• Inform - When you inform someone, you are giving them the FACTS, basically and simply explained. Here's an example

Football is a game played with 11 players on each side. They try to score goals. The side with the most goals wins.

• Explain -  When you explain something, you're still dealing in FACTS, but you're adding more information. Here's an example.

Football has been played in Britain for over 150 years. Nowadays, there are 4 main leagues, with the Premiership at the top. Among the top teams are Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool. There are 20 teams in the premiership...

• Describe - When you describe something, you don't just stick to the facts, you can also talk about the way something makes you feel, or give a more personal response to something. For example;

I love football. It's the most exciting thing to stand in the stadium when your favourite team are playing. The sound of the crowd cheering and shouting; the thrill of seeing the players on the pitch; best of all when the ball goes in the back of the net. The whole crowd lifts from their seats and the cheer rings through your ears....

In the exam, you may be asked to do any or all of these styles of writing and they are all important in everday life.

What sort of writing might you do if you were writing an application form?

What about if you went to the Doctors and you wanted him to understand what was wrong with you?

click here to see an example of an informative powerpoint about an endangered animal

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