When we make a shopping list, we automatically
write each item we need in a single column. When
we email a friend, we begin with a salutation:
“Hi, Brian.” Whether we are writing a letter, a résumé,
a lab report, or a proposal, we know generally
what it should contain and what it should look like
because we are familiar with each of those genres.
Genres are kinds of writing, and texts in any given
genre share goals and features — a proposal, for instance,
generally starts out by identifying a problem and then
suggests a certain solution. The chapters in this part
provide guidelines for writing in thirteen common
academic genres. First come detailed chapters on four
genres often assigned in writing classes: LITERACY
NARRATIVES, essays ANALYZING TEXTS, REPORTS, and ARGUMENTS,
followed by brief chapters on NINE OTHER GENRES
and two on MIXING and CHOOSING GENRES.