3.1: Introduction to Genres--Reading Assignment

How do you recognize a writing genre?

To better understand how we can better understand writing genres, let’s think about movies. You’re able to tell apart a horror film from a comedy movie. You’re so used to it, too! Think about what you typically see in a horror movie that you don’t see in a comedy. Think about the type of music that you’re most likely to hear in one over the other and the mood that music sets in horror versus comedy. You can even consider how a horror movie is shot (scenes with less light and more shadows) versus a comedy (scenes have more lighting). You can also consider how the plots in horror follow a specific structure and how plots in comedy films follow a very different structure.

You can also probably find some areas where horror and comedy films have some things in common! It’s probably easier for you to understand the conventions of different film genres because you’ve been exposed to movies a lot more than college writing. All to say, with practice and patience, you will be able to do the same with writing genres.

Every type of writing genre will have specific patterns, language, techniques and conventions that are recognizable for that type of writing.

What are some genres of writing encountered in college?

· Abstract: An abstract typically precedes a longer academic article and provides a quick overview of what the paper will be about. You’ll encounter abstracts when researching academic sources. Reading abstracts will help you determine whether the longer article will be useful to your research.

· Academic Email: You’ll be expected to write emails to your professors and other college professionals differently than you would a friend.

· Annotated Bibliography: This type of writing will help you organize the sources that you are using in a research assignment. You will write a brief summary of each source you are using that focuses on description, evaluation, and annotation.

· Argumentative Essay: In this type of essay, you will be making a claim about a topic and providing support that strengthens your claim.

· Blogs: There are a variety of blogs from academic, corporate, and personal blogs that you may encounter in your own research. Each of these will have different conventions to them.

· Book Review: These essays evaluate a book, often providing positive and critical takes on the book. A book review also compares the book to other similar books in the field. A book review is not a very long summary of everything that happens in the book.

· Close Reading: This type of essay focuses on a small section of a text (sometimes an image or film) and analyzes that passage. The writer will often interpret meaning and provide a critical analysis of the passage.

· Cover Letter: Many jobs require a cover letter when you apply. This letter provides a more in-depth understanding of your job experience and why you’re qualified for the role.

· Compare/Contrast: This essay focuses on two readings and how they intersect with one another. An author may choose to find a question or theme that both texts respond to and analyze the different approaches that the text takes to that question or theme.

· Essay Exam/ Timed Essays: Part of the English 101 curriculum at our college requires students to write a Timed Essay Exam. Essay exams will have a specific prompt that you will be expected to respond to. Reading and understanding the prompt is key to succeeding in these essays.

· Film Review: These essays evaluate a movie, often providing positive and critical takes on the movie. A film review also compares the book to other similar books in the field. A film review is not a very long summary of everything that happens in the film.

· Group Essay: You may be asked to write a collaborative essay with others in some of your classes. These essays should be done collaboratively (sharing ideas together) rather than dividing sections for each group member to complete. The goal is to ensure the group essay is cohesive.

· Letters to the Editor: You’ll find these typically in newspapers (online or in print). Letters to the editor can be a response to previous articles or op-eds that the newspaper has published. Writers can also chime in about local, state, national, and international current events. They can range in viewpoints and can be written by anyone, even if they are not an expert on the topic.

· Literature Review: You may be asked to write a literature review in addition to a research paper. A literature review focuses on the sources that you will use in the research paper. You will provide a critical analysis of your sources and also note how their claims may intersect with one another. This is different than an Annotated Bibliography!

· Music Review: Similar to a book and film review, a music review will provide a critical response to an album, song, or music video. The author will focus on areas that the album may excel or fall short in, as well as on the overall impact that the album may have on that genre.

· Op-ed: Like letters to the editor, an op-ed will also appear in newspapers (print or online). They are also written by readers of that publication but are more nuanced than a letter to the editor. An author will take a specific stance on an argument, support their argument, and also acknowledge potential counterarguments.

· Oral Presentation: You may be asked to do a presentation as an assignment. While you don’t have to write a paper to prepare, you should still organize your thoughts ahead of time and understand the structure you will be using. You will need to articulate what topic you are focusing on, if there is a position that you are taking, and support that claim throughout your presentation.

· Personal Essay: Authors will write a personal essay that is based on a personal experience. Unlike a memoir, a personal essay does not cover the entirety of the author's lived experiences. An author will use one personal experience to depict how they may have grown or learned from that experience.

· Personal Statement: College admissions and scholarship applications may require a personal statement. Each college or scholarship will have specific items that they want you to cover in a personal statement. Usually you want to share your academic, job, and what you’re interested in to demonstrate why you may be a good fit for the college or why you match with the scholarship’s mission.

· Peer Reviewed Journal Articles: You will find these published within academic and scholarly journals. They are written by experts in the field. Prior to publication, fellow experts in the field will review the article to ensure the quality of the research within the article.

· Research Paper: You will encounter a few research paper assignments. Prior to the actual writing of this paper, you will need to engage with and evaluate the types of sources that you will be using for this. You’ll need to determine what you want to say about your research. There are two types of research papers: argumentative and analytical. Both require you to start with a research question and to take a stance that attempts to answer that question.

o Example of an argumentative research question: Is graduating college worth it? à You will have to define what you mean by worth it, and you’ll be able to take a stance on the topic. You will then need to find sources that support your claim.

o Example of an analytical research question: How should readers interpret code-switching in Junot Díaz’s The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao? à This research question focuses on analyzing a particular book.

A research paper is not a summary of your sources.

· Rhetorical Analysis: This type of paper asks you to consider the rhetorical tools (logos, ethos, pathos, Kairos) that an author or speaker uses in their article/speech/video/etc. and whether the author used them effectively for the point they were trying to make.

· Reflective Writing: The exact prompt for a reflection paper can vary. For example, an instructor may ask you to evaluate your growth as a writer in their class. A different instructor may ask you to reflect on how you felt doing volunteer work, etc. Overall, you will be looking into your thoughts and feelings and making sense of them.

*This list only covers a few genres.

Given how many writing genres you’ll encounter during your college career, it’s important to read through the writing assignments that you receive in class.

What do you do when you encounter a writing genre you are unfamiliar with?

When you encounter a reading assignment consider the writing situation.

· Topic

o Who typically writes about this topic?

· Audience

o Who is most likely to read the text? For example, what type of audience is likely to read a film review? Why might they read film reviews? What type of knowledge does an audience who reads film reviews already have?

o What is the author’s relationship to those who will likely read the text?

· Purpose for writing

o What does the author hope the text will accomplish? For example, is this essay to persuade or is the author providing a call for action?

o Who traditionally writes these kinds of texts?

Also consider where you normally see this type of writing. For example, an op-ed is often published in major news outlets like The New York Times. Where was the text you encountered published?