1.05 Mastering the Fundamentals

• Introduction
• Learn
• Try It
• Task

Introduction

"We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master."

 - Ernest Hemingway

Are you an effective writer? Review the six ways you can be an effective writer.

It is important for a writer to know the different modes a particular form of writing since each type serves a particular purpose. There are three basic modes: informative or expository, narrative, and argumentative. All three types should be written with description and specificity.

The Prompt

When you write an assignment for a particular class, the teacher usually gives you a topic or a prompt A statement that focuses on a topic or issue followed by questions to inspire a response. . The prompt helps you determine the mode of writing you are to respond.

First, make sure that you understand the prompt. What are you being asked to write?

The prompt provides the topic and the directions for your assignment.

A proficient writer recognizes the importance of communicating clearly with his or her audience. When you communicate clearly, you are responding to the prompt precisely and purposefully. You should choose one of the three specific modes of writing: informative/expository, narrative, or argumentative.

 

Lesson Objectives

Following successful completion of this lesson, students will be able to... determine the targeted audience and intended purpose in a specific piece of writing. The above objectives correspond with the Creative Writing Course Standards: 3, 23.