Introduction

 
Introduction of the two article types.  In this section of the book, I will discuss two “article types”, that is, expository articles and narrative articles.  As with the earlier sections of this book, I will try not to repeat material which is often found in college-level writing textbooks.  This section will focus on using the planning methods and sentence constructions used in the earlier sections on sentence writing and paragraph writing.  Again, the internal structure will be very closely controlled.  Once the overall structure of the text has been determined, the writer’s individual creativity can be used.  Please choose what is useful to you, and discard the rest. 
 
 
     Again, the two article types are as follows: 
     Type One –Expository Articles. 
     Type Two –Narrative Articles. 
 
Rationale for dividing articles into two types.  There are a number of reasons for dividing up the many ways of writing articles into two main types (expository, and narrative).  Although there are other “types” of articles in general use, these two are most commonly found in everyday writing–and certainly in most college writing courses. 
 
     Concerning the formulaic approach to article plans.  It has been said that “Failing to plan, is planning to fail”.  Of course, it is possible to write without a plan, but I feel that having a good plan helps to make a better writing product.  The strict planning methods used in the earlier section on paragraph writing (i.e., TS, S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, CS), will be expanded here, to cover the overall article, and each paragraph of the article.  Once the structure of the article has been thought through carefully, then writing each sentence, one by one, becomes very easy.  This method is not the only valid way of writing articles; there are others, and they can be found in various textbooks.  Again, A Handbook To Writing is a good place to look. 
 
     Concerning “structure and freedom”.  Some people like to write their articles without such long plans, or a short one scribbled on the back of an envelope.  Others like everything laid out clearly in advance.  This method favors those people who like everything clearly arranged before they begin to write.  Sometimes, they find it difficult to write orderly and sequential sentences without a plan, or even to write a plan at all.  With the plan structure already arranged and the sentences determined, writing the actual language becomes easier.  It is a bit like doing “dot-to dot” drawings, or coloring in pictures that have the outlines already drawn, and numbers written on each part, telling you what color to use.  This may sound simplistic to many, but for second-language learners, it does provide help through structure.  Later on, this method can be discarded, in favor of “the back of the envelope”.  I hope that you, the reader, will choose the method of writing that is most suitable for you. 
 
     Concerning text analysis and synthesis.  Once you have written a text article, following the detailed plan (see below), you will have a text of 49 sentences (7 paragraphs, of 7 sentences each).  Since each sentence (and each paragraph) is a distinct unit, you will be able to carefully take apart and study (analyze) and re-construct (synthesize) the text at will.  “Writing is a process”, and this truth can be easily realized, as you edit and re-edit the text.