letter writing and essay writing difference

The Difference between an Essay and a Letter

While your grandmother would probably be happy and proud to read your latest essay, she'd more than likely prefer that you just write her a nice letter. The reason is that the audience and point of a letter are usually more personal. If you really want to impress her with how smart you are, you can also send her a letter using the formal structure.

Structure in letter-writing can be quite specific. For a traditional formal letter, an address is printed at the top of the page, a greeting or salutation to the intended recipient or group of recipients begins the writing portion, the body can be made up of single or multiple paragraphs, and a signature by the writer is expected at the end.

The structure of a traditional essay is also specific, but quite different from a letter. Essays begin with a headline, include a thesis statement, have multiple paragraphs with topic sentences that relate back to and further explain the thesis of the essay, and a concluding paragraph that sums up the body's points come at the end.

Who are You Talking To?

Essays and formal letters usually have different audiences. Letters are written with a recipient or group of recipients in mind and are not required to make sense to anyone but those recipients. For instance, if you write a letter to your grandmother asking for details on the family reunion, you probably won't have to explain the history of your family reunions. She's been to all of them, so she already knows Aunt Marge will be bringing the potato salad and that no one will want to eat it.

An essay should make a point clear to anyone who reads it. An idea must be presented in the form of a thesis statement and then must be fully explained to an intended audience that a writer assumes has no background information on the subject. That audience can be anyone, there is rarely anything too personal in the communication between a writer and an essay reader.

What's Your Point?

Like an essay, some letters are written with the intention to inform its readers. However, many letters are written with no other purpose than communication. This is why the tone of a letter is generally far less formal than an essay and rarely requires that the writer provide backup arguments or sources.

Sending a surprise letter to a family member or friend makes you a good communicator. Sending an essay to anyone who didn't ask for one just makes you look like a show-off.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, understanding the 4 writing styles: how to identify and use them.

General Education

A piece’s writing style can help you figure out what kind of writing it is, what its purpose is, and how the author’s voice is unique. With so many different types of writing, you may think it’s difficult to figure out the specific writing style of a piece or you'll need to search through a long list of writing styles.

However, there are actually just four main types of writing styles, and together they cover practically all the writing you see, from textbooks to novels, to billboards and more.  Whether you’re studying writing styles for class or trying to develop your own writing style and looking for information, we’ve got you covered.

In this guide, we explain the four styles of writing, provide examples for each one, go over the one thing you need to know to identify writing style, and give tips to help you develop your own unique style of writing.

The 4 Types of Writing

There are four main different styles of writing. We discuss each of them below, list where you’re likely to see them, and include an example so you can see for yourself what each of the writing styles looks like.

Writers who use the narrative style are telling a story with a plot and characters. It’s the most common writing style for fiction, although nonfiction can also be narrative writing as long as its focus is on characters, what they do, and what happens to them.

Common Places You’d See Narrative Writing

• Biography or autobiography
• Short stories
• Journals or diaries

“We had luncheon in the dining-room, darkened too against the heat, and drank down nervous gayety with the cold ale. ‘What’ll we do with ourselves this afternoon?’ cried Daisy, ‘and the day after that, and the next thirty years?’    ‘Don’t be morbid,’ Jordan said. ‘Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.’ ‘But it’s so hot,’ insisted Daisy, on the verge of tears, ‘and everything’s so confused. Let’s all go to town!’ - The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

You can quickly tell that this passage from the novel The Great Gatsby is an example of narrative writing because it has the two key traits: characters and a plot. The group is discussing eating and drinking while trying to decide what to do for the rest of the day.

As in this example, narrative writing often has extended dialogue scenes since the dialogue is used to move the plot along and give readers greater insight into the characters.

Writers use the expository style when they are trying to explain a concept. Expository writing is fact-based and doesn’t include the author’s opinions or background. It’s basically giving facts from the writer to the reader.

Common Places You’d See Expository Writing

• Newspaper articles
• Academic journals
• Business memos
• Manuals for electronics
• How-to books and articles

“The 1995/1996 reintroduction of gray wolves (Canis lupus) into Yellowstone National Park after a 70 year absence has allowed for studies of tri-trophic cascades involving wolves, elk (Cervus elaphus), and plant species such as aspen (Populus tremuloides), cottonwoods (Populus spp.), and willows (Salix spp.). To investigate the status of this cascade, in September of 2010 we repeated an earlier survey of aspen and measured browsing and heights of young aspen in 97 stands along four streams in the Lamar River catchment of the park’s northern winter range. We found that browsing on the five tallest young aspen in each stand decreased from 100% of all measured leaders in 1998 to means of <25% in the uplands and <20% in riparian areas by 2010. Correspondingly, aspen recruitment (i.e., growth of seedlings/sprouts above the browse level of ungulates) increased as browsing decreased over time in these same stands.” -”Trophic cascades in Yellowstone: The first 15 years after wolf reintroduction” by William J. Ripple and Robert L. Beschta

This abstract from an academic journal article is clearly expository because it only focuses on facts. The authors aren’t giving their opinion of wolves of Yellowstone, they’re not telling a story about the wolves, and the only descriptions are number of trees, streams, etc. so readers can understand the study better.

Because expository writing is focused on facts, without any unnecessary details or stories, the writing can sometimes feel dense and dry to read.

Descriptive

Descriptive writing is, as you may guess, when the author describes something. The writer could be describing a place, person, or an object, but descriptive writing will always include lots of details so the reader can get a clear and complete idea of what is being written about.

Common Places You’d See Descriptive Writing

• Fiction passages that describe something

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or eat: it was a hobbit hole and that means comfort. It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube-shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted...” - The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

This is the opening passage of the novel The Hobbit . While The Hobbit is primarily an example of narrative writing, since it explores the adventures of the hobbit and his companions, this scene is definitely descriptive. There is no plot or action going on in this passage; the point is to explain to readers exactly what the hobbit’s home looks like so they can get a clear picture of it while they read. There are lots of details, including the color of the door and exactly where the doorknob is placed.

You won’t often find long pieces of writing that are purely descriptive writing, since they’d be pretty boring to read (nothing would happen in them), instead many pieces of writing, including The Hobbit , will primarily be one of the other writing styles with some descriptive writing passages scattered throughout.

When you’re trying to persuade the reader to think a certain way or do a certain thing, you’ll use persuasive writing to try to convince them.  Your end goal could be to get the reader to purchase something you’re selling, give you a job, give an acquaintance of yours a job, or simply agree with your opinion on a topic.

Common Places You’d See Persuasive Writing

• Advertisements
• Cover letters
• Opinion articles/letters to the editor
• Letters of recommendation
• Reviews of books/movies/restaurants etc.
• Letter to a politician

“What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves, that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, ‘This was their finest hour.’ - “This was their finest hour” by Winston Churchill

In this excerpt from his famous “Their finest hour” speech, Prime Minister Winston Churchill is clearing trying to convince his audience to see his viewpoint, and he lays out the actions he thinks they should take. In this case, Churchill is speaking to the House of Commons (knowing many other British people would also hear the speech), and he’s trying to prepare the British for the coming war and convince them how important it is to fight.

He emphasizes how important the fight will be (“Upon this battle depends the survival of the Christian civilization.” and clearly spells out what he thinks his audience should do (“Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties…”).

Common Writing Styles to Know

Each of the four main types of writing styles has multiple subsets of styles within it. Here are nine of the most common and important types of writing you’ll see.

Narrative Writing

Character voice.

Character voice is a common writing style in novels. Instead of having an unknown narrator, the audience knows who is telling the story. This first-person narrator can help the reader relate more both to the narrator and the storyline since knowing who is telling a story can help the reader feel more connected to it. Sometimes the narrator is completely truthful in telling what happens, while other times they are an unreliable narrator and will mislead or outright lie to readers to make themselves look better. 

To Kill a Mockingbird (Scout is the narrator) and The Hunger Games (Katniss is the narrator) are two examples of this writing style.

Stream-of-Consciousness

This writing style attempts to emulate the thought process of the character. Instead of only writing about what the character says or does, stream-of-consciousness will include all or most of the characters thoughts, even if they jump from one topic to another randomly or include incomplete thoughts.

For example, rather than writing “I decided to take a walk to the ice cream shop,” an author using the stream-of-consciousness writing style could write, “It’s pretty hot out, and I feel like I should eat something, but I’m not really that hungry. I wonder if we have leftovers of the burgers Mom made last night? Is Mom staying late at work tonight? I can’t remember if she said. Ice cream would be a good choice, and not too filling. I can’t drive there though because my car is still in for repairs. Why is the repair shop taking so long? I should have listened when David said to check for reviews online before choosing a place. I should text David later to see how he is. He’ll think I’m mad at him if I don’t. I guess I’ll just have to walk to the shop.”

James Joyce and William Faulkner are two of the most well-known writers to have regularly used the  stream-of-consciousness writing style.

Epistolary writing uses a series of documents, such as letters, diary entries, newspaper articles, or even text messages to tell a story. They don’t have a narrator, there’s just whoever purportedly gathered the documents together. This writing style can provide different points of view because a different person can be the author of each document.

Well-known examples of epistolary writing include the novels Dracula  (written as a series of letters, newspaper articles, and diary entries) and Frankenstein (written as a series of letters).

Expository Writing

You’ll find this style in textbooks or academic journal articles. It’ll focus on teaching a topic or discussing an experiment,  be heavy on facts, and include any sources it cited to get the information. Academic writing often assumes some previous knowledge of the topic and is more focused on providing information than being entertaining, which can make it difficult to read and understand at times.

Business writing refers to the writing done in a workplace. It can include reports, memos, and press releases. Business writing typically has a formal tone and standard formatting rules. Because employees are presumably very busy at work, business writing is very concise and to the point, without any additional flourishes intended to make the writing more interesting.

You’ll see this writing style most commonly in newspaper articles. It focuses on giving the facts in a concise, clear, and easy-to-understand way. Journalists often try to balance covering all the key facts, keeping their articles brief, and making the audience interested in the story.

This writing style is used to give information to people in a specific field, such as an explanation of a new computer programming system to people who work in software, a description of how to install pipes within a house for plumbers, or a guide to new gene modifications for microbiologists.

Technical writing is highly specialized for a certain occupational field. It assumes a high level of knowledge on the topic, and it focuses on sharing large amounts of information with the reader. If you’re not in that field, technical writing can be nearly impossible to understand because of the jargon and references to topics and facts you likely don’t know.

Descriptive Writing

Poetry is one of the most challenging styles of writing to define since it can come in many forms. In general, poems use rhythmic language and careful word choice to express an idea. A poem can be an example of descriptive writing or narrative writing, depending on whether it’s describing something or telling a story. Poetry doesn’t need to rhyme, and it often won’t follow standard grammatical or structural rules. Line breaks can, and often do, occur in the middle of sentences.

Persuasive Writing

Copywriting.

Copywriting is writing that is done for advertising or marketing purposes. It’s attempting to get the reader to buy whatever the writer is trying to sell. Examples of copywriting include catalogs, billboards, ads in newspapers or magazines, and social media ads.

In an attempt to get the reader to spend their money, copywriters may use techniques such as descriptive language (“This vanilla was harvested from the lush and exotic island of Madagascar"), exciting language (Stop what you’re doing and learn about this new product that will transform your life!”) and exaggeration (“This is the best cup of coffee you will ever taste!”).

Opinion 

People write opinion pieces for the purpose of stating their beliefs on a certain topic and to try to get readers to agree with them. You can see opinion pieces in newspaper opinion sections, certain blog posts, and some social media posts. The quality of opinion writing can vary widely. Some papers or sites will only publish opinion pieces if all the facts in them can be backed up by evidence, but other opinion pieces, especially those that are self-published online, don't go through any fact-checking process and can include inaccuracies and misinformation.

What If You’re Unsure of a Work’s Writing Style?

If you’re reading a piece of writing and are unsure of its main writing style, how can you figure which style it is? The best method is to think about what the purpose or main idea of the writing is. Each of the four main writing styles has a specific purpose:

• Descriptive: to describe things
• Expository: to give facts
• Narrative: to tell a story
• Persuasive: to convince the reader of something

Here’s an example of a passage with a somewhat ambiguous writing style:

It can be tricky to determine the writing style of many poems since poetry is so varied and can fit many styles. For this poem, you might at first think it has a narrative writing style, since it begins with a narrator mentioning a walk he took after church. Character + plot = narrative writing style, right?

Before you decide, you need to read the entire passage. Once you do, it’ll become clear that there really isn’t much narrative. There’s a narrator, and he’s taking a walk to get a birch from another man, but that’s about all we have for character development and plot. We don’t know anything about the narrator or his friend’s personality, what’s going to happen next, what his motivations are, etc.

The poem doesn’t devote any space to that, instead, the majority of the lines are spent describing the scene. The narrator mentions the heat, scent of sap, the sound of frogs, what the ground is like, etc. It’s clear that, since the majority of the piece is dedicated to describing the scene, this is an example of descriptive writing.

How Can You Develop Your Own Writing Style?

A distinctive writing style is one of the hallmarks of a good writer, but how can you develop your own? Below are four tips to follow.

Read Many Different Styles of Writing

If you don’t read lots of different kinds of writing, you won’t be able to write in those styles, so before you try to get your own writing style, read different writing styles than what you’re used to.  This doesn’t mean that, if you mostly read novels, you suddenly need to shift to reading computer manuals. Instead, you can try to read novels that use unreliable narrators, stream-of-consciousness writing, etc.

The more you read, the more writing styles you’ll be exposed to, and the easier it’ll be able to combine some of those into your own writing style.

Consider Combining Multiple Types of Writing Styles

There’s no rule that you can only use one style for a piece of writing. In fact, many longer works will include multiple styles. A novel may be primarily narrative, but it can also contain highly descriptive passages as well as expository parts when the author wants the readers to understand a new concept.

However, make sure you don’t jump around too much. A paper or book that goes from dense academic text to impassioned plea for a cause to a story about your childhood and back again will confuse readers and make it difficult for them to understand the point you’re trying to make.

Find a Balance Between Comfort and Boundary-Pushing

You should write in a style that feels natural to you, since that will be what comes most easily and what feels most authentic to the reader. An academic who never ventures outside the city trying to write a book from the perspective of a weathered, unschooled cowboy may end up with writing that seems fake and forced.

A great way to change up your writing and see where it can be improved is to rewrite certain parts in a new writing style.  If you’ve been writing a novel with narrative voice, change a few scenes to stream-of-consciousness, then think about how it felt to be using that style and if you think it improved your writing or gave you any new ideas. If you’re worried that some writing you did is dull and lacking depth, add in a few passages that are purely descriptive and see if they help bring the writing to life.

You don’t always need to do this, and you don’t need to keep the new additions in what you wrote, but trying new things will help you get a better idea of what you want your own style to be like.

The best way to develop your own writing style is to expose yourself to numerous types of writing, both through reading and writing. As you come into contact with more writing styles and try them out for yourself, you’ll naturally begin to develop a writing style that you feel comfortable with.

Summary: The 4 Different Styles of Writing

There are four main writing styles, and each has a different purpose:

If you’re struggling to figure out the writing style of a piece, ask yourself what its purpose is and why the author wants you to read it.

To develop your own writing style, you should:

• Read widely
• Consider mixing styles
• Balance writing what you know and trying new things

What's Next?

Literary devices are also an important part of understanding writing styles. Learn the 24 literary devices you must know by reading our guide on literary devices.

Writing a research paper for school but not sure what to write about?   Our guide to research paper topics has over 100 topics in ten categories so you can be sure to find the perfect topic for you. 

Are you reading  The Great Gatsby for class or even just for fun?  Then you'll definitely want to check out our expert guides on the biggest themes in this classic book, from love and relationships to money and materialism .

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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How Academic Writing Differs from Other Forms of Writing

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Written by  Scribendi

Have you ever wondered how academic writing stacks up against different styles of writing? If you have, then you're in good company, as many curious minds have pondered that same distinction. Let's get to it!

Formal Language versus Informal Language

Academic writing should use formal language that minimizes the use of contractions and colloquialisms and avoids slang terminology whenever possible. Casual language should only be used for emphasis.

Further, academic writing generally does not employ first person pronouns like "I" or "we," but different styles of writing do offer varying degrees of flexibility when it comes to the use of language, with a diverse range of informal elements sanctioned among different styles of writing.  

Check out the image below to further explore the differences between textspeak, informal language, and formal language!

Structure and Form

Style guides like the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Chicago Manual of Style are quintessential resources for scholars engaging in academic writing, with different style guides used for different fields of academia. These style guides standardize how references should be presented and how a document should be formatted, considering things like the margins, headings, typeface, and a myriad of other elements; some guides even prescribe the kind of language to be used for various circumstances encountered most frequently within the field.

All forms of academic writing will employ a structure that should allow the information presented to flow logically from one section to the next, regardless of the segments or formatting details used according to different styles of writing. For example, a scientific research article will typically include sections for the abstract, introduction, methods, analysis, results, and conclusions, whereas a paper written for the humanities will use a drastically different framework that can vary between artistic disciplines.

Different styles of writing contain various essential structural elements. This means that some styles, such as creative writing, grant significantly more freedom to the author than other styles, such as the style used for writing engineering documents.

The tone used to communicate ideas will significantly affect how readers interpret those ideas. It's vital that different styles of writing adopt different tones appropriate for the respective target audiences.

It's especially crucial within academic writing to eliminate all personal biases, both explicit and implicit. Academic writing must display objectivity. It's often best that academic writing avoids rhetorical tactics, like sweeping generalizations and emotional arguments, as this will ensure the highest degree of objectivity expected from academic writing.

At its core, academic writing should be clear, succinct, and objective; the exact criteria for these qualities differ among different styles of writing, but without these elements, the credibility of academic writing is often shaky.

The tone, language, and formality of academic writing will all depend on the target audience . As such, the target audience is a crucial consideration for effective academic writing.

In an academic setting, your audience could comprise researchers, professors, and/or experts in the field, but a casual piece might target your family and friends. The way we speak to figures of authority is very different from how we speak to siblings or friends, and communicating with these different groups when writing is no different; the word choices used in academic writing should suit the audience just as much as a person's vocabulary and gestures might shift for face-to-face communication according to these different groups.

For example, when the public is the intended audience for a piece of academic writing, it's probably a good idea to use simple language to explain any tricky terms used in the document. You might even consider substituting the academic jargon for another phrase more easily understood by the masses. This is true for all different styles of writing. The audience needs to understand what has been written!

If you're uncertain whether a particular term might be appropriate for your audience, try consulting a friend who is unfamiliar with the topic. This should clearly indicate how easy it might be for the average person to understand the concept.

The following piece of advice applies to all different styles of writing: leave time to edit! Regardless of the document, your work should be entirely free from errors. Proofreading for things like grammatical mistakes and punctuation errors and editing for elements such as the word choices and sentence structures will ensure that the writing is cohesive and clear. Further revision will ensure that unsightly grammatical errors and embarrassing typos never appear before the unforgiving public eye.

Have a peek at the image below to review the key aspects of academic writing (you can even download the image for reference). Once these elements have been nailed, you will have officially become a master of academic writing.

Image source: AboutImages/elements.envato.com

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The Correspondence Project: A Lesson of Letters

• Resources & Preparation
• Instructional Plan
• Related Resources

Students practice writing effective letters for a variety of real-life situations, such as responding to a prompt on a standardized test, corresponding with distant family members, or communicating with a business. They begin by reviewing the differences between business and friendly letter formats, using examples and a Venn diagram. Next, students write two letters, choosing from a list of prompts that include letters for varying audiences and purposes. After completing drafts and revisions, students complete their final versions using an online tool.

Featured Resources

Letter Generator : This online tool allows students to read about the parts of a letter. They can then write and print their own friendly or business letter. Interactive Venn Diagram : Use this online tool to organize ideas for a compare and contrast essay, or while reading to compare and contrast two works of literature.

From Theory to Practice

In Both Art and Craft: Teaching Ideas That Spark Learning , Diana Mitchell explains that teaching is "about gently uncovering ways for students to find their way into the learning by making connections within themselves" (23). Students are more likely to "find their way into learning" when assignments have clear application to real-world tasks. As Mitchell explains it, these types of assignments, "have a ‘nowness' about them; there is a reason for an importance to doing them at this point in time" (24). In addition, personal connections are made more easily when students have a degree of choice within a writing assignment. Mitchell triumphs assignments that "are fun and interesting," as well as those that "provide lots of possibilities and tap into . . . imagination" (24). In that spirit, this lesson in letter writing provides a functional application for writing and, at the same time, encourages students to make personal connections through a variety of letter topics. Further Reading

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

• 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
• 4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
• 5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
• 6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
• 8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
• 11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
• 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

Materials and Technology

Computers with Internet access for student use

• Contemplating Correspondence
• Contemplating Correspondence Key
• Correspondence Project Prompts
• Business and Friendly Letter Samples
• Rubric for Correspondence Project
• Venn Diagram

Preparation

• Review the Correspondence Project Prompts and determine the requirements for the class. Decide on the number of letters students will write as well as any letters that you will require. You may wish to choose specific prompts to ensure that students write at least one letter using business format and one using friendly format. You can also require 2 letters and allow students to choose additional letters freely.
• Venn Diagram handout (if computer access is not available)
• Make one copy of the Contemplating Correspondence Key for yourself.
• Make overhead transparencies of the Business and Friendly Letter Samples and the Venn Diagram handout (needed only if computer access is not available).
• Test the interactive  Venn Diagram and Letter Generator on your computers to familiarize yourself with the tools and ensure that you have the Flash plug-in installed. You can download the plug-in from the technical support page .

Student Objectives

Students will

• review examples of business and friendly letters.
• compare business and friendly letter formats.
• write letters in response to specific writing prompts.
• apply knowledge of language structure and conventions.
• adjust their use of writing conventions, style, and vocabulary for a variety of audiences and purposes.

Session One

• Distribute copies of the Contemplating Correspondence sheet.
• Explain that most questions have more than one “correct” answers. Suggest that students leave any questions that they are unsure about blank and return to them after the class discussion of the sheets.
• Allow students a few minutes to respond.
• Review the students' responses to the Contemplating Correspondence sheet, using the questions as a springboard for a brief class discussion about writing letters. Refer to the Contemplating Correspondence Key to ensure students recognize the most basic details.
• Tell students that they will be completing a letter writing project. Before writing the letters, however, they will review standard business and friendly letter formats.
• Discuss the difference between the friendly letter format and a friendly tone. Explain that people can use the friendly letter format for letters that have a more formal tone (e.g., a condolence letter to someone the author does not know well).
• Share the Friendly Letter Sample by distributing copies to students, and displaying the sample using an overhead transparency.
• Have students take turns reading the body of the letter aloud.
• Identify the main parts of a friendly letter (heading, greeting, body, closing, and signature) by allowing student volunteers to take turns using a non-permanent transparency marker to label each of the five main parts. Ask students to label their handouts in the same manner.
• Use Writing the Basic Business Letter from the Purdue OWL to supplement the discussion of the parts of letters.

Session Two

• Review the information covered in Session One by asking students what they remember about friendly letter format.
• Tell students that during this session, they will be reviewing business letter format.
• Ask students if business letter format is for use only by businesses. Use student responses as a springboard for discussion on the various uses for business letters (e.g., applying for employment, expressing a consumer complaint to company).
• Share the Business Letter Sample by distributing copies to students and displaying the sample by using an overhead transparency.
• Identify the main parts of a business letter (heading, inside address, greeting, body, closing, and signature) by allowing student volunteers to take turns using a non-permanent transparency marker to label each of the six main parts. Instruct students to label their handouts in the same manner.
• Again, you can use Writing the Basic Business Letter from the Purdue OWL to supplement the discussion of the parts of letters.
• Discuss the differences between the full-block and modified-block formats. Point to the additional sample letters from the Purdue OWL or Sample Complaint Letter to discuss the formats.
• Have students compare friendly and business letter formats using the interactive Venn Diagram . Teachers also may wish to have students complete a separate Venn Diagram to compare and contrast full-block and modified-block formats. If computer access is not available, distribute copies of the Venn Diagram handout to students and display the diagram using an overhead transparency. Allow students to complete the diagram together by allowing student volunteers to take turns using a non-permanent transparency maker to identify common and dissimilar traits between the two letter formats. Students should follow along by filling in their own diagrams on their handouts.
• Distribute the Correspondence Project Prompts and the Rubric for Correspondence Project to students. Explain the requirements you have chosen for the project, giving students details on the number of letters they should write and any required prompts they must respond to.
• Review the Rubric for Correspondence Project and ensure that students understand the expectations for the project.
• In the remaining time, have students begin the process of choosing letters to write and drafting their correspondence. Explain that students will continue this work during the next class session.

Session Three

• Review the Correspondence Project Prompts and the Rubric for Correspondence Project . Answer any questions regarding the project.
• Tell students that the goal for this session is to complete drafts of at least two letters.
• Make newspapers, scissors, and tape available to students for use with the first prompt (a job application letter).
• Circulate among students as they work, and assist as needed.
• Students who require extra time to complete their drafts should do so as homework.

Session Four

• Check for completion of at least two letters.
• Review the Correspondence Project Prompts and the Rubric for Correspondence Project .
• Tell students that the goal for this session is to complete drafts for the remaining letters.
• Students who require extra time to complete their letters should do so as homework.
• Ask students to bring all completed drafts with them to the next class session.

Session Five

• Review the Rubric for Correspondence Project .
• Introduce students to the interactive Letter Generator , and explain that they will be revising their drafts and using this tool to create final versions of their work.
• Allow students time to revise their drafts. Revision options are endless and open to teacher preference. Students may proofread and revise independently, through “pair and share” edit sessions with classmates, or by basing revisions on teacher remarks and comments if the teacher wishes to collect the drafts prior to Session Five and return them with comments at the beginning of the session.
• Students should complete their draft revisions and create final versions using the interactive Letter Generator .
• If needed, add a sixth session to the lesson to allow students time to complete their letters using the interactive Letter Generator .
• Communicating on Local Issues: Exploring Audience in Persuasive Letter Writing
• Draft Letters: Improving Student Writing through Critical Thinking
• E-pals Around the World
• Exploring Literature through Letter-Writing Groups
• Persuading an Audience: Writing Effective Letters to the Editor
• Worth Its Weight: Letter Writing with “The Things They Carried”
• Consider introducing pen pals or “key pals” into your classroom community. Many programs are available online and can easily be located through most of the popular search engines using the keyword search “school pen pals.”
• Depending on the grade and skill level of students, a mini-lesson on properly addressing an envelope and folding a letter might be a worthwhile addition to this project.
• Use the online interactive Postcard Creator as a lesson extension or letter alternative. Many of the friendly letter prompts would adapt easily to a postcard format.
• The EDSITEment lesson I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Someone a Letter offers a collection of historically significant letters and can provide a useful extension to this lesson.

Student Assessment / Reflections

• Assess students’ understanding of the purposes and formats of business and friendly letters through observation and anecdotal notes of student participation during classroom discussions.
• Assess students’ use of interactive tools through observation and anecdotal notes of student work while using the interactive tools.
• Check for proper completion of the interactive Venn Diagram contrasting letter formats.
• Use the Rubric for Correspondence Project to assess the letters students have written.
• Student Interactives
• Calendar Activities

The Letter Generator is a useful tool for students to learn the parts of a business or friendly letter and then compose and print letters for both styles of correspondence.

The Postcard Creator helps students learn to identify all the typical parts of a postcard, and then generate their own postcard messages by typing information into letter templates. After printing their texts, students can illustrate the front of their postcards in a variety of ways, including drawing, collage, and stickers.

This interactive tool allows students to create Venn diagrams that contain two or three overlapping circles, enabling them to organize their information logically.

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The difference between academic and professional writing: a helpful guide

Whether you’re a current or prospective student at Penn LPS Online, you’ve likely written your fair share of academic papers and business emails. But you’re not alone if you still have questions about the differences and similarities between academic and professional writing. This overview contains a summary of everything you need to know about the intricacies of these critical forms of writing.

What is the difference between academic and professional writing?

One of the key differences between academic writing and business writing is the goal of each endeavor. Because the readers are often students, professors, or scholars in academic writing, the goal is to present and analyze information on a specific subject and increase understanding. With professional writing, the goal is generally to communicate information or influence the opinions of managers, coworkers, clients, or job prospects. While academic writing is strictly formal, it’s common to use the first-person point of view in many standard business communications. Lastly, academic writing requires adherence to strict formatting and source requirements, but there is generally more flexibility in this area when it comes to professional documents.

Read on to dive deeper into the ins and outs of academic and professional writing.

Academic writing

The hallmarks of academic writing include the use of the third-person point of view, a logical flow, an emphasis on facts and ideas, and an authoritative, formal tone. This writing style is objective, avoids casual language and slang, offers insightful analysis, and includes citations for research backed by reliable sources such as scientific studies or journal articles. While students and professors routinely use academic writing, scientists also use it to describe their research findings, as do literary critics. There are four distinct types of this formal writing style: descriptive, analytical, persuasive, and critical.

Descriptive writing

Descriptive writing is one of the most simple and ubiquitous types of scholarly writing. You can see examples of this writing style in essays, research papers, or lab reports for several fields of study. The primary goal of descriptive writing is to use precise language to summarize and describe information, such as the result of an experiment or a section of prose.

Analytical writing

An example of analytical writing is an academic paper that compares two or more complex ideas or theories. Although a part of analytical writing is descriptive, it requires going a step further to reorganize and deconstruct facts into categories, groups, types, or relationships that provide context. As such, to author a successful analytical essay, you need to start with a strong outline.

Persuasive writing

Persuasive writing takes analytical writing to the next level. Not only must you structure a coherent, fact-based argument, but you must also include your own point of view. This could be a recommendation, interpretation of findings, or an evaluation of someone else’s work, but the claims you make need to be credible and backed by evidence.

Critical writing

This formal style is commonly used in research, advanced undergraduate, or postgraduate writing. It includes the tenets of persuasive writing with the supplement of at least one other point of view (in addition to your own) on a topic or issue. For example, if you’re writing a thesis, you may explain a researcher’s analysis from a journal article, critique the merits of their argument, and provide your own alternative explanation.

Professional writing

Professional writing refers to any written communication that takes place in an organizational context. A primary objective of professional or business writing is to effectively educate, instruct, or persuade an audience via emails, newsletters, memos, press releases, project proposals, business plans, executive summaries, letters, and resumés. As is the case with all writing styles, proper grammar usage—including syntax, spelling, and parts of speech—is essential in professional writing, as are the three points below.

Clarity and concision

One of the main requirements for successful professional writing is to use clear, precise language so that your message is easily understood. It’s also important to avoid clichés and hyperbole and stick to simple, concise statements that efficiently share concrete information. Not only will this save you time, but it will also benefit the reader’s comprehension and enjoyment.

Active and purposeful

Whether you’re creating a quick email or preparing an in-depth report, every piece of business writing should start with a well-defined objective or purpose. To keep your communication to the point, you should use an active voice, choose strong action verbs, and avoid qualifiers or passive phrases such as “I think.”

Personal tone

Although professional writing should have a courteous tone, the level of formality does not need to be equal to that used in an academic setting. Documents such as business plans should have a formal structure, but with emails or online chats with colleagues, a friendly, polite tone and positive phrasing can go a long way.

The overlap between academic and professional writing

Although there are distinct differences, there are also many similarities between academic and professional writing. Both writing styles require that you use proper grammar and punctuation, clear and precise language, and a serious tone, along with well-developed ideas with clear objectives. Whether you’re writing for business or academic purposes, it’s also important to avoid exaggeration, emotionally charged expressions, and jargon, as they dilute the effectiveness of your communication. In everything from research papers and essays to memos and fundraising letters, it’s essential to ensure that the information you convey is both accurate and relevant. And you should always have a clearly defined goal for academic or business writing, such as to describe, inform, analyze, or persuade.

If you’re somewhat of a writing novice and looking to improve your skills, then consider PROW 1030: Introduction to Academic Reading, Writing, and Research and PROW 1000: Fundamentals of Professional Writing at Penn LPS Online. The former is designed to expand your abilities and build your confidence as you learn how to plan and execute a well-structured argument, write with logical coherence, and polish your work to ensure readability. The latter provides an introduction to critically analyzing any writing situation and creating purposeful messaging to address it. With targeted exercises to improve grammar, mechanics, and precision, you’ll work to enhance the quality and effectiveness of your writing practice.

If you want to expand and refine your existing repertoire, look to PROW 3030: Advanced Academic Writing and PROW 3010: The Power of Storytelling . The former focuses on improving your ability to translate readings, research, and findings into meaningful academic content. This includes employing time management and reading strategies and enhancing your understanding of the nuances of academic genres and writing styles. The latter explores storytelling as a means of conveying complex and memorable information. Learn how to use narrative studies as a research tool for gathering data and a rhetorical strategy for generating emotional appeal, action, and brand identity.

Explore the professional writing certificate at Penn LPS Online

The 4-course Certificate in Professional Writing at Penn LPS Online offers practical applications that provide an accelerated understanding of the art of effective business communication—and tips to help you become a master of grammar, concision, and clarity. As mentioned above, whether you’re looking to learn the fundamentals or you’re already a seasoned writer, these Ivy League writing courses will help you take your skills to the next level. Discover innovative findings in the field, receive extensive coaching and feedback, and learn how to incorporate your personal or corporate brand story into every piece of communication.

The Certificate in Professional Writing prepares you to:

• Analyze different audiences, scenarios, and contexts to better shape your messaging
• Develop effective rhetorical strategies and skills to persuade personal, professional, and social audiences
• Learn how use complex multimedia texts that incorporate language, image, and sound to produce a coherent, engaging message
• Grow your empathic and analytical skills to integrate and build upon other viewpoints
• Explore how to engage the senses to successfully convey information through social media
• Understand how to use effective visualization to make complex material more accessible 

Ready to get started? If you have yet to do so, apply to Penn LPS Online today and enroll in the Certificate in Professional Writing . Or  view our course guide to see what’s available in any upcoming term.

How to Write a Letter or an Essay in English | Useful Tips

How to write a letter or how to write an essay in English? Useful tips for writing letters, essays in English.

Table of Contents

How to Write a Letter

How to write a cover letter.

How to Write Informal Letters

How to end a letter in english.

Useful Words and Phrases for Writing Formal Letters

Writing a letter or an email.

How to Write a Great Essay Quickly

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IELTS Preparation with Liz: Free IELTS Tips and Lessons, 2024

• Test Information FAQ
• Band Scores
• IELTS Candidate Success Tips
• Computer IELTS: Pros & Cons
• How to Prepare
• Useful Links & Resources
• Recommended Books
• Writing Task 1
• Writing Task 2
• Speaking Part 1 Topics
• Speaking Part 2 Topics
• Speaking Part 3 Topics
• 100 Essay Questions
• On The Day Tips
• Top Results
• Advanced IELTS

IELTS General Training & Academic Writing Differences Explained

Learn about IELTS GT (General Training) exam content and writing tasks. Learn how the IELTS GT writing is different from the academic writing test.  Useful links are provided for GT students below.

Understanding GT IELTS

• The GT listening test is the same as the academic test. Everyone takes the same listening test with the same scoring. You can use my free listening lessons and tips for your preparation. Click here: Free Listening Tips & Lessons
• The GT speaking test is the same for everyone. There is one speaking test only with the same scoring. You can use my free speaking lessons and tips for your preparation. Click here: Speaking Tips & Model Answers
• The GT reading test is slightly different. The question types are 100% the same as the academic test, but the passages have a different content and layout. You can use my free reading lessons and tips for your preparation, but make sure you do full authentic GT reading tests at home. See this page for more GT reading information:  GT Reading Tips.  Click here to use my Free Reading Lessons for All Candidates
• To understand GT writing (both task 1 and task 2), see all the tips and information listed below.

This page will explain both writing task 1 differences and writing task 2 differences.

IELTS GT Differences for Writing Task 1

General training students will need to write a letter for writing task 1 but academic students will need to write a report.

• GT Writing Task 1 = Letters: Formal, informal and semi-formal
• Academic Writing Task 1 = Report: table, pie chart, bar chart, line graph etc.

This means writing task 1 is completely different for GT candidates. GT candidates do NOT get charts, they are given letters only. See the information below:

General Training Writing Task 1 Letter

Use the following 10 tips and links to ensure you understand GT letters properly

• Candidates are required to write a letter which can be formal, semi-formal or informal.
• A list of points is given for the letter as well as the aim. It is your task to make sure your letter covers all points with a clear aim.
• Pay attention to opening lines, closing statements, paragraphs etc.
• You also need to pay attention to style and tone depending on whether the letter is formal or informal.
• Get to know the scoring for task 1 – see below. Remember, task 1 is worth only 33% of your writing marks.
• You must write over 150 words. But it is recommend not to write over 200 words.
• It is recommended to take no more than 20 minutes for this task. It is up to you to manage the one hour given for the whole writing test.
• GT students are NOT asked to write a report on a chart or graph.
• Sample Practice Letters for GT Students
• MUST READ:   Essential Tips for IELTS GT Letters

Academic Task 1 Report

• Students must analyse a chart, graph, table, map or diagram.
• Students must highlight key features and present data or information.
• Students must write over 150 words.
• It is recommended to take no more than 20 minutes for this.
• IELTS Sample Academic Charts

IELTS Writing Task 1 Scoring

There are four marking criteria for IELTS writing task 1.

Only one criterion is different for GT students.

• Task Achievement General Training : This refers to using the appropriate tone and also purpose. It also relates to the word count.
• Task Achievement Academic : This is about presenting key features, having an overview and accurate information. This also relates to the word count.
• Coherence and Cohesion : This is the same for both GT and Academic. It is based on organisation of information, paragraphing and linking devices.
• Lexical Resource (Vocabulary): This is marked using the same band scores for both GT and Academic. This is about using appropriate language, using collocations and the number of errors made.
• Grammar : This is also marked using the same band scores for both GT and Academic. This is about using a range of grammar structures and tenses, punctuation and the number of errors made.

Each criterion is 25% of your total marks for writing task 1. The scoring is the same as the Academic Writing Task 1 test and used the same Band Score Descriptors, which you can find on IELTS.org. However, there is slight differences in aims with Task Achievement and that is shows in the descriptors.

IELTS GT Differences for Writing Task 2

There are only minimal differences between IELTS general training writing task 2 and the academic task 2. GT candidates can use all my free writing task 2 lessons to prepare. Click here: Free Writing Task 2 Tips & Model Essays. You can also benefit from my advanced lessons and e-books which you can find in my online store: Liz’s Store

Below is a list of the minor differences and similarities between the essays.

1. Essay Question Difficulty

One difference is that the essay question for the General Training writing task 2 is often easier. It is written in a way that makes the issues clearly and easier to understand. Here’s a sample of a GT essay question and an academic essay question.

GT Essay Question Sample

Some students travel abroad for one year before starting university. What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing this?

Academic Essay Question Sample

Some people think that space exploration is a waste of money and the funds should be relocated to other more needed areas. To what extent do you agree?

* Please note that it is still possible to get the education essay question in the academic test.

2. Topics for Essays

Another slight difference is that the topic giving for the IELTS general training essay question is a more common topic, such as family, society, TV, schools, communication etc. However, in the academic test, there is a wider range including space exploration. Even so, it is best for GT candidates to prepare all topics because the topic of space exploration could come in the speaking test.

3. Essay types for General Training

The types of essays are the same for both general training and academic IELTS papers. You could get an opinion essay, a discussion essay, an advantage disadvantage essay, a solution essay or a direct question essay. At the bottom of the 100 IELTS essay questions page , you will find some practice essays for each type. And on the writing task 2 page , you will find model essays for each type. All this is suitable for both GT and academic students.

4. Marking & Scoring

The marking criteria and band scores are the same for both GT and academic students in writing 2. Here is a link to learn about the band scores for writing task 2 from band 5 to 8 . There is only one scoring for GT Writing Task 2 and Academic Writing Task 2 with no differences at all.

5. IELTS GT Essay Writing Techniques

Another similarity is the technique for essay writing. It is the same for both GT and academic essays. Students for both the GT test and academic test will study from the same methods, tips and advice for IELTS essay writing.

This means all writing task 2 lessons on this blog are suitable for both GT and academic IELTS students. See here: I ELTS Writing Task 2 Tips, Model Essays and Free Video Lessons

6. Essay Length and Timing

The length of the GT essay is over 250 words which is the same as the academic essay. Likewise, 40 minutes is the recommended length of time for both types of essays.

Using the Official Writing Answer Sheet

Students taking the general training or academic writing test, must select the right box to tick on the official writing answer sheet in the test. Please watch this lesson about filling in the official IELTS writing answer sheet. It explains about selecting the right box for either general training or academic writing.

Recommended IELTS Tips

IELTS GT Writing Task 1 Letter: Essential Tips

IELTS Writing Task 2 Lessons, Tips & Model Essays

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Hi Liz, I hope so hard that you feel better and start making videos again. I couldn’t understand better than your videos. Your videos are old, and I want to know if I write my exam this year:2023, it remain valid? I tried watching other channels, but this is where I get what is needed to become better. But I am not sure if the exam pattern still is the same for computer-based exams, and I can use your videos in 2023 as well. Lots of best wishes to you, and thank you so very much.

If my videos weren’t valid, I won’t allow them to be up. If you check this page, you’ll see any updates to the test as well as useful tips and information: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-help-faq/

Hi Liz, Thanks for your lesions, ideas and videos. Those are very helpful. First of all when I decided to write IELTS exam my mind was blank. I couldn’t figure out from where to start. Then I found you from the internet. I recently bought one of your E-Book. That looks helpful. All your tips, Videos, lesions are helpful. I am going to write my exam very soon. Thanks for being so much concerned about this field and helping candidates who are writing this exams.

I’m glad my materials have been helpful. Good luck in your test 🙂

I wanted to convey thanks from the bottom of my heart for this blog. I have decent fluency in English and used only your site to learn about IELTS, no practice tests, no other source as I had limited time and still managed to score band 8.5. This would not have been possible without this site. God bless you and wish you good health. World is a better place because of people like you.

My sincerest gratitude, Pragati.

That’s a brilliant score!! Very well done to you 🙂 Thanks for sharing your result with me and with everyone else as well 🙂

Congratulations and I pray this is my testimony too. I just stumbled on this blog and I got all the useful tips I needed. I really wished I saw your blog earlier. Thanks for all you do ma’am

Hello Liz, Thank you for providing in-depth understanding on all the topics. You are amazing and your material is really helpful. I scored Band 8 (LRWS – 8.5, 8.5, 7.5 7.5), in my first attempt and the credit goes to you. Sincerely Shubhangi

Excellent news! Very well done 🙂

Hello Liz, Hope you are doing well, I want to know which is preferred in essay writing in academic( formal or informal), please let me know Thank you so much your time. Shubham

Writing Task 2 for both GT and Academic is formal in style.

Recently cleared my IELTS GT exam. Scored 8.5 in all sections except Writing in which I scored 7. So I’m a little confused about the outcome. I even double-checked my answers. Only thing that comes to mind is that I might have overshot my word count. But does that lead to points deduction? And accordingly, should I get my scores rechecked? Please advise.

When you say you wrote a lot, it really depends how much. If your writing task 2 essay reached about 350 words, that is really too much. Mainly because it means your essay will most likely be less focused and sentences less relevant. IELTS essays are aimed to be between 170-190 words (more or less) which makes each sentence 100% essential to the essay with no extra padding. If you have written a well focused essay, with clear signposting, good linking, relevant ideas which are well connected to the task and you aimed for accuracy in your language rather than to impress, then it is worth considering a remark. Lots of luck with whatever you decide. Let me know how it goes if you do choose a remark.

Hello Liz, I follow your website for a good time now and thank you for all the resources you put up for free, it’s really interesting and useful. I am preparing for ielts general training and I read above that almost all sections are same except the writing task 1 where you have to write a letter in GT and a report in GA and the writing tast 2 the question essay is easier than the one in GA. My question is should I give my opinion in the essay for GT.

The GT essay writing techniques are 100% the same as for Academic writing task 2. All my lessons for task 2 are for everyone. Go to this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/ and you’ll find all my free tips and lessons – there’s a link which will explain about when to give your opinion.

I am from New Zealand and here I am on visitor visa , I am thinking to give GT ielts test.

I just wanted to ask I am neither working or nor studying so when a examiner ask me a question are you working or studying then what should I reply.

As with all speaking questions, just be honest and answer directly: I don’t work or study at the moment. I’m here on a visitor visa.” There are no trick questions.

Dear Liz, Your info on ielts is helping me alot. I have a query in my mind i wish to ask you. can we write bullet points on question paper during listening module ? is it allowed to write points to remember on question paper ?

You can write all over the question paper in any way you wish. No one will see it. The question paper is destroyed after the test has finished.

I am planning on taking GT of IELTS and I am in USA. I would like to know if I have an option for Computer based test?

Each test center is different and offers different options. Just contact a number of test centers and ask if they do CD IELTS (computer delivered).

Recently I got stuck with a question, I am not able to understand what the statement is talking about.

Question: As well as making money, many people believe that businesses also have responsibilities to society. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

I m not able to understand this question, as well as what to do if I don’t understand questions properly?

Do you think its an academic or general type question?

Thanks Tony

This is a common question in IELTS writing and you can find ideas for that topic in my e-book “Ideas for IELTS Essay Topics”. Part of your preparation is to prepare ideas for topics. If you don’t understand the topic in the writing test, you will get low marks for your ideas (Task Response = 25% of your marks. This is typically from the Academic test, but similar topics can come in the GT test. You can see my e-book and Advanced Writing Task 2 lessons here: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

I purchased your tutorials for writing part 2. Now I’m much clear about the approach to be followed. Is there any other courses where you give feedback to students writings?

Sorry I don’t offer that service at the moment. Glad the advanced lessons were useful 🙂

Hi Elizabeth, I want to ask you about computer-based writing task. 1. I heard that the software they’re using for writing task underlines the misspelled words and grammatically incorrect sentences. Is this correct? 2. Does cutting affect our score if we’re attempting it on paper? 3. If someone prepared reading and listening on paper and writing on computer, what should they do? Thank you in anticipation.

1. There is NO language advantage to taking the test on a computer. The computer is not set up to help you with spelling or grammar. 2. Deleting words is fine – just make sure new words are easy to read. 3. The computer based test means you take listening, reading and writing on the computer.

Hi Liz, Based on this topic essay: Prevention is better than cure. Researching and treating diseases is too costly so it would be better to take preventive measures. to what extent do you agree?

Can my introduction and thesis be the following? – Although some people think investing in research and development to find a permanent cure for diseases is the right path to pursue, many prioritize and believe that prevention is better than cure. In my opinion, I disagree and strongly align to treating diseases that is far more superior than taking preventive measures. This essay will explain the reasons by taking an example of tobacco.

Can I write this: This essay will explain the reasons by taking an example of tobacco – is this the correct way of framing?

Does the intro + thesis make sense?

Thanks for your help G

Just a couple of points – 1. Don’t be so wordy. Control the length of your sentences and don’t use unnecessary words: “many prioritize and believe that prevention is better than cure.” = “many prioritize prevention.” 2. Don’t try to use impressive vocab in your thesis statement – get the meaning clear instead: “In my opinion, I disagree and strongly align to treating diseases that is far more superior than taking preventive measures. ” = “However, I disagree and believe that funding treatment is much more important than focusing on prevention.” 3. Keep on topic – this is about funding – it is about where money goes and how it is used. 4. Examples are not for the whole essay – this essay question is not about tobacco – don’t change the essay question. An example is a small point inside a body paragraph 5. You do not need “This essay will explain the reasons…” – that sentence is not actually required in IELTS I hope these tips help.

Hello liz, Thank you very much for all your tips. i am worried about GT task 2 . please can you help clarify my doubts about this? based on my teachers advice, if a question is asked about to what extend do you agree or disagree ? there are two ways to tackle this, first either you choose i totally agree or disagree (hence it becomes a one sided) and give only reasons for such, or you take words like i somewhat agree or disagree making it two sided .here you have to explain why you agree and what you disagree or agree about. but am confuse please can you help clarify me if this the right approach to such essay type?

Those approaches are all possible. You can agree. You can disagree. You can partially agree which means you present a specific view point which agrees in some part but disagrees in others – this means your view is specifically quantified and explained.

Hello madam! Is it true if general and academic exam on same day it makes academic exam easy ??

It makes no difference at all.

Thank you so much madam

Hello liz, I find your website very useful. Can you please let me know how sentence structure affects the band score. I got 7 in writing task and I need point five more. Although I write complex sentences in my essays, someone told me that the structure I use is quite simple and should be more complex. Can you suggest something

Grammar counts for only 25% of your marks. All mistakes will lower your score. Band 5 = frequent errors, Band 6 = some errors Band 7 = few errors. So, your aim is not just to create complex sentences, it is to avoid errors. If you make more errors using complex sentences, you should avoid using them. Aim for accuracy at all times.

Hi Liz, thanks for being a source of help as far as IELTS is concerned. I am not doing well in the writing task. Each time I try to attempt a question, I get stucked on the way. I do not really know how to put the words together even when I have ideas of what is requested of me in the question.

Your English is fine. This means the problem could be: 1. you are not familiar with the essay layout and content. 2. you need to develop more details with your ideas for topics 3. you need to approach this more naturally and just write your ideas clearly avoiding informal language. See my FREE Lessons – writing task 2 page.

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Soft Skills

11 minute read

Business Writing vs. Academic Writing: What’s the Difference?

Kat Boogaard

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Regardless of particular style or format, written information has the same goal: to present information to an audience in a clear way. 

So, that must mean good writing is good writing, right?

Not exactly. When you compare business writing to academic writing, for example, there are actually some significant differences that you should be aware of.

Familiarizing yourself with what separates these two distinct writing styles will help you write in a way that’s the most effective for your intended purpose and audience. 

Think about it this way: You wouldn’t give a technical manual to a child and call it a children’s book. The same holds true for business and academic writing—there are key differences in style and structure.

So, what exactly makes business writing different from academic writing? Well, roll up your sleeves, because we’re diving into some of those key differentiators below. 

What is business writing?

There’s a lot of writing that happens in the business world. But, if you think this means you need to be a skilled author capable of stringing together eloquent prose and flowery language, think again.

As this fact sheet from the University of Oregon explains, business writing is transactional. It describes what actions need to be taken to solve problems, achieve company goals, and so on.

From reports to emails to press releases, business writing comes in many shapes and sizes. The recipients of business writing also run the gamut—from board members to colleagues to customers to shareholders.

Because of that, there are tons of smaller details that separate business writing from academic writing. But, the overarching one you should remember is the purpose: Business writing is intended to direct action. 

Want to learn even more about business writing? Check out our business writing course !

What is academic writing?

So, what about academic writing? Take a minute to think about the various writing projects—like research papers and book reports—that you needed to complete during your schooling. You’ll quickly realize that the intention of academic writing is far different from business writing.

Rather than educating and informing others, the goal of academic writing is for students to educate themselves. They write to learn as well as to showcase what they’ve learned—and often earn a grade for doing so.

Some academic writing is then utilized to inform others (like a thesis, research paper, or dissertation). However, the original purpose of that writing work was to have the author learn something through the writing process.

In most cases, students write these academic pieces for one particular audience member: their professor or instructor.  

Business writing vs. academic writing: how they differ

Obviously, the purposes behind business writing and academic writing are quite different. But what about those other details that we mentioned earlier? 

Let’s dig into the numerous other differences that come up when you compare business writing to academic writing. 

1. Tone and style

While both styles of writing can be somewhat formal from time to time, academic writing is typically much more so and is written from a third person perspective . Students often receive a grade on their academic writing, so you can bet there isn’t slang or jargon of any type. 

However, because business writing is more oriented toward action, it leans less on long sentences and a complex vocabulary and instead focuses on short and clear sentences (and frequently, bullet points)—making it seem far less rigid and formal than academic writing. 

With business writing, the audience needs to be able to extrapolate the meaning of the text and the resulting action steps without needing to wade through complicated sentences and lengthy paragraphs. 

Tone and style of academic writing:

Formal, with longer sentences and well-developed paragraphs. Here’s an example:

According to recent research, audiences are far more responsive to advertising messages that portray models and actors within their own demographic. With this reasoning, one can assume that organizations should employ a diverse range of actors and models to appear in their advertising campaigns to ensure that these commercial messages resonate with a large percentage of viewers.  

Tone and style of business writing: 

Emphasis on keeping things short, clear, and as actionable as possible. Here’s an example:

Research shows that audiences connect more with advertising messages that showcase people in their own demographic. We should explore talent firms with diverse pools of models and actors.

2. Document structure

Reflect on most of the writing you did during your education, and this common essay format will probably pop into your head: introduction, body, conclusion. That was the tried and true formula you leaned on to complete most of your academic writing.

However, business writing has far more flexibility—mostly because there are so many different types and styles of business writing.

This means that writing in a business setting offers far more wiggle room to structure the writing to the appropriate purpose and audience. It doesn’t always stick to a specific approach the way most academic writing does. 

Structure of academic writing:

Introduction, body of the written work, and a conclusion. 

Structure of Business Writing: 

Varies greatly depending on what you’re writing. An email will be structured much differently than a performance review, for example. 

3. Audience

We touched on this briefly already, but the intended audience is another major component that separates business and academic writing.

With academic writing, students write for one crucial audience member: their instructor, who will be dishing out a grade on that written assignment. Occasionally other people will review that written work, but it’s almost always someone else who works within academia.

Business writing, in contrast, can be read and reviewed by a huge array of people—from colleagues to customers to board members to shareholders to competitors to regulatory agencies. 

The list goes on and on. This is partly because the aim is to keep business writing simple and straightforward. When you aren’t sure whose eyeballs will eventually land on it, it’s best to make things explicitly clear, so that all parties can comprehend it. 

Audience of academic writing:

Audience of business writing:

Almost anybody! 

4. Document design

This is another area where academic writing is far more rigid than business writing—mostly because the design of these written works is often dictated by the instructor. You remember the good ol’ days of 12-point Times New Roman font, double spacing, and appropriately-sized margins, right?

Again, with business writing, authors have far more flexibility to design their work in a way that’s most suitable to their purpose and intended audience.

Perhaps that’s a highly-visual business report with lots of graphs and charts to illustrate a point. Or, maybe it’s a one-page document with headings, subheadings, and bullet points to allow for easy skimming and scanning.

The design of business writing comes in many shapes and sizes, while academic writing typically falls into a standardized mold.

Design of academic writing:

Highly standardized with requirements for text style, font size, spacing, and margins.

Design of business writing: 

Flexible, depending on the purpose of the document and the audience. 

5. Writing process

If you’d ask me what my writing process looked like for any academic papers, I’d tell you this: It was many late nights spent bleary-eyed alone in front of my computer, with a mug of lukewarm coffee by my side.

Sound familiar? Much of the academic writing process takes place totally alone. The assignment is dished out by the professor, and the student is tasked with cranking out that document by the deadline in order to earn an individual grade.

Things don’t work that way in the business world, where writing is a far more collaborative process. When working on business writing, you’ll likely lean on the insights and expertise of numerous different people both inside and outside your organization to pull together something that makes sense.

Additionally, the process of writing an academic paper typically involved plenty of solo research. But, in a business environment, you usually tackle writing with far more existing context and background information received through meetings, previous projects, and other efforts. Most of the time, you aren’t approaching that subject totally cold. 

Process for academic writing:

Research and writing is done mostly solo.

Process for Business Writing:

A collaborative effort, with plenty of groundwork already laid for the author. 

6. Citations and sources

Sigh, citations. I remember cringing every time I needed to put together that detailed resources page for my academic papers. You remember the ones, right? They included everything from the authors' names, to the published date, to the volume number. The thought alone still sends a chill down my spine. 

With academic writing, students are required to cite their sources using a highly standardized format—often MLA or APA style . 

However, the rules for citing sources are far more lax with business writing and can often vary greatly depending on your company’s norms and regulations for quoting various sources. 

Citations and sources for academic writing:

Highly standardized and regulated. 

Citations and Sources for Business Writing:

Can vary based on the rules set by the individual company. 

7. Legal considerations

While students who produce academic writing absolutely need to avoid plagiarism of any kind, it’s not often that their written work will be used in any sort of court cases, legal proceedings, or anything of the sort.

But, in a business setting? People should be aware that the written work they produce is likely now the property of their employer and thus could be used as evidence in this manner if the need arises—whether it’s something like a wrongful termination lawsuit or even an audit. 

For that reason, ensuring accuracy is crucial whenever you’re writing, but particularly when you’re producing a document for your organization. 

Legal considerations for academic writing:

Avoiding plagiarism is the top legal concern. 

Legal Considerations for business writing:

Operate with the assumption that whatever you write could come back in a variety of legal matters. I won’t say it’s common, but it’s always better to play it safe! 

Over to you

As we’ve highlighted here, there are plenty of differences between academic writing and business writing. In fact, this isn’t even all of them—we’ve barely scratched the surface. 

You can dig into even more elements that separate these two styles with this fact sheet from the University of Oregon . It does a great job of breaking things down in an easily digestible way, and we used it as a resource for many of the differences we outlined here.

If you’re eager to learn even more about business writing in particular and how you can level up your own game at work? Make sure to check out our business writing course to dive into the nitty-gritty of how to be a top-notch writer in a business setting. 

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Kat is a writer specializing in career, self-development, and productivity topics. When she escapes her computer, she enjoys reading, hiking, golfing, and dishing out tips for prospective freelancers on her website.

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Home › Stories › What is “Better”? Writing and Generative AI

What is “Better”? Writing and Generative AI

I recently had a student turn in a rough draft of an essay that was fully (and uncited-ly) AI-generated. There were tell-tale signs : the use of certain words and structures that are indicative of AI’s writing style, and the essay was inconsistent with the student’s previous work. My AI policy clearly lays out the acceptable uses of large language models for my class: 

TL, DR : If you use an AI program to generate ideas or brainstorm, it should be cited like any other reference material. You may not submit any work generated by an AI program as your own.

I met with this student to discuss their process of writing the paper and how they used AI. It went something like this:

• Give ChatGPT preliminary paragraphs that outline the student’s thoughts on the topic 
• Prompt it to edit the paragraphs and make the writing better
• Ask what else it needed to finish the essay so that would meet the requirements of the essay
• Read sources, provide summaries and quotations for ChatGPT to integrate
• Provide further refining prompts until the student is happy 

This process, they said, took them two weeks. 

When I asked why they had chosen to put so much time and effort into using AI, violating course policy and risking their grade, my student (who happens to be an international second-language speaker) told me that they felt the AI-generated writing was “better” than anything they could have produced on their own; they thought I would prefer to read more polished writing than their own words.

As a composition instructor, I’ve been sitting with this concept of better . I want to see my students’ thinking develop from rough to final draft; to see how they navigate writing for a particular rhetorical situation (purpose, audience, context); to see how they respond to feedback; to see how well they can incorporate and analyze quotations, synthesize sources, construct a thesis, and structure an essay. Offloading that work to AI, even through directed prompts that ask AI to do those things under the student’s guidance, doesn’t quite feel like an authentic demonstration of their writing’s process of becoming better. 

After I explained that to my student in our meeting, they seemed to understand (and I definitely took away the need to be more transparent about the purpose of this researched argument essay). But ready or not, AI is here to stay; understanding how our students are using it—and what AI is actually doing—is key to addressing student use and identifying ways to incorporate it into the classroom. 

For me, this begins with the question of better—is AI-generated or AI-edited writing better than an undergraduate’s? 

I started by asking ChatGPT-3.5 what actions it takes when prompted to edit a piece of writing:

Many of these involve potentially substantial changes to the inputted text which, as a writing instructor, I find deeply concerning. I want my students to develop an eye for flaws in the logic of their writing. If ChatGPT is “rephrasing sentences, restructuring paragraphs,” and “clarifying ambiguous points” for students, where exactly am I seeing their original tone and intent? Maybe that “awkward phrasing” is a stylistic choice on behalf of the author; if it is removed because it isn’t aligned with what the model’s algorithm anticipates—and if students take these edits uncritically, without the skills, expertise, and confidence in their own writing that practice fosters—how are they developing their own unique style and voice?

To see what AI-edited writing actually looked like, I tested it with a sample of my own writing in ChatGPT 3.5, which is free to use. You can see the full thread here . (This sample is taken from my time as an undergraduate at Valparaiso University.)

I then asked it to summarize the changes it made:

The general ideas of the original are present in the edited version, but the way that ChatGPT has combined and rearranged sentences doesn’t retain the emphasis of the original:

Original : The Odyssey is not, however, the only epic to continue the story of Troy and its war with the Achaeans. Virgil’s much later Roman epic, The Aeneid , also chronicles the journey of a hero of the Trojan War. Only, this time, the Trojan Aeneas is the concern of poets, not the Greek Odysseus. 

Edited : However, The Odyssey isn’t the sole epic to delve into the aftermath of Troy and its conflict with the Achaeans. Virgil’s later Roman epic, The Aeneid , also follows the journey of a Trojan War hero, Aeneas. Yet, this time, the focus shifts to the Trojan Aeneas rather than the Greek Odysseus. 

Here, in its attempt to refine the transitions between ideas, ChatGPT has moved “however” to the beginning of the sentence. But in so doing, the sentence loses its strong sense of contrast and is, in my opinion, a weaker transition. By eliminating the phrase “the concern of poets,” some of the style and voice of the author is lost in favor of concision.

Some of the word choices ChatGPT makes are also unnecessary:

Original : Achilles is a hard, vengeful, proud, stubborn, ruthless man whom not even his friends’ pleas can move. Achilles’ battle prowess is undeniable, yet he is without mercy. 

Edited : Achilles appears as a resolute, vengeful, proud, and obstinate figure, impervious to the pleas of his comrades. Undoubtedly, he boasts unparalleled prowess in battle, yet his lack of compassion is glaring. 

“Unparalleled prowess in battle” and “lack of compassion” aren’t any more precise or vivid phrases than the original—in fact, I read them as florid and inauthentic to the original tone.

In conjunction with in-class exercises that help students evaluate the changes made to their writing and incorporate revisions on a case-by-case basis, I can see the benefit of using AI to edit writing. But most of us would have a problem with a student copying and pasting generated content with that level of editing and submitting it as their own. I would accept some of the changes ChatGPT made, and others have given me ideas for how I can revise the passage myself to improve the overall structure, but the edited version isn’t any better than what I had written as an undergraduate. Helping students develop this skill is an important part of writing instruction and is clearly aligned with my goals for the course. That, in my view, makes writing better : the ability to critically assess and incorporate feedback in order to improve, but also to explain and justify stylistic choices and develop an authentic voice as a writer. 

I will be incorporating AI into my composition classes in the future. Teaching students to use AI tools ethically and effectively is an important part of preparing them for their future careers. But for me, equally important is students developing skills and confidence as writers. Large language models will be a part of that development, but students will still be responsible for making their own writing better .

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