Elements of Effective Writing

Effective writing means being able to convey your message and relay information clearly to its intended audience. Being able to write well is a beneficial skill, as a person has to write one way or the other. For instance, as a student, you were asked to write a thesis, reaction papers and reports. As a professional, you will still perform writing tasks such as coming up with memos, reports and proposals.

Aside from the situations mentioned above, knowing how to effectively write is also advantageous when you take up the IELTS exam, as one of its four components include a writing test. If you are skeptic of your writing abilities, you may join the IELTS online review for practice tests involving writing.

In IELTS online training, instructors critique the students’ write-ups and provide a constructive feedback. Then again, it will not hurt to do some self-studying. Besides, it is free. Here are six elements of effective writing that you must consider when coming up with an article.

1.) Topic – The topic is the central idea that the writer elaborates in his/her discussion. It is sometimes referred to as an “argument.”

In deciding what topic to tackle, choose one based on your expertise and experience. This way, you can provide credible and accurate information. You may also base your topic on your readers or audience. If the members of the audience belong to the same field as the author, then the author may focus on technical topics. On the other hand, if the audience is diverse, the author may discuss familiar topics.

Moreover, a topic must be debatable. It means that it should be open to various interpretations. For instance, the argument “smoking cigarettes is bad for one’s health” is a nondebatable topic as most people agrees that smoking is dangerous to one’s health. Whereas if you argue that “smoking lowers risk of death after some heart attacks” (Live Science), readers may agree or disagree.

2.) Purpose – An article aims to inform, to entertain or to persuade.

a. To inform – A writer whose aim is to inform merely provides information about a topic (e.g., essays, reference materials, etc.).

b. To entertain – A writer whose aim is to entertain produces creative or literary works (e.g., stories, novels, poems, songs, etc.)

c. To persuade – A writer whose aim is to persuade convinces readers to take action (e.g., campaign speeches, advertisements, etc.).

3.) Audience – Another question you may want to consider is: “Who are my target readers?” Paying attention to the needs and interests of your target audience can help you in deciding what topic to write about. For instance, if you are writing for a specific audience (an audience with educational and professional backgrounds similar to yours), you may write about technical topics like healthcare, taxation, governance, etc. If you are writing for a general audience, however, you may write about familiar topics like environmental or social issues. Moreover, avoid using jargons in write-ups for a general audience.

4.) Organization – Effectively written articles are organized coherently and cohesively. This means that there is a logical development of the topic and a connection or relationship among sentences and paragraphs. In taking the IELTS Writing exam, organization is a criterion, specifically “Coherence and cohesion.”

Cohesive devices are sometimes called linking words or transitional devices (e.g., furthermore, however, on the other hand, etc.). Meanwhile, when it comes to the organization of concepts or ideas, you can arrange them using patterns such as problem-solution, advantage-disadvantage, and cause-effect, etc.

5.) Point of view (POV) – It pertains as to how the author refers to himself/herself when discussing. A POV has three kinds:

• First person (I/My/We/Our) – It is subjective and informal. It may be used in writing personal essays, reviews, etc.

• Second person (You/Your/Yours) – It addresses the reader. It can make an article appear relatable and conversational by directly addressing the readers.

• Third person (He/She/It/They) – It is objective and formal. It is commonly used in academic writing.

6.) Grammar precision – In IELTS online training, instructors evaluate students’ write-ups. One of the common errors they have observed is that of grammar; some students are not familiar with the rules of grammar. Should they be? Yes! Grammatical range and accuracy is one of the criteria in the IELTS Writing exam. To improve your grammar precision, read books or published articles to help widen your vocabulary. Also, you can use the dictionary whenever you encounter unfamiliar words.

Overall, keeping these elements in check can help you produce effectively written outputs. In addition, write more often and have someone assess your work. This way, you know which points to improve. You may also want to consider joining IELTS online review or IELTS online training for a more constructive evaluation of your writing skills.