There are many different writing genres, for example analytical and descriptive to name two. Analytical writing is commonly used to show logical relationships between two or more concepts. As for descriptive writing it describes clear details of people, places, objects, or events in order to reveal a vivid picture to the reader of what is being said. In this paper, I am going to compare and contrast between both analytical and descriptive writing styles, discuss the appropriate use for each style, and also, I am going to give examples of both writing genres to illustrate the differences. Analytical writing style usually presents an arguable, provable, debatable opinion. However, it usually does not present a position to be argued. Analytical writing has a structure based on the ordering of main ideas in relation to each other and uses evidence from various sources. This style of writing analyzes the information for the readers and clearly tells the readers what is important and why. Usually when we see verbs like “imply/infer/suggest…etc.” appear in a sentence, the sentence is obviously written in analytical writing style. For example, on page 31 of the handout, it says, “His determined expression suggesting that he possess an imaginative vision beyond his painting and perhaps even beyond earthly reality.” The verb “suggesting” determines the logical relationship in this sentence: this person possess an imaginative vision beyond his painting because his determined expression has suggested so.
According to the Kentucky Department of Education (2010) the mental skills involved in this type of writing help students develop as critical thinkers and as learners. Besides analytical writing there is descriptive writing. Descriptive writing usually presents facts, personal tastes and names. Descriptive writing differs from analytical writing; it presents unprovable opinion instead of provable opinion. This type of writing portrays details of a subject vividly to communicate a sense of the subject being described. Usually the details are sensory, it describes what the writer sees, hears, smells, touches, and tastes, so that the readers can visualize the topic and share the same perspective as the author has. An example sentence of descriptive writing will be like “As I leaned back and rested my head against the top of the chair, my eyelids began to feel heavy, and the edges of the empty plate in front of me blended in with the white tablecloth.” After reading the sentence, a picture of a man who is falling asleep on the chair will definitely float through the readers’ mind. Also, you cannot argue if the theme being describe is right or wrong, it is an unarguable fact that the man is just falling asleep. Each writing style is used in different ways. Authors must select who their audience is and decide which type of writing style they want to use. With an analytical paper, authors identify the significance, weighs one piece of information against another, and make reasoned judgements. With a descriptive paper, authors must state what something is like, give the story, state the different components, and make a personal opinion.
References
- An Introduction to Analytical Text Structures
- How to Write a Descriptive Essay
- Descriptive Writing: Definition, Tips, Examples, and Exercises
- Historical Perspective Taking
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