Types of Writing (Scottish Highers English): Revision Notes
Types of writing
The written portfolio in Higher English requires you to submit two pieces of writing that demonstrate different skills. Each piece is worth 15 marks, making the portfolio 30% of your overall Higher English grade. Understanding the different types of writing available will help you choose the pieces that best showcase your abilities.
Portfolio requirements
Your portfolio must contain two pieces of writing, each no more than 1300 words in length (unless you choose poetry). These two pieces must come from different groups:
Portfolio Structure
Your submission must include one piece from Group A (creative writing) and one piece from Group B (discursive writing). This ensures you demonstrate competence in both creative and analytical writing skills.
Group A: Broadly creative
- A personal essay
- A reflective essay
- An imaginative piece
Group B: Broadly discursive
- An argumentative essay
- A persuasive essay
- A report for a specified purpose
The connection between your reading and writing skills matters. As you develop your ability to recognise linguistic and literary techniques in texts, you become more capable of using these same devices in your own writing. Reading skilled authors helps you absorb techniques that improve your writing.
Four aspects of writing
Before you begin any piece of writing, you must consider four essential aspects. These aspects work together to shape how you approach your work.
The Four Essential Aspects of Writing
Every successful piece of writing requires careful consideration of these four interconnected elements:
Purpose – what is it that you are trying to say or achieve? You need to identify whether your essay will be discursive, persuasive, argumentative, personal, reflective, or imaginative. This decision determines everything else about your writing.
Structure – what is the most effective way of saying it? A discursive essay about endangered species requires a different structure from a short story about unrequited love. The form you choose shapes how you organise your content.
Reader – who is going to read your piece? In this case, your reader is likely your teacher or an SQA examiner. However, having an actual person in mind can help. Imagine writing for an uncle, an aunt, a cousin, a friend, or your teacher. Writing to a specific person keeps your work relevant and focused.
Register – given all the above, what is the most effective and appropriate writing style? Register can be formal or informal, carefully researched or anecdotal. Your purpose, structure, and intended reader all influence this choice.
These four aspects work as a system, each influencing the others to create effective writing.
Worked Example: The Thank-You Message
Consider the example of sending a thank-you message to a teacher who helped you prepare for an exam:
Purpose: The moment you decide to write that message, you have determined your purpose – expressing gratitude for their support and guidance.
Structure: The message format determines the structure – it should be brief, clear, and focused.
Reader: Your reader is obvious – your teacher.
Register: This reader establishes the register – a polite, respectful, but still personal tone is appropriate.
This simple example shows how all four aspects work together naturally to shape your writing decisions.
Personal and reflective essays
Many students feel comfortable with personal essays because they seem straightforward. However, your piece must go beyond simply retelling an experience. You need to display your ability to reflect on what happened and what it meant.
Reflection vs. Retelling
A successful personal essay requires more than just describing events. You must demonstrate thoughtful reflection on the experience and its significance. Simply narrating "what happened" will not achieve high marks.
Avoid trying to write about dramatic events. A simple experience works better when you include plenty of personal detail that implies the effect the experience had on you. Use symbolism to represent aspects of the experience you are writing about. You might consider using pathetic fallacy, but use this technique carefully and avoid overdoing it.
Your personal or reflective essay must have shape and purpose. A rambling, pointless story bores readers. Give your story structure and ensure it remains reflective and interesting throughout. Your writing should reveal considered ideas and feelings explored in a mature and self-reflective way.
The essay should show your personality and individual style. Use structure, language and other devices to shape meaning and create effects. Your expression should be confident and varied, demonstrating your command of creative writing.
Imaginative essays
Creative writing does not restrict you to short stories. You can produce an extract from a novel, a poem, or a dramatic script such as a monologue, short scene, or sketch. Each form offers different opportunities for creativity.
Format Flexibility
Imaginative writing offers several format options:
- Short story
- Extract from a novel
- Poetry
- Dramatic script (monologue, short scene, or sketch)
Choose the format that best suits your strengths and the story you want to tell.
If you write a short story, avoid choosing subjects you know nothing about. Base your story on your own experience whenever possible. Remember the format that makes short stories work effectively: few characters, a simple plot, and a resolution that makes the reader think or smile.
Your imaginative piece should establish and develop issues and themes. It needs to show maturity and sensitivity while revealing your personality and individual style. Like all portfolio pieces, it must demonstrate skill in using structure, language and devices to shape meaning and effect.
Discursive and argumentative essays
Many students consider this the most difficult type of writing. However, remember that you already write discursive essays under exam conditions when you produce your critical essay. The critical essay is discursive because you present an argument or line of thought.
A discursive essay requires you to set out an argument. You must master the skills of marshalling ideas and thoughts, presenting them in a logical sequence, and expressing them in precise, formal prose. This type of writing demands careful planning and clear thinking.
Avoiding Clichéd Topics
Avoid overused topics such as animal rights, euthanasia, or media celebrities unless you present these subjects from an original and stimulating angle. Write about something that genuinely engages you and that will engage your reader's interest. Pay attention to the press, news, and current affairs to find contemporary and controversial issues worth exploring.
Your essay must show that you have made appropriate selections from considerable research into your chosen topic. It needs to demonstrate skill in establishing and maintaining a clearly developed line of thought. Use structure, language and devices to shape meaning and convey depth and complexity of thought with confident and varied expression. If appropriate, present your argument convincingly and persuasively.
Persuasive essays
Persuasive writing resembles discursive writing in that you choose a subject about which you feel strongly. However, unlike discursive writing, you do not need to present a carefully constructed argument or take account of counter arguments. Instead, you use the language of persuasion to coax or cajole your reader to your point of view.
This type of writing suits students who are already skilled with language. The persuasive essay allows you to be more flexible in your approach while still maintaining a clear purpose and strong viewpoint.
Report essays
Many students overlook report writing for their portfolio, but this type of writing proves valuable. After you leave school or university and enter employment, report writing becomes one of the most commonly required forms of writing.
The Value of Report Writing
While often overlooked, report writing is an excellent portfolio choice because it:
- Develops practical, transferable skills
- Demonstrates your ability to research and synthesise information
- Shows you can present balanced viewpoints objectively
- Prepares you for workplace writing requirements
To produce a good report, first find appropriate material. Choose a topic about which opinions are divided. Research your material from newspapers, books, and the internet, ensuring you gather a balance of opinion. Then reorganise this material into a coherent piece of continuous formal prose of appropriate length.
Your report needs several key elements. First, produce a careful, concise, and effective introduction because your reader will not have read the source material. Second, develop your ideas relevantly and coherently. A good report demonstrates coherence (it reads well and hangs together) and achieves balance in presenting different viewpoints. Third, conclude your report with an ending that sums up what you have said but contains no new ideas.
Make sure your report is cohesive. Your line of thought must be logical but balanced, and your paragraphs should be effectively linked. In argumentative and report writing, learn to use transition phrases such as "in order to", "for example", "unfortunately", "moreover", "furthermore", "as a result", and "on the one hand ... on the other hand". These phrases, used appropriately, create linkage and cohesion in your writing.
Assessment criteria
Understanding what the SQA looks for helps you produce better work.
What SQA Expects: Creative Writing (Group A)
The best creative essays demonstrate:
- Dedicated attention to the four aspects of writing (purpose, structure, reader, register)
- Real command of creative writing techniques
- Established and developed issues and themes
- Explored experiences that reveal considered ideas and feelings in a mature and self-reflective way
- Maturity and sensitivity
- Individual personality and style
- Skilled use of structure, language and devices to shape meaning and effect
- Confident and varied expression
What SQA Expects: Discursive Writing (Group B)
The best discursive essays demonstrate:
- All qualities expected in creative writing
- Appropriate selections from considerable research into the chosen topic
- Skill in establishing and maintaining a clearly developed line of thought
- Ability to use structure, language and devices to shape meaning
- Depth and complexity of thought
- Confident and varied expression
- Convincing and persuasive presentation of argument (where appropriate)
Remember!
Key Points to Remember
- Your portfolio consists of two pieces: one from Group A (creative) and one group from Group B (discursive), each worth 15 marks and no more than 1300 words
- Before writing, always consider the four aspects: purpose, structure, reader, and register. These work together to shape your approach
- Personal and reflective essays require more than retelling events. They must show reflection, personal detail, and imply the effect of experiences
- Discursive writing requires marshalling ideas logically, presenting them in a clear sequence, and expressing them in precise, formal prose with effective use of transition phrases
- Choose topics that genuinely engage you and that you can write about with depth and insight, avoiding clichéd subjects unless you have an original angle