Choosing a text type
A text type is the form of writing: poster, speech, letter, report, article, story. Each has strengths.
- Poster: short, bright, read in seconds. Good for catching attention.
- Speech: heard once, so use short sentences and repeat key points. Good for a live group.
- Letter: polite and formal, goes to one person or office. Good for a request.
- Report: long, with data, tables and a plan. Good for people who must decide with evidence.
Ask three questions before choosing: Who reads or hears it? How much time do they have? What do they need to believe or do?
Persuading diverse readers
Readers differ in age, knowledge, interest and what they worry about. A good writer studies the reader first.
- Classmates: want short, fun, clear. Use pictures and a slogan.
- Parents: care about safety, cost and benefit to their child. Use facts and clear numbers.
- Officials: must justify decisions. Use data, a plan and a polite formal tone.
You can also use more than one text type for one claim, each for a different reader. Keep the facts the same in all of them. Only the form, the words and the amount of detail change. Never change facts to please a reader; that is not persuasion, it is cheating.
Building the logic inside any text type
A persuasive text of any type rests on five layers: claim (what I want you to accept), reason (why), evidence (a fact, number or example), the other side with my answer ("Some say cleaning costs money, but...") and conclusion (the claim again, with a call to act).
A poster may hold only claim and a short reason. A speech adds an example and the other side. A report carries all five layers with data.
Try it
Take the claim "Our family should use fewer plastic bags." Choose three readers: a younger cousin, a neighbour, and the housing society secretary. For each, write which text type you would choose and one sentence of how it would start. Then check in the 3D free play whether your pairs show a tall green bar.
Key formulas and definitions
- WHO reads it + FORM that suits them + LOGIC inside
- Logic layers: claim, reason, evidence, other side + answer, conclusion
- Key term, text type: the form of a piece of writing (poster, speech, letter, report)
- Key term, audience: the people who will read or hear your text
Worked examples
1. You want younger students to stop wasting water. Choose a text type and say why.
A poster. Younger students need short, bright, easy messages. Use a picture of a dripping tap and a slogan like "Every drop counts".
2. You want the school principal to allow a library hour each week. Choose a text type and say what it should contain.
A letter (with a short report page). The principal needs a polite, formal request with reasons and evidence: how many students borrow books, a suggested timetable and who will help.
3. The same claim goes to parents in a meeting. How do you change your message from the poster?
Use a speech. Keep the facts, but speak in short sentences, repeat the key point, add an example, and answer the likely worry about time or cost. Stay ready for questions.
4. A reader of an officials' report says "No evidence is given." Which logic layer is missing and how can you fix it?
The evidence layer. Add numbers such as the count of litter pieces collected in one week, a photo or a short table, and link it to the reason.
Common mistakes
- Choosing the text type you like instead of the one that suits the reader.
- Using the same words and level of detail for every reader.
- Changing the facts for different readers. Only the form and wording should change.
- Writing a long report for young readers or a bare poster for decision-makers who need data.