Composition Writing: A Step-by-Step Guide

As a student, you’ve likely done composition writing, even if the assignments weren’t specifically labeled as compositions.
The truth is, it can be challenging to answer the question, What is composition writing? Here is the concise definition of “composition”: the way a writer crafts words, sentences, and paragraphs to create a coherent work. More broadly, composition writing covers all the kinds of writing you’ll encounter as a student and the strategies you use to write each type capably. Give your writing extra polish Grammarly helps you communicate confidently Write with Grammarly

What is composition writing?
Composition can mean two things. It can mean a piece of writing, or it can mean the art and process of writing. Composition isn’t a specific type of writing like an essay or a blog post. Instead, it’s a broad term that can refer to any (usually nonfiction) work and how a piece is written. Under the first definition, you might be asked to write a composition for class. Using the second definition, somebody might refer to “the essay’s composition” to discuss the format and word choice its author used. A composition is not the same as an essay. Here’s one area where the definition of composition writing can be confusing—an essay is a kind of composition, but the terms aren’t interchangeable. Every essay is a composition, but not every composition is an essay. A composition can also be a book report, a presentation, a short response to a reading assignment, or a research paper.
The four modes of composition
There are four types of composition:
- Description
- Argumentation
Do these sound familiar?
They’re the four types of writing. Essentially, the definition of “composition writing” is the tone and structure a writer uses to express their position . When a composition is a work of fiction, its author typically chooses the composition mode that best expresses the work’s theme. Think of each of these as a composition writing format. You might use more than one of these composition modes in a single piece of writing.
A description is a piece of writing that makes a clear statement about its subject. Here is an example of a description:
Water, chemical symbol H2O, is a clear, colorless liquid that has a freezing point of 0 degrees Celsius and a boiling point of 100 degrees Celsius. Water is the most abundant atom in our atmosphere. All life-forms on Earth need water.
A description doesn’t speculate or offer up opinions or interpretations. It simply states the facts.
Exposition is an interpretation of the facts. It expands on a description by introducing additional facts that shed light on how the subject fits into a larger discussion. It might explore related facts and what they imply and/or pivot to related topics through thoughtful transition sentences and extrapolation. It’s still grounded in fact; an exposition doesn’t include its author’s opinions on the subject. Take a look at this example:
Although water is the most abundant atom in our atmosphere, entire regions are devastated by yearly droughts. These droughts can lead to mass starvation due to crop loss. Switching to more sustainable agricultural practices can reduce the impact of droughts, and doing this successfully requires cooperation between governments and corporations.
Narration is the mode of writing that presents the author’s point of view. The writing is still about its subject rather than its author, but it discusses and explores the subject through the author’s description of their experience. Here is an example of narrative writing:
I’ve always had a healthy respect for water, and I’d say that comes from an experience with it I had as a small child. It was a delightful summer day and my family decided to take the boat out. But then the sky suddenly turned gray, and our delightful summer day became a terrifying summer thunderstorm, with forceful winds pushing the boat as my brother and I tried to bail the pooling rainwater out with buckets.
See how this example is about the author’s thoughts and feelings about water, whereas description and exposition stick to objective facts? Personal essays are perhaps the most common type of narration composition.
The last type, argumentation , isn’t really argumentative. Rather, it’s similar to a persuasive essay . In an argumentation composition, the writer presents two or more positions on an issue and, through a logical exploration of each, demonstrates why one position is the best choice. Take a look at this example:
Researchers have identified multiple strategies we can use to prevent droughts. These include rainwater harvesting, desalination, switching to renewable energy sources, and combating deforestation. These strategies have different success rates . . .
In this example, the writer would go on to compare these different drought prevention strategies and their recorded success rates.
When do you write a composition?
You might be asked to write a composition as part of a composition writing course. It’s not uncommon for students to be required to take courses that focus solely on composition writing, often early on in their college careers, to prepare them for the writing they’ll do in other courses later.
Your instructor might also assign you to write a composition when the assignment doesn’t quite fit the parameters of an essay or other established academic writing format. This might be because the assignment is primarily to give your opinion or perspective rather than support a specific position with evidence. You might also be asked to write a composition as a way to practice writing in one of the compositional modes we discussed above.
How to write a composition in 5 steps
As we mentioned above, composition writing is a broad subject. There is no specific composition writing format, nor are you limited to any specific composition writing topics.
If your composition is an essay—and often, this is the case—follow the standard essay format unless your instructor tells you to follow a different format.
Composition writing follows the same writing process as every other kind of writing. Here are the steps:
1 Brainstorm
Before you can start writing, you need to figure out what you’re going to write about! When you brainstorm, that’s exactly what you do. Take some time to think about your subject, the compositional mode you’re writing in, and the sources you’re using (if your assignment requires sources) to support your position.
Jot down every idea, relevant fact, and connection you come across. You can also give freewriting a try as you brainstorm to see how your mind wanders through your subject and sources. Take your time with brainstorming because this is the stage where you might come across the perfect topic sentence and make connections among sources you might not have realized before.
The next step in the writing process is creating an outline . This is a basic framework for your composition.
An outline helps you organize your composition by giving you a visual overview of its flow. Depending on your assignment and instructor, you might be required to submit your outline and have it approved before moving forward with your composition. Even if you aren’t, it can be very helpful to create an outline so you have something to follow and refer to when writing and editing.
3 First draft
Finally, it’s time to do some composition writing!
Using your brainstorming notes and outline, write your composition. Keep in mind that you don’t have to write it in order—in fact, it can be helpful to start with whichever part you find easiest to write, like the conclusion or one of the supporting paragraphs, and build it out from there.
Don’t worry too much about making grammatical mistakes at this stage. You’ll fix those when you edit your draft. Similarly, if a sentence or paragraph feels awkward, out of place, or otherwise not quite right, don’t dwell on it now. That, too, is something you’ll smooth out when you edit. When you’re writing your first draft, just focus on getting the words out of your brain and into your composition.
If you didn’t come up with a title when you brainstormed or outlined, you might be able to write a clever one once you have a finished draft.
With the first draft down, give yourself a break. You’re a better editor when you come back to your work with fresh eyes, so take a few hours—ideally, twenty-four hours or so—to work on other projects or spend some time relaxing.
Once your break is over, read your draft again. Take note of all the grammatical mistakes and which words, sentences, and paragraphs feel off. Grammarly can help you catch mistakes at this stage.
Beyond any small edits like changing word choices, fixing grammatical mistakes, and smoothing out transitions between sentences and sections, look at the bigger picture. Try to see if there are any logical fallacies in your work or if there are areas where you can dive deeper into your subject. Editing is a holistic process, so pay attention to all the parts of your composition and how they work together.
Through the editing process, you’ll end up with a second draft. At this stage, you’re almost ready to submit your work.
5 Proofread
After editing your work, proofread it! This is the last look-over before you submit your composition to your instructor.
At this stage, you’re primarily focused on catching any grammar , syntax, or spelling mistakes that can be fixed easily. When you edited your work, you did the heavy lifting of transforming a first draft into a second draft. Through that stage, you might have added new sentences or reworked existing ones. At this stage, check and see if you made any mistakes in those new sentences or if you overlooked any mistakes in lines you kept from the first draft.
Let Grammarly have another look at it too. Grammarly makes suggestions you can use to make your work stronger, like offering fixes to grammatical mistakes and ways you can make your work’s tone more cohesive.
After proofreading your work and fixing any mistakes, you’ve got a finished, ready-to-submit second draft! The only thing left to do is turn it in to your instructor and wait for their feedback.
Composition writing FAQs
Composition writing is the organization and process of creating a piece of writing. It broadly refers to all the kinds of writing a student may be assigned, which are typically types of writing like essays and reports.
What are the different kinds of composition?
The four kinds of composition are:
How is composition writing structured?
There is no specific composition writing format. However, compositions typically follow a similar format as essays. Most compositions begin with an introduction that includes the work’s thesis, which is then followed by supporting paragraphs containing evidence from the sources the writer used in their research. After these supporting paragraphs, most compositions end with a conclusion that reiterates each point made and offers a new, final thought on the subject.


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8 Steps to Write a Good Composition (part 1)
Are you having trouble with your writing skills? Read this and you will find good and simple advice to make things much easier and your compositions much better. Even impressive. Just follow the 8 steps we will show you.

The first thing to consider is that a composition is not simply a piece of writing. It must be composed, it must have a structure and a cohesive organisation. Compare these two examples:
A- My brother’s tall and handsome and with blue eyes and, yeah, well, maybe a bit fat, but not much, you know, something like your cousin, but maybe not that much. And he’s very funny, ha ha, I’ll tell you about what he did yesterday, but not now. And brown-haired. Almost dark. Well, not dark but… well, yeah, dark. Oh, I said funny, but well, when he’s got a bad day, uff, he scares me sometimes…
B- My brother is tall, handsome and has got blue eyes. He is a little fat, but not much. His hair is dark brown. I like him because he is very funny and always makes me laugh. Nevertheless, he can also be quite serious sometimes.
As you can easily perceive, A is a good example of oral English, but it would be totally unacceptable for a composition. On the other hand, B is the right thing to say when writing, with simple, organised ideas. But B would be considered too pedantic and even unacceptable when talking in a normal conversation.
Using a correct language is part of it, but not enough. Both A and B are correct language, but Spoken and Written language are different, they use, to some extent, different vocabulary, different grammar and, especially, a different way to express things!

Many think that planning is a waste of time, especially if you are sitting for an exam and time is limited. But the truth is that planning your composition will not only make the task easy and much better; it will also make it all faster. At least once you have practised a little bit.
First, you have to know what topic you’re going to write about. In most situations you will already know this when you sit down to write. And then, you must start making an outline:
1- opening sentence = topic + approach 2- ideas connected to the opening sentence 3- details about those ideas 4- closing sentence
When you are happy with the outline, it comes the time to do the writing, and here you should follow these other 4 steps:
5- write a title 6- organize ideas into paragraphs 7- write the composition 8- correct your composition
In this article we well help you to make a good outline, which is the basis of this method. We will complete the 8 steps in a second article (see part 2, to be published very soon). So let’s get started.
1- topic + approach = opening sentence (O.S.)

Think of the opening sentence as a little perfume bottle: the topic is the material (the glass), the approach is the shape of the glass, and all the composition will be the perfume inside the bottle. If some perfume falls outside the bottle, it will evaporate (and spoil your composition).
Think of a word or several words that will identify the topic. Think of a word or several words that will identify the approach. The topic is what your composition is about. Your approach is usually what your opinion about the topic is, or just the way you see it, or what you want to say about that topic. When you have the topic and the approach, write the opening sentence with both ideas.
Topic - Life in a village Approach - better than cities Opening sentence - Nowadays, most people prefer living in cities, but I prefer to live in a village because life there is much better and healthy.
Another example of O.S.- Life in a village is very different from life in the city. (topic: life in a village / approach: different from city)
2- ideas (points) connected to the opening sentence

Example of good points:
- no pollution
- people know each other
- friendly people
- contact with nature
- life is cheaper
Example of bad points:
- I live in Rome (not relevant to the O.S.)
- Villages in the south of Spain are bigger than in the north (wrong, we must compare life in the village with life in the city, not comparing different villages)
- Last year I visited a very beautiful village (not relevant to the O.S.)
- Night life is boring (it contradicts the O.S. unless you compensate this with a “but…”)
- People gossip and are nosy and messes with your life (modifies or contradicts the idea in the O.S.)
- In the 14 th century many villages were created (who cares? We’re not talking about history)
- My friend Tom lives in a village (not relevant, unless you use Tom’s opinion to support yours)
- My friend Tom, from a village, is very friendly (digression: this idea is not directly connected with the O.S.. It is directly connected to the point “friendly people” and only indirectly connected to the O.S., so it’s no good)
3- details about the points
Each point is the seed of a future paragraph (or section or chapter, if it is a long writing). For every point, think of a few details to explain that idea.
Example: - friendly people
- people help you
- people talk to you in the streets
- people invite you to a drink in the bars
4- closing sentence

1- a restatement of the opening sentence (you say the same idea but using different words) Example: There’s no doubt about it: life in a village is much better than life in a city .
2- a summary of the points (ideas) . Example: With a cheaper life, a close contact with nature, a healthy environment and surrounded by nice people, villages are the ideal place to live .
3- a look to the future . Example: I really think I should leave the city and look for a nice house in a village as soon as possible .
4- a related thought that grows out of the body (usually a conclusion from the points). Example: That’s why our urban societies are more efficient, but its people are less human .
5- mixed type (a combination of several types of conclusions) Example: That’s why I’m planning to move to a village, because life there is much better than in the cities (type 3 + type 1, even the whole sentence can be an example of type 4)
So if you follow this advice, you will find that writing turns easier and the results are much better than when you simply sit and write. Just remember the bottle of perfume:
- The glass : The opening sentence. Your first sentence, which will contain all the ideas of your piece of writing inside.
- The perfume : All the things you have to say. Don’t let even a drop fall outside the bottle.
- The cap : The last sentence in your composition. The one that will close it and make it a finished piece of work.
Once you have a good outline, you must use it to write your composition, essay or whatever you must write. Things are now much easier when you know all the time exactly what you have to say, confident that you’ll never get tangled, blocked or messed up in your writing. We can also guide you in this second phase (steps 5-8), but that will be in our next article:
8 Steps to Write a Good Composition (part 2)
Written by Angel Castaño


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How to Write a Composition
Last Updated: October 14, 2022 References
This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD . Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 769,634 times.
You don't have to be a good writer to write well. Writing is a process. By learning to treat writing as a series of small steps instead of a big all-at-once magic trick you have to pull off will make writing a composition much easier and much more fun. You can learn to brainstorm main ideas before you start writing, organize a draft of those main ideas, and revise your composition into a polished essay. See Step 1 for more information.
Pre-Writing

- What is the purpose of the composition?
- What is the topic of the composition?
- What are the length requirements?
- What is the appropriate tone or voice for the composition?
- Is research required? These questions are good for you to ask.
- Pre-writing: gathering your thoughts or research, brainstorming, and planning the compositions
- Writing: actively writing your composition
- Editing: re-reading your paper, adding sentences, cutting unnecessary parts, and proofreading

- Try a timed writing by keeping your pen moving for 10 minutes without stopping. Don't shy away from including your opinions about a particular topic, even if your teacher has warned you from including personal opinions in your paper. This isn't the final draft!

- Write the topic in the center of the paper and draw a circle around it. Say your topic is "Romeo & Juliet" or "The Civil War". Write the phrase on your paper and circle it.
- Around the center circle, write your main ideas or interests about the topic. You might be interested in "Juliet's death," "Mercutio's anger," or "family strife." Write as many main ideas as you're interested in.
- Around each main idea, write more specific points or observations about each more specific topic. Start looking for connections. Are you repeating language or ideas?
- Connect the bubbles with lines where you see related connections. A good composition is organized by main ideas, not organized chronologically or by plot. Use these connections to form your main ideas.
- Don’t worry about coming up with a polished thesis statement or final argument now; that can come later in the process.

- Your thesis statement needs to be debatable. In fact, many thesis statements are structured as the answer to a well-formulated question about the topic. "Romeo & Juliet is an interesting play written by Shakespeare in the 1500s" isn't a thesis statement, because that's not a debatable issue. We don't need you to prove that to us. "Romeo & Juliet features Shakespeare's most tragic character in Juliet" is a lot closer to a debatable point, and could be an answer to a question like, “Who is Shakespeare’s most tragic character?” [5] X Research source
- Your thesis statement needs to be specific. "Romeo & Juliet is a play about making bad choices" isn't as strong a thesis statement as "Shakespeare makes the argument that the inexperience of teenage love is comic and tragic at the same time" is much stronger.
- A good thesis guides the essay. In your thesis, you can sometimes preview the points you'll make in your paper, guiding yourself and the reader: "Shakespeare uses Juliet's death, Mercutio's rage, and the petty arguments of the two principal families to illustrate that the heart and the head are forever disconnected."
Writing a Rough Draft

- Introduction, in which the topic is described, the issue or problem is summarized, and your argument is presented
- Main point paragraph 1, in which you make and support your first supporting argument
- Main point paragraph 2, in which you make and support your second supporting argument
- Main point paragraph 3, in which you make and support your final supporting argument
- Conclusion paragraph, in which you summarize your argument

- Proof includes specific quotes from the book you're writing about, or specific facts about the topic. If you want to talk about Mercutio's temperamental character, you'll need to quote from him, set the scene, and describe him in detail. This is proof that you'll also need to unpack with logic.
- Logic refers to your rationale and your reasoning. Why is Mercutio like this? What are we supposed to notice about the way he talks? Explain your proof to the reader by using logic and you'll have a solid argument with strong evidence.

- Ask how. How is Juliet's death presented to us? How do the other characters react? How is the reader supposed to feel?
- Ask why. Why does Shakespeare kill her? Why not let her live? Why does she have to die? Why would the story not work without her death?

- Only use words and phrases that you have a good command over. Academic vocabulary might sound impressive, but if you don’t fully grasp its meaning, you might muddle the effect of your paper.

- Try writing a rough draft the weekend before it's due, and giving it to your teacher for comments several days before the due date. Take the feedback into consideration and make the necessary changes.

- Moving paragraphs around to get the best possible organization of points, the best "flow"
- Delete whole sentences that are repetitive or that don't work
- Removing any points that don't support your argument

- Think of each main point you're making like a mountain in a mountain range that you're flying over in a helicopter. You can stay above them and fly over them quickly, pointing out their features from far away and giving us a quick flyover tour, or you can drop us down in between them and show us up close, so we see the mountain goats and the rocks and the waterfalls. Which would be a better tour?

Expert Q&A Did you know you can get expert answers for this article? Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow

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- Write a point, and expand 2 lines on that particular point. ⧼thumbs_response⧽ Helpful 8 Not Helpful 1
- Open source software called Free Mind can help with the pre-writing process. ⧼thumbs_response⧽ Helpful 6 Not Helpful 1
- You can always add more circles to your guiding diagram if you think the much you have is not sufficient. ⧼thumbs_response⧽ Helpful 4 Not Helpful 2

You Might Also Like

- ↑ https://www.student.unsw.edu.au/writing-your-essay
- ↑ https://www.deakin.edu.au/students/studying/study-support/academic-skills/essay-writing
- ↑ https://bowvalleycollege.libguides.com/c.php?g=10222&p=2214622
- ↑ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/544/01/
- ↑ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/05/
- ↑ https://libguides.newcastle.edu.au/how-to-write-an-essay/essay-structure
- ↑ https://www.citewrite.qut.edu.au/write/writing-well/essay.html
- ↑ https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/grammarpunct/commonerrors/
About This Article

To write a composition, start with a brainstorming session to get your thoughts down on paper. You can create a formal outline during this time, or experiment with bubble exercises and free-writing. Next, create a clear thesis statement to base your composition around. Then, write an introduction, 3 main paragraphs, and a conclusion that summarizes your argument. Read through and revise your content, and don't forget to proofread thoroughly! To learn more about the "rule of 5" and how to back up your statements in a composition, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No
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How To Write A Whole Composition
The following is a general structure to follow for many kinds of writing. Adapt it to specialized assignments as appropriate. I. Introduction The introduction is intended to draw the reader into the body of material to follow. It should begin with a general statement or question, sometimes called the “thesis statement” or “thesis question,” followed by a quick narrowing down to the main theme to be developed in the body. Set the stage quickly, give appropriate background, then move right into a transition sentence that will set up the reader for the body. II. Body (Argument) The body of a written piece is where you elaborate, defend, and expand the thesis introduced in the introduction. The body should support your main contention with supporting evidence and possible objections. A good body presents both sides of a case, pro and con. As you make your case, save your best argument for last. When presenting contrary views, be sure to set forth the strongest arguments so you can avoid being charged with erecting a “straw man.” The body includes three components:
Elaboration: Spell out the details by defining, or by clarifying and adding relevant, pertinent information.
Illustration: Paint a verbal picture that helps make or clarify your point(s). Well illustrated pieces are easier to read and follow than abstract ones.
Argumentation: Give the reasons, justifications, and rationales for the position or view you have taken in the introduction. Draw inferences for the reader and explain the significance or assertions or claims being made.
When moving from one sub-point or argument to another, use connecting or transitional words and phrases that enable your reader to easily follow the flow of your thinking. The following is a partial list of logical connectors that you can use:
exceptions – but, alas, however, etc.
illustrations – for instance, for example, etc.
conclusions – thus, so, therefore, consequently, etc.
comparisons – similarly, by contrast, etc.
qualifications – yet, still, etc.
additions – moreover, furthermore, etc.
III. Conclusion Make your final appeal to the reader, a finishing, all-encompassing statement that wraps up your presentation in a powerful or even dramatic fashion. Normally a single paragraph, brief and concise, will suffice. The purpose of the conclusion is to leave the reader with an idea or thought that captures the essence of the body while provoking further reflection and consideration.
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5 tips on how to write an impressive composition.

New year, new school, new opportunities for growth! Read our article as we share some tried and true tips for parents and children in the lead up to the first day of primary school.
A Whole New World Awaits
New classmates, new teachers, new school environment — your child’s tiny world is about to get a lot bigger. With these changes come opportunities for personal, social and cognitive growth.
The Countdown And Preparation Begins
In these weeks as you count down to your child’s first day of school, you may be wondering, “What will school be like for my child? Will my child be able to cope in the new environment?”
Parents can help by being proactive — research from professionals at Duke University suggests that establishing a strong communication channel with your child’s teachers helps and so does monitoring changes in your child's behaviour or mood when he or she first starts school.
Whether at home or in school, we’ve got some great tips for every stage of preparation that will help you (and your child) pave a smooth journey towards the new school term in January.
1. Create A Routine That Works
Studies have shown that routines help children feel safe and secure . Set up a routine that works for your child — whether it’s a shower before dinner or an afternoon snack before naptime, it’s important that your child gets into a routine that he or she is comfortable with.
2. Identify Friendly Figures In School
Helping your child identify teachers or staff he or she can go to for assistance is important. When your child recognises trustworthy figures of authority, he or she will feel more secure in the new environment.
Related Article: Gear Up For Primary 1
3. Prepare An 'Emergency' Fund
You may want to consider setting aside an “emergency fund” for your child. Placing extra money in a separate wallet or purse to be kept in his or her school bag means that your child will still have access to money if he or she misplaces pocket money. However, you should set some strict rules about when this money can be used.
4. Test Out That Transport Route
It may be a good idea to have a few dry runs of your child’s journey to and from school to help your child familiarise himself or herself with the route. Help your child identify key landmarks and remember the specific place where he or she will be dropped off or picked up from everyday.
Related Article: Raising A Responsible Child
5. Set Mini Goals To Achieve Together
Help to make the experience seem less daunting by setting mini goals for the first day of school. Start with small tasks like “Leave the house on time” or “Remember to bring my water bottle home” or “Meet one new friend in class today”. These mini goals give your child something to look forward to on his or her first day of school!

Download Our Special Guide To Surviving And Thriving In Primary 1
The Learning Lab would like to extend our help as you and your child are preparing for Primary 1 and the new adventures that lie ahead. Download our fun and informative guide filled with 25 great tips to help your child survive and thrive in Primary 1!
Writing is a creative medium for expressing thoughts and perspectives on diverse subjects. However, it can be difficult for your child to accurately convey his or her thoughts fluently in writing.
Writing essays and other literary compositions are an integral part of student life that extends to adult life. And although your child is far from the world of employment, it is worth noting that most jobs require writing skills at some capacity.
Here at The Learning Lab, we believe that effective written communication is a meaningful skill that helps our students become better at relaying information, conveying their thoughts and forming trusting relationships.
Nurture your child’s mastery of written English by introducing him or her to what we consider the five basic elements to writing an effective composition.

1. Determine the Central Idea of the Composition
An essay, as with most written compositions, has an introduction, a body and a conclusion.
The central idea connects these three parts to create one theme. It gives the composition direction and purpose, making it enjoyable and easy to read.
To bring out the central idea throughout the written composition, it is important to first identify the key words from the question. If the title or headline for the composition is provided, the key words would likely be supplied as well.
For example, if your child is tasked to write about “The Person I Admire the Most”, the key words are “person” and “admire”. In this case, the central idea would not only be about the person, but also about the qualities that make that person admirable and why.

2. Check That the Composition Has a Smooth and Cohesive Flow
Another element that makes a written piece effective is effortless flow. This involves weaving words, phrases, sentences and paragraphs together, in a logical manner, to support the central idea.
To achieve coherency, we recommend drafting an outline — an organised set of questions that will give your child clarity and direction in crafting the composition.
Using the same topic, “The Person I Admire the Most”, the outline may look like this:
Introduction
- Who is the person I admire the most?
- What makes this person distinctive?
- What are the qualities I admire about this person?
- Why do I admire these specific qualities about this person?
- How does this person inspire me to become a better version of myself?
The outline helps both the writer and the reader understand the point of the composition in a smooth and logical manner.

3. Support Statements with Evidence
A composition supported by evidence in the form of interviews, dialogues, speeches, testimonials, personal accounts or citations from reliable sources suggests credibility and is more persuasive to the reader.
At the primary school level, students can provide anecdotal evidence — evidence collected in a casual or informal manner. They can rely on personal testimonies to provide real-life accounts and experiences to back up their ideas.
In secondary school, students are presented with several different topics or questions and may pick the one they wish to write about. These range from writing fictional stories to providing their thoughts on real-world topics like the impact of global warming.
As such, students in secondary school are encouraged to read up on worldly events so they remain updated on current issues and can incorporate quotes or facts into their composition where needed.

4. Evoke Emotion and Sustain Readers’ Attention
People read not only to be informed but also to be entertained, and perhaps to gain a new perspective about a subject or even to find inspiration.
A well-written composition captures and sustains a reader’s attention. Your child can achieve this by using descriptive words or phrases to bring out specific emotions in readers. Figures of speech are also helpful in injecting creativity in his or her written compositions.
Using metaphors and similes, for example, helps the reader understand a subject by comparing it to something else. If your child is describing a dull performance, he or she can write something along the lines of, “watching the show was like watching paint dry.''
Artful narratives help the reader relate to your child’s story more as compared to writing a matter-of-factly composition.

5. Work Towards a Distinctive Style
While the elements above are all very important in crafting an engaging and compelling composition, “style” is the one factor that can make a student’s composition stand out from the rest.
We don’t mean personality. What we mean by style is the manner in which a student consistently and distinctly writes. It’s the artistic flair with which ideas are put together in words.
Mark Twain, for instance, is best known for his humour and sharp social satire. Jane Austen’s writing is filled with irony and often features female protagonists, while JK Rowling’s prose is easily recognisable through her vivid imagination and invention of strange words.
At The Learning Lab, our teachers look at facts as well as opinions. We want to be able to assess, through students’ writing, how clear and creative these ideas are processed and presented.
Lastly, it’s worth reminding your son or your daughter that there are no set rules in writing. This is what makes the English language attractive and interesting — its contextual flexibility, socio-cultural variations and playfulness.
“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” ― Sylvia Plath

Bring Out the Wordsmith in Your Child
The foundation of effective communication is literacy; the ability to read and write. But at TLL, we want our students to go beyond learning how to simply read and write.
In our English programmes, a lot of emphasis is placed on allowing our students to exercise their powers of putting the English language on paper; gaining confidence, picking up the tricks of the trade and tackling common problems along the way.
Through our simple yet effective 6-step structured approach to writing, we introduce students to good writing, teach them specific writing techniques and help them understand the importance of characterisation, tone and imagery.
From generating ideas and structuring the flow of the story for a story curve to detailing the characters’ successes or failures in the climax, click here to find out more about TLL's structured 6-step writing approach.

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In addition to building a foundation for word recognition, vocabulary and sentence structure when it comes to writing, our early years programmes also inculcate fundamental skills in reading and speaking.

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At the primary levels, we help develop our students' ability to analyse questions, craft precise answers and produce writing of greater quality, sophistication and length to excel in all examinable components of the English subject.

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Our secondary to junior college programmes help students further develop their writing, speaking, comprehension and listening skills, enhancing their overall language appreciation and mastery.
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Writing composition techniques
You can use a variety of writing composition techniques when composing a document to engage your audience and keep them reading until the end. skilled writers use a combination of these composition techniques to keep their writing exciting and draw readers in. keep reading for descriptions of some of the composition techniques you can use to make your writing lively., set the scene.
If you’re describing an experience you had to your readers, use vivid language to make them feel as though they lived through the experience with you. Focus on telling your readers not only what happened to you but also what you saw, felt, tasted, etc. This will help keep your readers engaged and get them to understand where you’re coming from.
Build momentum
When you think about the best speeches and talks that you’ve heard, they likely have one thing in common. The speakers probably started out a little quieter, giving listeners a sense of comfort, before becoming more passionate as the speech went along. You can do the same in your writing. It can help to imagine that you’re reading your piece out loud to an audience to get an idea of what it will sound like. Building to a strong finish will ensure that your audience reads your entire piece.
Show, don’t tell
You may have heard the phrase ‘show, don’t tell’ before, but you might not know what it means. However, it’s a vital rule to remember if you want to create engaging writing. When you show instead of telling, you use vibrant language to set the mood, create a scene or develop an image in your reader’s mind instead of simply using straightforward language to describe something. So, if you want to show and not tell, you’d write ‘The sun beat down on my sweaty face as I trudged down the long, dusty road towards home’ instead of ‘I had to walk a long way home on a hot day.’
Read it out loud
To get a sense of what your writing will sound like to your audience, read it out loud. This can help you catch sentences or phrases that sound awkward and ensure that your piece doesn’t include any sections that don’t fit the overall tone. In addition, some writers find that reading their work out loud can help overcome writer’s block, particularly if they imagine that they are speaking conversationally to someone. When you reach the end of what you’ve written, simply think about what you’d say next in a conversation to get an idea of what you need to write next.
When you’re writing, make sure you use a variety of sentence structures and lengths to keep your writing interesting. Don’t compose an entire paragraph that only consists of long, complex sentences or of very short ones. Too-short sentences make your writing sound choppy, and too-long ones will give your audience reading fatigue. Mix things up to help make sure your readers keep paying attention to what you’re writing.
Focus on the whole
Although it might be tempting to focus on writing one paragraph or one section at a time, make sure you remember to think about how all the parts of your document relate to each other and build on each other. From the very beginning of your document, you should be drawing your reader in, and each paragraph or section should build on the previous one until you reach the end of your document. Otherwise, you run the risk of losing readers.
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Composition essay

Composition essays tend to be one of the most difficult essay types since students need to create arguments with their information by adding convincing details or examples. The main challenge for these assignment is stick strictly to the given topic without getting off track and also organising all points so it would read in an understandable way.
What is a composition paper?
A composition essay paper is a type of academic writing that requires you to make an argument based on facts . Composition essay writing gives you the opportunity to inform your readers about something new. When a composition teacher asks you for a good composition, they want to see how well your skills can come together and create.
Different writing styles are created from different features and aspects of various subjects, therefore learning how to write compositions correctly will ease up this process for you. A lot of students find it quite hard to write a good composition essay because there are many rules and tips they need to follow in order to make their paper sound formal. If you want to deliver high quality papers on time for your composition assignments, you have come to the right place!
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Composition writing is mostly done by students who study humanities or social science subjects. With our help here at Tutlance.com, students will never have trouble with understanding how to write this type of essays as well as delivering highly written content without sacrificing quality!
As we all know by now that composing an essay requires a great amount of effort from student’s part. It is in art of balancing out diverse resources and arranging reports particularly relevant parts of them in creating some sort of a comparison or contrast. You should always remember that essay writing is not about sheer volume, however the point of composing an essay is to clarify your reason or idea by using logical support and facts.
Students may compose different types of essays on several topics such as love, friendship, family issues, politics or any other things which may be the most important in their life.
If you aren’t going to create an original topic for your composition writing assignment then do yourself a favour to pick up one from top 10 list below:
Top 10 Composition Essay Topics List
1) The Impact Of Technology On Society
Technology has changed our lives drastically over the last decade. Its evolved way beyond cell phones and now it’s in our homes with home security systems and alarm clocks, even our clothing has been taken over by technology.
2) How Technology Has Affected Our Lives
Technology is a marvelous thing! It has made almost every aspect of modern life easier, from washing your clothes to the way we communicate with other people. However it’s also had some negative impacts on human society as well.
3) Animal Rights and Human Laws: The Conflict
Though animal rights activists have worked for many years to protect animals, little has changed in terms of how humans treat animals today than they did centuries ago. Animals are still used for food, testing products such as make-up or household cleaners, entertainment (horse racing or dog shows) and clothing.
4) The Future of Global Warming
Global warming is a concern that has taken the world by storm over the past few years. It’s become such an issue, that if we don’t act soon, our entire planet could be uninhabitable. We have to make changes now before it’s too late.
5) The Impact of Eco-Friendly Technology on Our Environment
Environmental awareness has been on the rise in recent years. More than ever people are trying to do their part to help protect environment from being destroyed by pollution and other factors. Some of them are even going so far as making eco-friendly products for daily use instead of the more common ones.
6) The Impact of Technology on Our Society
In the past, technology has not always been a good thing for society. Before you jump to conclusions, this doesn’t mean that it hasn’t helped society in many ways as well though. Many advances have come out of the development of technologies like computers and phones, while others have actually done nothing but destroy what we once had in our lives.
7) Internet Censorship
Internet censorship is an issue that is widely debated among people all over the world today. One side will tell you that it’s needed to protect children from inappropriate material such as pornography and other forms of violence or hate-speech, while the other side will tell you that it’s a violation of our rights as Americans to have access to any information we want.
8) The Effects Of Smoking On Our Health
Smoking has been proven time and again to be most dangerous thing that people can do to their bodies. It not only affects their own health, but also the health of those around them such as friends or family members who live with smokers or are exposed daily to second hand smoke at work or when walking down a public street.
9) The Evolutionary Origin Of Music
Though music is enjoyed by many humans today there was a time before recorded history when music did not exist yet. Before this, people used sounds for communication and self amusement. This was the very basis for what music would become today, and up until now it has continued to evolve into new genres that we enjoy most today.
10) The Evolution Of The English Language
The english language is a very interesting thing. It’s been spoken by humans since before recorded history and yet no one really knows where its origins are from or how it came to be. One of the biggest mysteries about this subject is why there are so many grammar rules in existence even though they don’t always seem to make sense to those who speak the language.
Steps to write a composition essay
If you are not sure what a composition essay is, it is a form of written argument and persuasion. It is a style of writing that is characterized by the organization of ideas in an introductory paragraph (thesis), the body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph (conclusion).
First, the writer should brainstorm their main points to include in their essay. This can be accomplished by making list or flowchart of ideas you want to cover. Next, once you have brainstormed all your thoughts, start creating an outline for your essay.
The introduction should have a thesis statement about what the essay will be about and what points are going to be discussed. Introduce your topic and give an example of each.
Then, move on to your body paragraphs where you can give more examples or expand on each point.
Then, your conclusion should summarize the main points that you made in your essay and restate what the thesis was originally about.
Finally, avoid cliches, trite expressions or overused words by rewordings any ideas you already have to make them unique to the reader.
Steps for writing a composition report
If you are not sure what a composition report is, it is a written description of something (like an experiment). A good example of this would be if you were assigned to describe how the first atomic bomb was created, or how the human brain works… etc. The report must include: details (who did what), when it occurred (when they did each part), and why it occurred. Always start by creating an outline of the report. The introduction should include a thesis statement about what you will be talking about in your paper (the atomic bomb or how the human brain works). Next, move on to your body paragraphs. In each paragraph you can talk about one event that happened when they created the atom bomb or how the brain works.
What is a composition report
A composition report is a type of essay that has an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. It is about a topic and includes details on them that happened at different points in time.
How to start a composition essay
Being able to write a good opening sentence is important for any type of writing. You want to hook the reader and let them know what the essay will be about. Write an essay about what makes a great opening sentence and how you can use it in your own work.
It’s difficult to name one thing that makes a great opening sentence, but I think there are some things that help:
- a hook that makes the reader want to read more
- information in the first few words that lets the reader know what he/she will be reading about
- interesting details (sound, smell, touch, taste) that bring your writing alive
For example , if you are writing an essay about how a salesman helped you find something at a garage sale, your opening sentence might say:
“When I was looking for old baseball cards at my grandpa’s garage sale last fall, a friendly man wearing a Cubs’ cap showed me some great ones.”
The sentence has a hook (“friendly man”), information (“Cubs’ cap”), and interesting details. These three things make it much more likely that your reader will keep reading.
Always remember that in a composition essay the starting paragraph and the concluding paragraph are most important.
When writing either type of composition essay or composition report, remember that it is important to focus on good organization skills during this writing process as well as solid grammar skills so that readers are not turned off from reading your work because there are errors throughout. Also remember that each type of report needs its own set of standards for grading, such as spelling, punctuation, grammar, and length.
Composition paper writing help
Need help writing a composition essay? Well, the first thing you need to know is that there are two types of papers: descriptive and expository.
The purpose of each type of composition paper is different:
Descriptive papers inform the audience about something or someplace (a person, an object – like a desk). They tell how something looks like, what its features are. You can give examples. Expository papers describe how things work, or explain something. For example, you can tell why waste management in your town needs improving or how blockchain works to people who don’t get it.
Composition Writing Tip 1 – Decide which type suits your piece best! If it’s describing a place or object choose “descriptive” essay but if it’s explaining how something works or justifying a certain action choose “expository” essay.
Composition Writing Tip 2 – Research and read information, it will help you write! You can start by reading related articles (find them using Google) and if you need deeper understanding of the subject matter, ask your friends or search online.
Have no idea how to start writing composition papers?
Here are 4 steps to follow every time you are trying to write literary pieces:
Step 1 – Prepare lay-out first. Decide what font style and size you’ll use for your title, subtitles, header/footer etc. before actually starting the writing process. Remember that big text is easier to read, but small font displays more content on the page, so you can use it if necessary.
Step 2 – Look through the list of all the things you have prepared during your research and make a plan for your essay/report. Draw a table with main topics in titles on one side, subtopics underneath each topic and examples under them (if you want to). Then add some rows to describe your composition structure – introduction, main body and conclusion.
Step 3 – Find sources that will help you build strong arguments using proper evidence. You can use photos or screenshots as visuals in description essays but avoid pictures when writing report-style pieces or papers about science and math, since they are not visible (or shouldn’t be!) in most cases here. Also check out links pages on Wikipedia (if you have access to it).
Step 4 – Start writing!
Composition Writing Tip 3 – Use transition words and phrases to link paragraphs together. They signal your reader that the subject matter is changing in each paragraph (in other words, make sure they are all cohesive!)
If you need composition essay help, we’ll be glad to provide it for you. Just contact us via live chat or or post your essay directly to get help. Click here .
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COMMENTS
There is no specific composition writing format. However, compositions typically follow a similar format as essays. Most compositions begin with
8 Steps to Write a Good Composition (part 1) · 1- opening sentence = topic + approach · 2- ideas connected to the opening sentence · 3- details
1 Research a topic · 2 Create an outline of the main points each paragraph will cover · 3 Write a draft, a writer's initial thinking about a topic.
Writing a Rough Draft · Introduction, in which the topic is described, the issue or problem is summarized, and your argument is presented · Main point paragraph 1
Hello Students! 'How to write a Composition', My today's video will help you to create your own piece of writing.Hello Dear Students!
Hello friends,Do you know how to write composition? Let's learn the composition writing in 5 easy steps in this video.
How To Write A Whole Composition · I. Introduction · Elaboration: Spell out the details by defining, or by clarifying and adding relevant, pertinent information.
5 Tips on How to Write an Impressive Composition · 1. Determine the Central Idea of the Composition · 2. Check That the Composition Has a Smooth
You can use a variety of writing composition techniques when composing a document to engage your audience and keep them reading until the end.
Composition essay writing gives you the opportunity to inform your readers about something new. When a composition teacher asks you for a good