If you are not sure what kind of text you are supposed to write, ask your instructor for clarification and examples. (Some examples may also be available at your school’s writing center.) You may want to find multiple examples so that you can develop a sense of how different writers approach the same writing task. Another strategy is to discuss the assignment with a few classmates or a writing center tutor. You may find the help you need, and you may see that you are not the only one struggling to understand the assignment. Look carefully at the samples to make sure you understand the conventional expectations, and ask questions like these about the genre’s typical features.
What does the design of the genre look like? How is the text laid out? How are headings, sidebars, footnotes, and other elements incorporated into the main text? If visuals or media elements are included, how and why are they used?
How long is typical work in this genre? How long is each paragraph or unit?
What topics are usually found in this genre? What type of content is rare?
How does the text introduce the topic? How and where does it present the main point? Is the main point stated explicitly or implicitly?
How does each section contribute to the main point? How is the main point of each section supported?
How are the key terms defined? How much and what kind of background information is provided?
What kind of sentence structure is common in this genre? Are sentences short, long, simple, complicated? Is passive voice common?
What is the level of formality? Does the text use contractions such as he’s and can’t instead of he is and cannot?
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?
Does the genre use technical terms (jargon)? If so, how common are they? Does the genre use slang or other common conversational expressions?
How many sources are used in the text? How are they introduced? Are sources mentioned in the text, cited in parentheses, or both? Which documentation style is followed?
What medium is typically used for this genre? Are visual images or audio commonly used? If so, for what purposes?
Who reads this genre, and why? Does the genre usually aim to inform, to persuade, to entertain, or to serve some other purpose?
How are the characteristics of the text similar to or different from similar genres that you have encountered elsewhere?
How much latitude do you have in ignoring or stretching some of the boundaries of the genre?