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English Writing Skills Syllabus

Every chapter and topic of Writing Skills examined in English — 5 chapters, 6 topics and 13 sub-topics, plus 50 flashcards written against it.

5Chapters
6Topics
13Sub-topics
~7hEst. first pass
6%Of English
50Flashcards

Writing Skills syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Writing Skills in English, not a summary of it.

  1. Introduction to English Writing

     2 topics
    • Understanding the Importance of Writing
      • Benefits of Writing Skills
      • Applications in Real Life
    • Basic Grammar and Vocabulary
      • Parts of Speech
      • Sentence Structure

  2. Developing Writing Skills

     2 topics
    • Writing Paragraphs
      • Topic Sentences
      • Supporting Details
      • Concluding Sentences
    • Essay Writing
      • Types of Essays
      • Essay Structure

  3. Advanced Writing Techniques

     2 topics
    • Creative Writing
      • Storytelling Elements
      • Poetry Writing
    • Technical Writing
      • Writing Manuals and Guides
      • Professional Correspondence

  4. Editing and Revising

     overview

    Examined as a single unit within Writing Skills — no further topic split in the official outline.

  5. Writing for Different Purposes

     overview

    Examined as a single unit within Writing Skills — no further topic split in the official outline.

Writing Skills flashcards for English

22 of 50 cards from the Writing Skills deck — real questions with worked answers.

  1. Why is writing considered an essential communication skill?

    Writing allows ideas, information, and emotions to be recorded and transmitted across time and distance, providing a permanent, shareable, and reviewable form of communication that speech alone cannot.

  2. What are the four primary purposes of writing?

    To inform, to persuade, to entertain, and to express (self-expression). Each purpose shapes the tone, structure, and word choice of a piece.

  3. In communication theory, what does it mean that writing is 'asynchronous'?

    The writer and reader do not need to be present at the same time; the message is created at one moment and received later, unlike face-to-face speech.

  4. What is the difference between formal and informal writing?

    Formal writing uses standard grammar, no contractions or slang, an objective tone, and complex structures (e.g., reports, essays). Informal writing is casual, may use contractions, slang, and a personal tone (e.g., texts, personal letters).

  5. What are the eight traditional parts of speech in English?

    Noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection.

  6. What is the basic structure of a complete English sentence?

    A complete sentence needs at least a subject and a predicate (verb), and it must express a complete thought, e.g., 'Birds fly.'

  7. Define 'subject-verb agreement.'

    The rule that a verb must match its subject in number and person: a singular subject takes a singular verb ('She runs') and a plural subject takes a plural verb ('They run').

  8. What is the difference between a clause and a phrase?

    A clause contains a subject and a verb (e.g., 'because she left'), while a phrase is a group of words lacking a subject-verb pair (e.g., 'on the table').

  9. Distinguish an independent clause from a dependent (subordinate) clause.

    An independent clause expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence. A dependent clause has a subject and verb but cannot stand alone (e.g., 'when the rain stopped').

  10. What are the three degrees of comparison for adjectives and adverbs?

    Positive (big), comparative (bigger), and superlative (biggest). Comparatives compare two things; superlatives compare three or more.

  11. Define a synonym and an antonym, with an example of each.

    A synonym is a word with the same or similar meaning (happy/glad). An antonym is a word with the opposite meaning (happy/sad).

  12. What is the difference between connotation and denotation?

    Denotation is a word's literal, dictionary meaning; connotation is the emotional or cultural association it carries (e.g., 'home' denotes a residence but connotes warmth and belonging).

  13. Name the four sentence types classified by function.

    Declarative (states a fact), interrogative (asks a question), imperative (gives a command), and exclamatory (expresses strong emotion).

  14. Name the four sentence types classified by structure.

    Simple (one independent clause), compound (two or more independent clauses), complex (one independent + one or more dependent clauses), and compound-complex (two or more independent + at least one dependent clause).

  15. What is a run-on sentence and how can it be corrected?

    A run-on improperly joins two independent clauses with no punctuation or conjunction. Fix it with a period, a semicolon, or a comma plus a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS).

  16. What does the mnemonic FANBOYS stand for?

    The seven coordinating conjunctions: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So.

  17. What is a topic sentence in a paragraph?

    The sentence, usually first, that states the paragraph's main idea and controls what the rest of the paragraph develops.

  18. What are the three essential parts of a well-structured paragraph?

    A topic sentence (main idea), supporting sentences (details, evidence, examples), and a concluding/transition sentence that wraps up or links to the next idea.

  19. Define the three qualities of an effective paragraph: unity, coherence, and completeness.

    Unity: every sentence relates to one main idea. Coherence: ideas flow logically with smooth transitions. Completeness: enough supporting detail fully develops the topic.

  20. What is the function of transition words in a paragraph?

    They connect ideas and signal relationships such as addition (furthermore), contrast (however), cause/effect (therefore), and sequence (first, next), improving coherence.

  21. What is the PEEL structure for paragraph writing?

    Point (state the idea), Evidence (give proof/example), Explain (interpret the evidence), Link (connect back to the main argument or to the next point).

  22. What are the three main parts of an essay?

    Introduction, body, and conclusion.

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Planning Writing Skills for English

Writing Skills is about 6% of the English syllabus by topic count — 6 of 108 topics, spread over 5 chapters. At roughly 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic, a first pass runs to about 7 hours.

The heaviest chapters are Introduction to English Writing (2 topics), Developing Writing Skills (2 topics), Advanced Writing Techniques (2 topics) . Front-load those while your energy is high; the short chapters are better revision filler later.

Work top-down: read the chapter, then tick topics off individually rather than marking the whole chapter done. Sub-topics are where silent gaps hide.

Writing Skills (English) FAQ

What is in the English Writing Skills syllabus?

Writing Skills is split into 5 chapters — Introduction to English Writing, Developing Writing Skills, Advanced Writing Techniques, Editing and Revising and Writing for Different Purposes, containing 6 topics and 13 sub-topics in total.

How is Writing Skills structured in the English syllabus?

5 chapters. Writing Skills accounts for about 6% of the topics in the whole English syllabus (6 of 108).

How long should I spend on Writing Skills for English?

Budget around 7 hours for a first pass through Writing Skills — about 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic across its 6 topics. Add revision cycles on top.

Are there flashcards for English Writing Skills?

Yes — a 50-card Writing Skills deck. Sample cards are printed on this page, and the full deck is free in the Examius app with spaced repetition scheduling.