Styles of Writing

Styles of Writing refers to categories of writing.

People categorize writing based on

• the aims of discourse or modes of writing
  • e.g., Classification, Definition, Description, Exemplification, Exposition, Narration, and Persuasion) or genre of writing.)
• the writer’s use of stylistic elements,
  • e.g., Brevity, Clutter, Concision; Clarity, Simplicity; Flow, Coherence, Unity; Diction; Grammar; Mechanics.
• the writer’s use of rhetorical elements,
  • Rhetorical Stance; Persona; Point of View; Tone; Voice.

Different media, genres of writing, and rhetorical situations invoke different writing styles. Thus, writers need to reflect on their style in relation to their rhetorical situation.