Introduction to Basic Writing

The term was coined in the 1970s by Mina P. Shaughnessy, a pioneer in the discipline. Previously referred to as ‘remedial’ or ‘developmental’ writing, it is a course in the scholarly field of teaching English. The course aims to educate and improve the quality of English writing of  the students who fail to secure a position in college entrance examinations or are underprepared. The mechanisms include capitalisation, punctuation, sentence structuring, etc. 

Skilled writing imbibes a systematic approach to grammar, syntax, usage and clarity in context to a standard form of English. However, it has shifted from rectifying errors to weaving writing process and rhetoric in a single thread. 

History of Basic Writing

Early versions of the discipline in 1890-1910 transformed into a modern form in the 1970s. The open admission doubled the enrollments leading to the high demand for preparing under-skilled students. 

Many universities created open admission policies. Hence basic English writing programmes were curated. However, open-admission suffered a backlash from various political and institutional organisations. As a result, several measures were taken to terminate the writing programmes in the 1990s and are still continuing. 

Theories from the Pioneers

Mina Shaughnessy, one of the major theorists, coined the term and her “ Journal of Basic Writing” is a source of major research articles. She led the writing programmes to aid students in open admissions. She worked hard to categorise basic writers in order to explore the areas where they lack so that they can be taught effectively.

After reading thousands of essays written by students for entrance examinations, she tried to understand the logic behind the flaws. She deciphered that it is not because of a lack of understanding of the subject matter that certain students fail to write good standard English but because of the misunderstood rules of formal English that they face difficulty in writing. Despite several other scholars, Shaughnessy remains the leading figure in this discipline.

David Bartholomae, English Professor presents a student perspective, who is new to the discipline. Sometimes, what a student is taught during a course can be different to what he/she is required to write. The errors should not govern the relationship between a teacher and the student. However, teachers must immerse students into practising academic writing to start composing significantly. 

Types of Writing 

Writing could differ from one another based on its goal. The technique of it depends a lot on the purpose of the composition. Let us explore a few types to understand the phenomena.

• Narrative 

A narrative is going to have a beginning, middle and end. It is mostly used in fiction but sometimes it is used while formulating facts. Novels and short stories are written in narrative format. A narrative could stretch from a few minutes to a span of years. Elements of storytelling are common parts of a narrative which include plot, character, setting, emotion, etc.

• Descriptive

Descriptive content is mostly written to help readers see through their mind’s eye. It appeals to all five senses and draws a vivid picture through imagination. Descriptive style is found in poems, stories and also for describing a product. Descriptive content takes a reader through felt experience.

• Persuasive

Persuasive content influences its readers towards a particular idea or point of view. It is mostly used for nonfiction work. Statistical evidence and testimonials could be used to emphasize the idea and build trust. Speeches and letters of recommendation are mostly written with similar traits. The basics of essay writing have a persuasive tone.

• Creative

Creative content is using words and syntax in new ways to present unique and artistic work. Experiments with imagination and language often take place while composing a creative piece of work. A satire could be a fine display of creative composition.

Skills Required

A strong writer must learn and practise a few skills in order to produce standard content. In order to write effectively, students must be taught a set of skills.

• Basic Skills

Basic skills include structuring your sentence with accurate use of grammar, punctuation and spelling. The basics of essay writing, stories, novels, etc must ensure this skill.

• Planning and Editing

Plan your content well, and revise it well after you have constructed it. Edit it in case you feel a few things need to be changed.

• Writing Knowledge

Read well before writing your content. Remember you are writing for a particular audience and the meaning should be conveyed clearly.

Conclusion

Despite several reform efforts back and even today, the basics of writing disciplines was promoted by several theorists and made popular. With the purpose to educate students about the formal standards of the written language, the teachers aimed to preserve the natural excellence of students in terms of their knowledge and intellect.