The Selective writing prompt may name a text type, or it may leave the choice to you. Either way, knowing the purpose and structure of each type helps you write the right kind of piece and stay on topic.
Narrative (a story)
Purpose: to entertain and engage the reader.
Structure: orientation (who, where, when), a complication or problem, rising tension, a climax, and a resolution.
What helps:
- One main character the reader cares about
- A clear problem that gets worse before it gets better
- Showing feelings through actions and dialogue, not just naming them
- An ending that resolves the problem or shows how the character has changed
Keep the cast and the timeline small. In 30 minutes, one setting and a few hours of story time is plenty.
Persuasive
Purpose: to convince the reader to agree with you or to take action.
Structure: a clear position, three strong reasons (each in its own paragraph with an example), a response to the other side, and a conclusion with a call to action.
What helps:
- Stating your position in the first paragraph
- Evidence and examples, not just opinions
- Persuasive devices such as rhetorical questions, the rule of three and emotive language, used with care
- Matching the form: a letter, a speech and an article each sound different
Discursive
Purpose: to explore an issue from more than one side.
Structure: introduce the issue, discuss one point of view, discuss another, then give a balanced conclusion (which can include your own view).
What helps:
- Fair, even-handed language ("some people argue…", "on the other hand…")
- Real examples for each side
- A thoughtful conclusion rather than a simple "I agree"
Discursive is not the same as persuasive. If you only argue one side, you have not answered the task.
Descriptive
Purpose: to create a vivid picture of a place, person, object or moment.
Structure: move through the scene in an order that makes sense, such as near to far, morning to night, or outside to inside, and finish with a strong final image.
What helps:
- All five senses, not just sight
- Precise nouns and strong verbs ("the gate shrieked" rather than "the gate made a noise")
- A mood that builds or changes
Informative (including reports and guides)
Purpose: to inform or explain clearly.
Structure: depends on the form. A newspaper report has a headline, a lead paragraph answering who, what, when and where, then details and quotes. A guide has an introduction and clear sections.
What helps:
- Facts and specific details
- An objective tone (no "I think" in a news report)
- Clear organisation that a reader can follow easily
Open (your choice)
Sometimes the prompt lets you choose the form. Pick the one you write best that clearly fits the stimulus. A story, a diary entry, a letter or a speech can all work. Whatever you choose, follow that form's conventions and link clearly back to the prompt.
Practice each type
Try one prompt of each type over a fortnight. Our practice page lets you filter prompts by text type, so you can focus on the ones you find hardest.