Introduction:
Language has four basic components-listening, speaking, reading and writing. A child first listens to conversations around him/her, and then repeats the sounds and words which have been learnt from the environment. Thus, the next step is learning to speak. Thereafter, the child begins to recognise alphabets and words and starts to read. The last skill to be mastered is that of writing. Beginning from writing alphabets, then words, moving on to sentences, paragraphs and finally producing complete written compositions on their own, the process takes many years for the individual to master.
The reason is that writing is a complex activity that requires vast vocabulary, knowledge of varied sentence structures and correct grammatical usage. Presenting content in a logical and sequential manner is another essential aspect of writing. Multiple areas of brain are used in creating text, organising words and sentences sequentially so that they make sense to the reader.
Writing is a skill that needs to be honed and developed as:
1. It is an important medium of communication, used to express ideas, opinions and exchange information.
2. It is essential to content development and composing any kind of text.
3. Official and personal records are maintained in the written form.
4. Creative Writing brings to us valuable fiction and non-fiction work in form of novels, short stories etc.
5. It is the source of earning a livelihood for many people.
6. Writing down ideas helps in bringing clarity to the thought process.
7. It is a means of saving information for later reference.
8. Writing also creates a permanent documentation, available for ready reference anytime (text books, financial statements, minutes of meetings, etc.). Knowledge creation and propagation happens largely through carefully documented research procedures and their outcomes.
9. It is the most used form of official communication.
10. More and more companies are looking for people with good communication skills.
Steps for writing:
1. Selecting a topic: The process of writing begins by selecting a topic for writing. The selection maybe made by a teacher, a manager or by the writer himself/herself. The first step is to have an idea, theme, issue or any subject matter clearly stated.
2. Brainstorming: The next step is to brainstorm. Once you know the topic you have to write on, random thoughts, ideas, information related to it, begins to crowd your mind. You may also search for content related to the topic. Note down all the points that come up.
3. Organising your content: This is the framework on which your written work stands. First make a list of the main sub points you wish to include. Thereafter, put all the subject matter that can be included in that point, under the subheading. Next decide the sequence or order of the points. Creating a diagram or outline helps you organize your ideas appropriately. Some graphic examples are as follows:
a. Ray diagram: write the main topic in the circle and related characteristics/ features at the end of the lines.
b. Sequential form: List the sequence in which you want to present the content
c. Comparison and contrast: List the similarities and dissimilarities/ advantages and disadvantages in different columns.
d. Problem and solution: State the problem/ problems and the recommendations to solve it/ them.
e. Cause and effect: State cause of situation and its various effects separately.
Diagrammatic presentations bring a great deal of clarity in organisation of content.
4. Writing: The most important step is writing. The choice of words, an interesting beginning of the article, framing of suitable sentences, division of paragraphs, inclusion of anecdotes and dialogues and use of illustrations and examples, decide whether your written content makes an impact on your readers. This is a time consuming and laborious task. You write, delete and rewrite before the final product is ready.
5. Revising: Give yourself a break before you revise your text. This gives you a fresh perspective and an enhanced ability to notice errors. At this stage you can add or delete content, reorganise matter, and improve upon certain sections of your work.
6. Editing and proof reading: Once the text is ready, it is time to proof read it for spelling, grammar, punctuation and sentence structure errors. This can be done by an expert in the field.
7. Publishing and printing: Once the final document is ready, it can be sent for printing, put on a website for readers or be used as a resource document.
Styles of writing:
Every writer has his/ her own style of writing. It is a reflection of the author’s mood, tone, perspective, personality, and objectives of writing a particular piece. However, there are four main types of writing;
1. Expository
2. persuasive/argumentative,
3. descriptive
4. narrative
Expository: Expository writing is writing that seeks to explain, illuminate or ‘expose’ (which is where the word ‘expository’ comes from). The main purpose of this type of writing is to spread information. This style of writing attempts to relay facts for a purpose. It is objective in nature. The writer’s opinions, emotions, biases, or points of view have no place in it. This type of writing includes-
• textbooks,
• research papers
• news stories
• encyclopedias
• instruction manuals
• Recipes/ any process description
• Essays
• Reports.
Sample-1
Although technological progress in the 21st century has enabled people to construct amazing buildings, it does not mean that in the past that people could raise less impressive structures. History knows many examples of incredible and unique architectural decisions: the Notre Dame cathedral, the Egyptian pyramids, the Eiffel Tower, and many others. Among them, the famous Taj Mahal should be mentioned without doubt.
The Taj Mahal was constructed (or to be more accurate, ordered to be constructed) by the Indian ruler Shah Jahan in the 17th century. It is a mausoleum named after Mumtaz Mahal, the beloved lover of Shah Jahan, from materials including lapis lazuli, jade, crystal, amethyst, and so on. The building’s central dome is slightly more than 70 meters high, and is surrounded by four minarets. According to Islamic tradition, on the walls, there are verses from the Quran written in calligraphy. Inside the mausoleum, there is a false tomb of Mumtaz Mahal (also called cenotaph), whereas the real sarcophagus with her remains lies at the garden level.
The Taj Mahal complex also includes a main gateway, a garden with pools of water, a red sandstone mosque, and an identical building called “jawab.†Shah Jahan wanted to build the second mausoleum across the river, as grandiose as the Taj Mahal, to have his own remains buried there. He also wanted the two mausoleums to be connected with bridges. But, unfortunately, these plans remained on paper.
Aurangzeb, Shah Jahan’s third son, deposed his father in 1658, and became the ruler of the country. Shah Jahan ended up under house arrest, locked up in a tower of the Red Fort at Agra. From there, he could see Taj Mahal. He rested in peace in 1666, and his body was buried next to Mumtaz Mahal.
Sample-2
Memory
The human memory remains an interesting research subject for psychologists. Typically, human beings live in the present. However, the past constitutes an integral component of life, and this makes the memory a fundamental element in daily operations.
According to Zimmerman and Kelley (2010), the recall of the past and recent events involves intricate mental processes that integrate the multiple complex domains of the brain. Our memory is not a physical object, nor a component within our body; rather, it is comprised of past events and the meaning that is attached to them. The ability to store past recollection of experiences makes up our memory.
The work done by the brain involves processing information and classifying each piece by its importance. The ability to break down information into manifold relevant and irrelevant pacts ensures that the most relevant information is stored. Consequently, the human memory is comprised of the complex process of perception and retention of events.
Schwabe and Wolf (2010) assert that without memory, one cannot learn. Memory is the internal mental record that gives people access to personal and past events. The human brain captures succinct information from the environment and stores it for future use. Encoding experiences or personal information embodies a mental process that allows for the retrieval of information from the various compartments of the brain.
Scientists suggest that the hippocampus in the brainstem is the center where information is kept. Our brain has the ability to recall bits of information and discriminate said information in which the most relevant data is retained appropriately (Wimer & Shohamy, 2012). Human memory underpins learning the process; through retention of information, learning takes place.
(Source: Essay pro com)