Types of Composition

Types of Composition

When you write a composition, you need to understand the type of witting required. Your piece of writing can be in the form of an informal letter, a report or an article for a teenage magazine. The following article is contributed by two outstanding teachers - O. Kurysh and O. Karpenko.

LETTERS are written to a person (e.g. your pen friend, a newspaper editor, etc) or a group pf people (e.g. the local basketball ciub, the hotel administration, etc) for a specific reason (e.g. to give advice, to make a complaint, to thank for the invitation, etc).

LETTERS include:
♦ Informal letters to people you know well, written in a personal chatty style.
♦ Formal letters to managers/officials, etc, written in a polite formal style.
♦ Semi-formal letters to people you do not know well or people you know but you want to sound polite and respectful, e.g. your teacher, your pen friend's parents, etc, written in a polite and respectful style.
♦ Letters to the Editor, which present the writer's personal opinion on a specific problem or the writer's suggestions on a specific problem.ARTICLES are found in magazines and newspapers. They include descriptions of people, places, buildings, objects, festivals, ceremonies, etc.

NARRATIVES (STORIES) are about real or imaginary events, which happened in the past. They can be written in the first person (first-person narratives) when the writer is the main character of the story or in the third person (third-person narratives) when the writer is describing events which happened to another person or group of people.

REPORTS are formal pieces of writing and have a specific format and features. They include:

♦ News reports about current/recent events (e.g. accidents, natural disasters, etc) written in impersonal style. News reports present facts objectively and unemotionally.
♦ Assessment reports discussing the suitability of a person, place, plan, etc for a particular purpose, job, etc.
♦ Proposals reports discussing suggestions or decisions about future actions.
♦ Survey reports, which are based on research.

REVIEWS are formal pieces of witting discussing a film, play, TV program, book, restaurant/cafe, etc and recommending it or not to the reader.

ESSAYS are a group of compositions describing various opinions, concerning specific topics, discussing different problems and their causes. They include:

♦ Discursive Essays about arguments concerning particular subjects.
♦ "For and Against" Essays, which present the pros and cons on a specific topic.
♦ Opinion Essays, which present the writer's personal opinion on a specific topic.
♦ Providing Solutions to Problems Essays, which discuss a problem and its causes, making suggestions and mentioning the expected results and consequences.

Besides, there are some other kinds of essays, which include such titles as, cause/effect essays, descriptive essays, compare/contrast essays, critical, definition and process essays, etc.

Composition Writing

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Writing composition is adding words and making sentences by following a conventional pattern. Students must follow the right grammatical rules while expressing their ideas and opinions. In brief, it is an activity of writing, which is concerned with handwriting, basic knowledge of language and spelling. Additionally, it includes cognitive, meta-cognitive and other relevant aspects. However, writing composition is a process that allows students to write about something or express their views on something in an intelligible manner.

Steps of Composition Writing

• Put the ideas in a readable written format.
• Organize and draft the ideas in a sequence.
• Structure the entire content, punctuation, grammar check, sequence of the words in a coherent manner.
• Understand the needs of the readers.
• Include all components of composition writing.
• Final Drafting write cleanly with combining the useful ideas.
• Review the write up and finally, editing should be done.
• Motivation and the presence of clear concepts are appreciated.

The Importance of Writing Composition: 

• Writing composition improves students’ writing skill, it indirectly enhances the reading and speaking skill. Writing, speaking and reading any language is closely related to each other and hence, the improvement of any one among them impacts on the other.
• Writing Composition allows students to improve their imagination skill and thinking as well as analyzing ability. To be a successful writer, students must have good imagination skill and to brush up this skill, they should write compositions on a regular basis. To create different kinds of write ups, students need an immense imagination skill.
• Writing composition is a right way to express the thoughts and views of the individual. Through compositions, students can communicate with others and give a message to the society.

How to Write a Composition

To write a composition, students should follow some constructive steps. These steps can be followed for any kind of writing.

• Introduction: This is the most important part of any writing. An Introduction should be engaging and well-prepared so that readers can complete the entire content without taking a break. The thesis statement or thesis question should be included in the introduction and the style should draw the readers’ attention and allow them to finish quickly. However, transition sentences should be added in this part to make the readers inquisitive about the body of content.

• Body of the Content: The entire facts and views are usually elaborated and narrated in the body part. Hence, it should be catchy and to the point. A good body structure of any piece of writing represents both pros and cons. However, three main components are available in the body of any write up. First is elaboration where the information is elaborated or clarified with pertinent examples. Second is illustration, where a writer tries to make a verbal picture to give the readers a clarity of the topics. Well illustrated compositions are more understandable than abstract. Third is argumentation where a writer gives justification and finally makes inferences for the better understanding of the readers. However, some logical connectors such as thus, still, but and others should be used while moving from one sub-point to another to keep the readers engaged in reading.

• Conclusion: The wrap up sentences act as the clear conclusion of any write up. The purpose of a conclusion is to give readers a space with constructive ideas to understand the essence of the composition. However, the finishing lines should be lucid, convincing and clear in all manners.

Types of Composition Writing

There are different types of composition and each type follow some specific rules. Based on the topic, the writers chose the type of composition and develop it accordingly. However, the four types of compositions such as Narration, Exposition, Argumentation and Descriptive are mentioned here.

1. Narration: This type of composition gives the readers a thorough experience of an event. It is naturally explained and hence, it represents an impression about the entire scenario. What happened and the entire process of any event is clearly discussed for the better understanding of the readers.

2. Exposition: This type of composition explains any situation or character with a thorough analysis. Here, writers put their effort to make the situation clear to the readers. 

3. Argumentation: This type of composition impacts on the readers’ feelings and thoughts. This kind of write up allows the readers to change their mind and opinion. Here, readers get an argument that usually challenge their opinion on a certain thing. Writers try to make the readers convinced with their point of views.

4. Descriptive: This composition represents any situation in a realistic way so that readers can realize the writers’ situation under the same circumstance. This kind of composition is created in such a manner that readers see or hear the same thing what the writers did. In brief, readers get the real and unhindered experience. 

Composition Writing Tips

Composition is the writers’ creation by putting their own words and feelings together. Based on the objective, the writers choose a suitable type of composition. However, simple and understandable steps are mentioned below that make each composition effective and inducing for the readers.

Make a visual platform: Give the readers a visual platform so that they can relate to the situation thoroughly. In brief, they get involved in the write up and understand the message or thought of the writer.

Put suitable Keywords: Choosing right keywords is important for the writers to convey their opinions or thoughts to the readers. Ideally chosen words add the essence to each composition.

Frame your sentences properly: Framing sentences accurately is another obligatory task for the writers to make their composition engaging as well as organized.

Explain your ideas: Narrate or clarify the main idea in the first paragraph and then explain it with the examples.

Use active verb: In composition, the use of active verb is most appreciated. Subject-Verb agreement should be followed in the composition.

Revise your composition: Revision is essential as this process allows students to determine their weak areas in the paragraphs. Writers can make their compositions better through a detailed revision process.

Use P-O-W-E-R: Here, P for plan, O for organize, W stands for write elements, E is editing and R is revise. This process can be followed for any kind of write up. Additionally, spelling and grammar should be checked thoroughly.

Composition Writing Skills

To write a composition precisely, writers need to follow a few basic steps. They should brush up their skills, including writing skill, understanding skill, imagination skill, analyzing skill and others. They can focus on the structure and style of the composition.

Some Important grammar skills are mentioned below.

• Subject-Verb agreement: (Ex. He is ready to sit for the final exam. They are preparing for the exams.)
• Pronoun- Antecedent Agreement: (Ex. Neither Rob nor Robin enjoys his work. Students are preparing for their final                examinations.)
• Comma Usage: Comma should be used appropriately to represent the meaning of two sentences. (Ex. Though the boy is sick, he has to sit for the exam.)
• Try to avoid small grammar mistakes and read the composition loudly before submitting it to the teacher.

Composition Writing Exercises

Students start writing composition from their junior classes. Some elementary level composition writing topics are story writing, writing about different animals such as crow, cow, cat and others. On the other hand, they can write about their summer vacations or the experience of visiting any hill station, the fair, the zoo, the Birthday party, some good memories. 

Furthermore, students can write about their favorite day, favorite music, favorite place, favorite movie, favorite food and others. These topics are interesting, engaging and students feel comfortable in writing these topics by sharing their own feelings and words. Thus, they can improve their writing skill as well as imagination skill. However, they can collect online worksheets for composition writing and practice these topics at their convenient time.

Some aspects of writing different compositions are mentioned here.

• Narrating an event:  a memorable wedding, a moment of failure, your last day on job, a frustrated experience, etc.
• Describing places or things: a favorite restaurant, an art exhibition, experience of visiting your first book fair, a memorable photograph, an inspiring movie, etc.
• Explaining a process: How to enjoy your vacations, How to deal with exam stress, How to keep your mind calm, How to deal with mental anxiety, How to revise the syllabus, etc.
• Illustrations: Body piercing, the violence in video games, contemporary music, superstitions, roles of a student, etc.
• Comparison: experiencing joy, dealing with failure, handling peer pressure, losing a close friend and others.
• Classification: Hobbies, road trips, selfish people, helpful friends and others.