9 Most Common Writing Conventions Writers Must Follow (2024)

Writers must follow specific rules to make their writing make sense, and those rules are called writing conventions.

Writing conventions are rules that writers follow that give their writing meaning and clarity. Students often study these rules in school, but they also become part of test prep programs. All writers, even established ones, can benefit from brushing up on these writing conventions.

When studying writing conventions, writers should learn both the main writing conventions andones for specific genres, such as narrative writing or letter writing. Once you grasp these rules fully, you will be able to make written works that people can understand clearly. There are nine writing conventions worth looking into as you learn to be a better writer.

1. Spelling

Spelling errorsmakeEnglishwriting challenging to understand. As part of thewriting process, you must be able to spell correctly. Spelling is also one of the most important self-editing skills.

Correct spellinggets tricky when it comes to hom*ophones, which are words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. For example, you need to know the difference between which and witch when Halloween time rolls around, or you might confuse your readers.

Read our guide to common spelling rules.

2. Grammar

Grammar refers to thesentence structure, subject-verb agreement, tenses, and other aspects of building sentences and paragraphs that make sense. ThestandardEnglishgrammar rules are something most people learn inmiddle schoolandhigh school, but they remain essentialconventions of writingthat help your written works convey meaning properly.

Some common grammar rules that you will want to follow as you build yourwriting skillinclude:

• Always writingcomplete sentences
• Having proper subject/verb andpronoun/antecedent agreement
• Avoiding passive voice, when possible
• Not writing run-on sentences
• Understandingparts of speechand using them correctly
• When to use “a”versus “an” to describe a noun

Tip: Buy the best grammar checker you can afford.

3. Punctuation

Knowing where to put periods,commas,question marks, semicolons,quotationmarks, and exclamation points are all critical to correctgrammar usage.You’ll also want to know whereparentheses,dashesand ellipses go, and how to use them properly. This is one of the fundamentalwriting conventionsbecause it is vital to the meaning of sentences.

For example, you could say:

• Let’s eat Grandma.

However, if you did, someone might call the authorities. If you say instead:

• Let’s eat, Grandma.

Then you will be a thoughtful grandchild inviting your grandmother to dinner.

Read our guide to grammar and punctuation.

4.Capitalization

Capitalizationrulesare the fourth of the four mainwriting conventions. In anypiece of writing, you need to know when to capitalize. Commoncapitalizationrulesinclude:

• Capitalize the first word in every new sentence
• Capitalizeacronyms
• Capitalize proper names andproper nouns
• Capitalize words in a title, except for short prepositions and articles
• Capitalize days, months and holidays
• Capitalize the first word in a quote after thequotation mark
• Capitalize most time periods and major world events

5. FormalWriting Conventions

Writing formal text for academic settings has its own set of rules. While teachers and writing style guides set these, some that are common across different schools and guides include:

• Avoid contractions
• Avoid nicknames
• Avoid slang
• Follow the style guide for the particular class or setting

6. LetterWriting Conventions

When writing a letter, follow the rules for letter writing. These include:

• Place the address in the top right corner of the page.
• Use the date
• Open with a greeting, such as “Dear Sir,”
• Sign the letter

7. NarrativeWriting Conventions

A narrative is a short story or book that includes characters and dialogue. When writing this, you will follow a pattern that consists of the introduction, climax, resolution and ending. Use proper grammar to showcase speech, but don’t be afraid to include dialect to make it more realistic.

8. PersuasiveWriting Conventions

A persuasive text tries to convince the reader to agree with the author or to take action. It needs to have a clear point of view, and will often use emotive language or rhetorical questions to cause the reader to think. Typically, persuasive writing combines logic with emotion so to convince a reader of a point of view. It is common in personal essays, journalism and self-help.

Learn more about persuasive writing.

9. InstructionalWriting Conventions

Instructional writing gives step-by-step instructions that tell the reader how to do something. Some of the conventions that apply to this genre include:

• Use chronological order
• Add imperative verb commands, like “make” or “stir”
• Write in numbered lists to help the reader follow the steps

A Final Word onWriting Conventions

Writing conventionsmakeEnglishwriting understandable. By following these rules, you can make the rightword choiceand choose the correctsentence structureto make your writing understandable and clear.

Whilewriting conventionsmay seem obvious, it’s always good to brush up on them before sitting down to write. They are also vital to most school exams and college placement tests, which makeswriting conventionsan important part of mosttest prepresources.

Whether you are a seasoned writer or a student, learning thesewriting conventions, and learning them well, will only serve to help you write more accurately.

FAQs AboutWriting Conventions