard American English spelling. Enquiry is the British spelling.

Stationary/Stationery Stationary means unmoving: The revolving door remained stationary because Posey was pushing on it the wrong way. Stationery refers to letter writing materials and especially to high quality paper: Chester printed his résumé on his best stationery.

Than/Then Than is used for comparisons: Posey runs faster than Chester. Then is used to indicate time or sequence: Posey took off running, and then Chester came along and finished her breakfast.

Their/There/They’re Their is the possessive form of “they”: Chester and Posey took their time. There indicates a place: It took them an hour to get there. They’re is a contraction of “they are”: Are Chester and Posey coming? They’re almost here.

To/Too To is a preposition that can indicate direction: Posey walked to school. She said hello to Chester when she saw him. To is also used in the infinitive form of verbs: Chester waited until the last minute to do his homework. Too is used as an intensifier, and also means “also”: Posey waited too long to do her homework, too.

Toward/Towards Toward is standard in American English. Towards is standard in British English.

Who’s/Whose Who’s is a contraction of “who is”: Who’s calling Chester at this hour? Whose is a possessive pronoun that means “belonging to [someone]”: Chester, whose phone hadn’t stopped ringing all morning, barely ate anything for breakfast.