--- title: Writing to inform, instruct and persuade — a lesson of Mova's school · trees and pragmatics description: «Writing to inform, instruct and persuade», a lesson of the english course of Mova's primary school, sentence by sentence with dependency trees and pragmatics. It begins: Every piece of writing has a job, and the job decides its shape: instructions tell you how, reports and explanations tell you wha --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/44-writing-to-inform-instruct-and-persuade/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/) / [English](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/) / Writing to inform, instruct and persuade # Writing to inform, instruct and persuade Lesson 44 of the english course of Mova's primary school: 17 sentences, each with its syntax tree and pragmatics. The lessons are written for Mova, and their agreed trees are part of Mova corpus 0.4 (CC BY-SA 4.0). How Mova does on its tests: [the lesson at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/english/44-writing-to-inform-instruct-and-persuade/). - [0](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/44-writing-to-inform-instruct-and-persuade/0/) — Every piece of writing has a job, and the job decides its shape: instructions tell you how, reports and explanations tell you what and why, and persuasive writing tries to change your mind. - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/44-writing-to-inform-instruct-and-persuade/1/) — Instructions are like a recipe card on the fridge: a title saying what you will make, a list of what you need, then numbered steps that start with bossy verbs ("Wet the brush. - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/44-writing-to-inform-instruct-and-persuade/2/) — Squeeze a pea-sized blob of toothpaste."), so a story about your morning will not get anyone's teeth clean. - [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/44-writing-to-inform-instruct-and-persuade/3/) — A report on penguins is sorted by topic, not by time, under headings like "Habitat" and "Diet", in the present tense; a newspaper report tells who, what, where, when and why, in the past tense, with a headline and a quote. - [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/44-writing-to-inform-instruct-and-persuade/4/) — Persuasion uses reasons, evidence and feelings, with a polite voice: "Dear Council, the park is boss, don't close it or else!" sounds like a threat from a Liverpool lad ("boss" means great), while "Over 200 children play here every week" gives the council something to think about. - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/44-writing-to-inform-instruct-and-persuade/5/) — A balanced argument is the fair cousin of persuasion: it gives the reasons on both sides, for example of banning school uniforms, before the writer says what they think at the end. - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/44-writing-to-inform-instruct-and-persuade/6/) — Instructions have a goal, a list of things needed, and numbered steps in order. - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/44-writing-to-inform-instruct-and-persuade/7/) — Instructions use imperative (bossy) verbs at the start of steps: mix, cut, press, brush. - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/44-writing-to-inform-instruct-and-persuade/8/) — A non-chronological report organises facts by topic, not by time, usually in the present tense with headings. - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/44-writing-to-inform-instruct-and-persuade/9/) — A recount retells events in time order, usually in the past tense, using time words like first, then, after that and finally. - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/44-writing-to-inform-instruct-and-persuade/10/) — A newspaper report has a headline, answers the 5 Ws (who, what, where, when, why), is in the past tense and often includes quotes. - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/44-writing-to-inform-instruct-and-persuade/11/) — A persuasive letter states what the writer wants, gives reasons and evidence, and stays polite. - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/44-writing-to-inform-instruct-and-persuade/13/) — An explanation shows how or why something happens, using cause-and-effect words such as because, so and as a result. - [14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/44-writing-to-inform-instruct-and-persuade/14/) — A balanced argument presents points for and against, then gives a conclusion. - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/44-writing-to-inform-instruct-and-persuade/15/) — A diary entry is written in the first person (I, we), usually in the past tense, and shares feelings as well as events. - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/44-writing-to-inform-instruct-and-persuade/16/) — Adverts use persuasive language and slogans, sometimes slang to sound friendly to young people; "bussin'" in Gen Z slang means really good. - [17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/44-writing-to-inform-instruct-and-persuade/17/) — In Victorian times, some children worked as chimney sweeps' climbing boys, a dangerous job; a law of 1875 finally stopped it. - ← previous: [Editing and redrafting](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/43-editing-and-redrafting/) - next →: [Poetry: rhyme and rhythm](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/45-poetry-rhyme-and-rhythm/) - ↑ back to [English](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/)