Writing and language conventions are simply the rules people must follow when writing any kind of text. Whether you’re writing a story or a political speech, there are certain principles, such as writing in full sentences and spelling words correctly, thatwill help the text make sense and have an impact on the audience.
As well as the more general writing conventions that apply to all texts, certain genres have specific rules and principles that guide them. For example, you know you’re reading a play script if it contains stage directions, scenes, and speech without speech marks.
Keep reading below to learn all about language conventions and techniques, including a language conventions list for you to use with your class.
What are the main writing conventions?
The main writing conventions that children will learn are the ones that are applicable to all texts. These are the rules that must be followed in all writing tasks, to help the reader understand what has been written. This language conventions list includes:
- Spelling – all words must be spelled correctly, including any homophones.
- Punctuation – punctuation must be used appropriately, such as a full stop at the end of a sentence, or commas separating items in a list.
- Capitalisation – all words that require a capital letter should have one, including proper nouns and words at the beginning of a sentence.
- Grammar – all grammatical rules must be followed, such as subject-verb agreements and correct use of tense.
Other common language convention mistakes include overly wordy sentences, poor paragraphing, and using the wrong word. There are a whole range of language conventions resources that you can use to support your class.
As a fun group activity, why not come up with a language conventions list with your class? This will help you keep on top of common mistakes when it comes to things like spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Writing conventions for specific genres:
While the rules of spelling, punctuation, capitalisation, and grammar are necessary for all texts, some genres have their own sets of rules and principles to follow. These features help the reader to identify what kind of text they are looking at. Read on to find out more about some of the more common genres and their conventions:
Narrative writing conventions
A narrative text is one that tells a story, like a book. Some common features of a narrative piece include characters, speech, and a clear story structure. Children might plan using a story mountain structure so that their narrative text has a clear introduction, build-up, climax, resolution, and ending. If you are reading a text that has a plot like this, you can be sure you are reading a narrative.
Persuasive writing conventions
Persuasive texts aim to convince the reader to agree with the author’s point of viewand might be presented in a format such as a speech, article, or poster. One example of a persuasive writing convention would be having a clear point of view, which is likely to be presented in the introduction and the conclusion. Other common features will include facts and figures, emotive language, and rhetorical questions.
Letter writing conventions
When you are reading a letter, there are many visual clues that tell you what type of text you are looking at. A letter will include an address in the top right-hand corner, as well as a date, and a greeting (such as “Dear Sir/Madam”). It is also likely to be written in paragraphs, and finish with a sign-off, such as “Yours Sincerely”.
Instructional writing conventions
Instructional writing covers text types such as recipes, instruction manuals, and how-to articles. This genre has many defining conventions, such as having a numbered list of instructions. This will be written in chronological order, and include imperative verb commands, such as “Mix the batter”. Instructions are unlikely to include any speech or descriptive features. This specific list of conventions helps the reader to know they are reading a set of instructions, and to follow them effectively.
Formal writing conventions
There are also writing conventions for specific writing registers, as well as genres. If you are writing a formal text, such as a letter to your headteacher, specific rules will guide your writing and help the reader to know that you are writing formally. This includes avoiding contractions, for example saying “cannot” instead of the more informal “can’t”. A formal text is also unlikely to include any nicknames or slang terms. These conventions will help you to set the right tone for your writing.
Why are writing conventions necessary?
The main aim of writing conventions is to help the reader understand what they are reading. If spelling, punctuation, and grammar were all incorrect, then no one would be able to read and enjoy the text!
Writing conventions are the foundation of any piece of written work, so children must learn to master them as best they can before they move on to more detailed writing.
Many school exams and tests are graded according to the use of writing conventions, so this is an important skill to master. In order for children to succeed academically, writing conventions are a must-know for children of all ages. A piece of work can be brilliantly structured and informed in its contents, but if it is littered with spelling and grammar mistakes, children will lose marks easily.
Following the conventions of writing isn’t just a skill children will need throughout their school years, it’s also an essential skill that will help them in their adult life, too. For example, following the conventions specific to writing a resume, and using correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar will work in their favour when applying for a job in the future.
How can I teach my children about language conventions and techniques?
Teaching children about language conventions and techniques doesn’t have to be tricky. Children will have to follow the rules of spelling, punctuation, and grammar for every text they create, so before long, these conventions should be second nature to them.
Here are a couple more of our top tips for helping children get to grips with writing conventions:
- Help your children understand the importance of writing conventions from an early age. Introducing these rules as young as the Foundation stage allows children to make them into a habit, and takes away the fear factor.
- Talk to your children about writing conventions – are there any specific aspects that they find difficult? It might be the case that your children would benefit from an extra bit of teaching around a certain topic.
- Approach writing conventions from different angles. For example, you can teach grammar through dedicated PowerPoints, worksheets, or by talking through mistakes they’ve made in previous tasks.
- In the run-up to exam season, set aside some time to go over language conventions – both general rules, and those that are specific to certain genres. Children can check about anything they aren’t sure on, and you can set them tasks that are specific to spelling, punctuation, capitalisation, and grammar.