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Writing

Word Level Sentence Level Discourse Level

Syntax Organization
Word Choice Mechanics
Sentence Structure Paragraph Division

Vocabulary Handwriting Structural Varieties Cohesion
Tone Spelling Coherence
Collocations Punctuation
Figure 10.1
Writing Skills

These three levels are inter-related interestingly. When we communicate
through writing, our choice of word is determined by the sentence construc-
tion and by the larger discourse. In fact, discourse, the largest unit of meaning,
communicates the author’s intention to the reader and determines the
tone and the tenor of the communication. The way you would write your
science textbook, for example, is totally different from the way you would
pen a letter to the educational authorities for further grants. The discourses
are different.
In the science textbook, for example, you would use more of the passive
while you may use more of conditionals in your ‘grant’ letter. Your words
in the science textbook may be technical while your ‘grant’ letter would use
more business-oriented vocabulary. It is, thus, that the discourse defines
communicative strategies at all the levels of writing.
Let us represent the skill of writing diagrammatically.
In other words, right from the most fundamental level, that is, the word,
communicating through writing involves making choices that jell at the sen-
tential and the discourse level, so as to enable us to convey ideas clearly and
logically to our decoders.

Types of Writing
Now that we know the basic elements of writing as a communication skill,
let us look at the types of writing that we use to communicate through writ-
ing. Through its tone, writing can be sub-divided as formal and informal.
In the earlier section, we have already referred to this division. Let us define
it properly here.
Formal writing refers to communication used in official contexts, espe-
cially when you are addressing colleagues, rank-wise higher than you in the

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