Amongst the various essay writing styles you might be asked to adopt, one of the most subtle is writing to advise. Whether you studying this writing style as part of your GCSE English revision or writing to advise ks3, or for more general purposes, there are several simple tips that will help your essay writing style. Read below to strengthen your techniques and approach as we provide you with our best essay advice for writing to advise.
Writing to advise: avoid common pitfalls
One of the most common mistakes with this style of essay writing is to confuse it with a more aggressive writing style such as writing to argue or writing to persuade. It is important to remember to give as much information as possible alongside sensible recommendations. You are not trying to win an argument with this essay writing style, but providing a helpful service. When writing to advise, keep language formal and polite, avoid colloquialisms or abbreviations and steer clear of personal pronouns such as the word ‘I’. The reader is more likely to take your advice if it sounds generally applicable. This is not a forum for your own opinion.
e.g. : ‘It is widely recommended to eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day’
is much better writing to advise than:
‘I think you should aim to eat 5 portions of fruit and veg per day.’
Writing to advise: know your audience
It is important to demonstrate an awareness of who your are advising and why. Remember the reader is much more likely to take your advice on board if they feel it is directly relevant to them, so make sure you target your writing to advise accordingly. For example if you are asked to write an article advising on the benefits of breast feeding for infant health, then don’t just mention the benefits themselves, but frequently use phrases such as ‘young mothers might already be aware…’ or ‘it is key for all mothers of infants under the age of 3 months to realise…’
Writing to advise: keep it clear
It is likely that when writing to advise you are targeting a fairly wide audience from a cross-section of society. You will pick up vital examination marks for your essay writing if you show that you are aware of this by keeping your essay simple and clearly structured. Use a strong introduction which lays out your advice in simple terms, showing that you are able to communicate with and advise people from all walks of life.
Writing to advise: final top tip
One of the most helpful techniques for this style of essay writing is to read through your essay at the end and ask yourself how well advised you would feel upon reading it. If you are unconvinced by one of the points, then you know that is the area you need to make clearer.
