Writing non-fiction
In a nutshell
Non-fiction writing communicates facts and opinions based on the real world. Every type of non-fiction writing follows a distinct set of conventions with language, structure and tone to effectively communicate ideas in a certain way. Through this summary, you will be able to understand and use the typical conventions of different non-fiction texts.
Transactional writing
Transactional writing is non-fiction writing that communicates a particular idea to targeted individuals or groups of people. There are four things to consider when writing any transactional text:
- What - What type of text are you intending to write?
- Who - Who is your audience?
- Why - Why are you writing this text? Consider the purpose of what you are writing.
- How - How will you go about writing this type of text? Which conventions do you need to follow for that type of text?
These considerations will help you focus on a particular form, style, tone and structure of your writing.
Article writing
Articles are pieces of writing centred around a particular topic. The tone and language used in articles depend on the purpose of the article. Article writing can be used to argue, recommend or express thoughts and ideas based on this topic. So, the tone and language used need to align with the purpose. However, whether articles are for newspapers, magazines or websites, the structure of article writing is as follows:
Structure | Explanation | Example | Analysis |
An engaging opening
| Writers introduce the topic and purpose of the article.
| Rising gas prices have forced drivers to use public transport in order to commute to work. This article will analyse these alternative modes of transport and assess which form of transport is most used in the City of London.
| This introduction clearly outlines the purpose and alerts readers of what they should anticipate in the contents of the rest of the article. |
An in-depth middle section
| Through a series of paragraphs, writers will detail the contents of the topic.
| Between 2021-2022, the use of buses in London has increased by...
Alongside the increase in the use of buses, the use of trains has increased by...
| These opening lines of the following paragraphs display the detailed research, examples and statistics of the topic. |
A concluding paragraph
| This brings all of the points together to remind readers of the purpose/point of the article.
| From these statistics, it is evident that the most drastic increase use of public transport since the increase in gas prices is... | This opening line within the conclusion reminds readers of the purpose, of the research and begins to conclude the contents of the article. |
Letter writing
Letter writing is a form of printed communication and facilitates a conversation between two individuals. Here is a list of the critical structural elements of letters:
- In the top right-hand corner, the sender's address is written.
- Below that in the left-hand corner, the recipient's address is written along with the date after the last line of their address.
- The opening line conventionally starts with 'Dear Dr/Mr/Ms/Mrs/Mx/Miss [whatever their title may be]...' followed by the full name or surname of the recipient, if known. If unknown, then it begins with 'Dear Sir/Madam.'
- The first couple of sentences will outline the purpose of the letter.
- The body will detail the key points of the purpose.
- The final paragraph will summarise the main points and note any final remarks.
- The sender usually ends the letter with 'Yours sincerely,' and signs their name.
Speech writing
Speech writing requires engaging language to communicate its purpose. Much like with storytelling, speech writing needs to hold the attention of its intended audience while communicating its intended purpose. The structure is as follows:
- In the opening, the speaker directly addresses the audience and hooks the audience in with a captivating purpose.
- Using examples such as statistics and anecdotes, the main body will include 2-3 points that develop and support the main purpose of the speech.
- The speaker acknowledges counterpoints and includes ways to refute them.
- In the conclusion, the speaker realigns with the original purpose by reminding the audience of all the points from the main section.
