Writing Process Vocabulary
Know and use the vocabulary of the writing process (compose, plan, draft, revise, edit, proofread, genre, audience, purpose, narrative, recount, instruction, paragraph, sequence, and detail) and understand that these words describe distinct steps and decisions that all writers make, not just tasks to tick off
What a learner can do afterwards
- Use 'compose', 'revise', and 'edit' correctly when describing the stages of writing
- Explain who the 'audience' is for a piece of writing and how that changes what they write
- Describe the purpose of a piece of writing (to persuade, inform, entertain, or instruct) and match their language to it
1 · Read
Writers use steps to help readers understand their words. Compose means turn ideas into words. Plan what to say. Draft an early copy. Revise by adding, moving, or cutting ideas. Edit small mistakes, like a missing word ending. Proofread for spelling and punctuation near the end. You can return to a step when you need it.
Ben writes a narrative, a story with characters and events. He drafts a paragraph, a group of sentences about one idea. He checks the sequence, or order, of events. He adds details, like the colour of a ball. Then he revises his ideas and checks small mistakes.
Your audience is who reads or hears your writing. Choose words they understand. Your purpose is why you write: entertain for fun, inform with facts, persuade to change a mind, or instruct with steps. A recount tells real events. Instructions explain how to do something. Stories, recounts, and instructions are genres, or kinds of writing.
Think about your reader and purpose as you write. They help you choose words and a genre.
Writers plan, draft, revise, edit, and proofread for their reader and purpose.
The rewritten readings were written for this dataset.
More to read
Words for working on writing
Start with a plan. Your audience is who will read your writing. Your purpose is what you want your writing to do. Pick a genre, or kind of writing, such as a letter or story.
A draft is your first try. Put your ideas on paper without making every word perfect.
Revise by adding, moving or removing ideas.
Edit little errors, such as a missing word ending. Near the end, proofread: check spelling, capitals and punctuation.
Read once more. Will your reader understand what you meant?
You can return to any part of this work.
Getting a story onto paper
Narrative means story. Its events have a sequence: an order. Many stories begin at the start and continue to the end. Others return to earlier events.
Choose something that matters to you, such as a beach visit or losing a tooth.
To brainstorm, write down little ideas. You do not need full sentences yet.
Decide which events come first, next and last.
Add small details to help readers picture what happened. You could write, 'The dog and my dad were the same height,' instead of just saying it was big.
Decide what readers might learn or feel. You may also write for fun.
Give your story time. Working on it again can help it grow.
Telling about your own experience
When you retell a real event from your life, you write a personal recount.
Read any writing instructions you were given. Find out what they ask you to do.
Choose a single event, such as starting school or going to a birthday party.
Plan its beginning, what followed and its ending.
Make a draft. Pick words that suit why you are writing, and stick to what really happened.
Describe sights and sounds to help readers imagine it.
Before sharing, reread your work. Check that the ideas fit together, then repair little mistakes.
Choosing what kind of writing to use
Genre means a kind of writing. Lists, stories, instructions and letters are different kinds.
Each form has a job. Readers recognise a letter's shape and know what to expect. Instructions put actions in order so readers know where to begin.
A narrative tells a story. It can be true or made up. Some stories tell what happened from start to end. Others jump back in time.
Pick the kind of writing that fits your purpose, or what you want to do. A recount tells what happened. Instructions show someone how to do something. A funny story can make readers laugh.
Your audience is whoever reads your work. Use words they understand. You might choose different words for a teacher and a friend.
Knowing your genre, purpose and audience helps you give your writing a clear job.
Fix Big Things First, Small Things Last
When you fix your writing, do the big jobs before the small jobs.
Big jobs are about your ideas. Do your ideas make sense? Is everything in the right order? Do you need to add a part or take one out? This big fixing is called revising.
Small jobs include spelling and punctuation. Are the words spelled right? Are the capital letters in the right places? This small fixing is called editing and proofreading.
Why do big jobs first? If you fix every small spelling mistake and then cut a whole part out, that spelling check was not needed.
So here is the order. Revise first, while you are still working on your ideas. Edit and proofread near the end, when your writing is almost done.
This order can save time. You can still go back to an earlier step when you need to.
2 · Watch
En anglaisTake it off screen
Where it sits
Learn first
Nothing; this is a starting point.
This opens up
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.