The ABC’s of writing

When you are writing (it doesn't matter if you are writing an email, a report, an essay, a review) there are some aspects that you need
to take into consideration. Being aware of them will help you to understand better the process of writing. From now on, next time you
write check this list so as to be capable of evaluating your own work before handing it in to your teacher.

CONTENT COMMUNICATIVE ACHIEVEMENT ORGANISATION LANGUAGE

* Am I answering everything I am being
asked in the task? Is there anything I wrote
that is irrelevant (not connected) to what I
am being asked?
* A successful writing as regards content
will have your reader fully informed on
what he/ she wishes to know.
* Is my text type the right type? For * Is my writing ordered and divided in * Did I use a variety of grammatical
example, if the task asks for an article, am I paragraphs in a logical way? structures accurately?
writing an article?
* Did I make good use of a variety of * Did I use more complex vocabulary
* Did I use the correct register for the text connectors to connect my sentences in a accurately? Or is the vocabulary I used
type that the task is asking me to write? For logical way? rather simple?
example, if the task asks me to write an
essay, I must use a formal register, with
formal connectors, formal language
structures and avoiding contracted forms.

Pro tip: Pro tip:

• The task will tell you what
information you are expected to
include. To make sure you do not
forget to mention anything, once
you finish writing about a specific
aspect, tick it in the task.
Pro tip:
• The task will tell you, explicitly,
which text type to write.
• The task will also tell you who the
intended reader is, which will help
you determine the appropriate
register.
Pro tip:
• Structure your writing in a
separate sheet of paper. Writing a
paragraph plan before hand will
help you organise your writing in a
coherent way.
• Re-read your writing.
• As regards vocabulary: can you
spot words or expressions which
sound very simple to you? (E.g.
instead of “very big”, which is a
rather simple expression, you
should write “huge”).
• As regards grammatical structures:
can you spot structures which do
not sound right? When in doubt,
check with the coursebook.
1) As you now know, register is a vital aspect of your writing, and being able to tell the difference between informal and formal language
is key. Work in pairs and decide which of these are examples of formality and informality.

You will find these in... Informal language Formal language

Passive voice
Phrasal verbs
Incomplete sentences
Indirect questions
Informal vocabulary (e.g. “great” instead of
“impressive”)
Formal vocabulary (e.g. “accommodation” instead of
“a place to stay”)
Exclamation marks
Contractions
Full verb forms