Study the features of the kind of text you need to write.

• What does the genre look like? How is the text laid out on the page? How are any visual features incorporated into the main text?
• How long is the whole text, each section, and each paragraph?
• How does the text introduce the topic? Is the main point stated explicitly or implicitly?
• What are the major divisions of the text? Are they marked with transitions or headings?
• How does each section contribute to the main point? How is the main point of each section supported?
• How are the key terms defined? What kind of background information is provided?
• What is the level of formality? Does the text use technical terms or contractions (such as I’m and isn’t instead of I am and is not)?
• Does the text take a personal stance (I, we), address the audience directly (you), or talk about the subject without explicitly referring to the writer or the reader?
• How many sources are used in the text? How are they introduced?