Part 5 :
Different types of writing

Essays, reports and portfolios

So far in this Study Section we’ve looked at how to write. We’ve discussed meeting your reader’s needs, and structuring your writing. Now we’re going to look at what to write.

There are many different types of writing, of course, but we will concentrate here on four different types. We’re going to look at:

  • Writing a discursive essay
  • Writing a personal reflective essay
  • Writing a report
  • Writing a short portfolio of related pieces.
All of the points we’ve looked at in this Study Section so far apply to each of these types of writing.

There are differences in how to write in these different forms as well. We’re now going to look at each of these types of writing in turn. You will see what should be included in each type.