Overview: Understanding Writing Situations

Many of us think of writing as a solitary activity -- something done when we're alone in a quiet place. Yet most of our writing, like other forms of communication -- telephone conversations, classroom discussions, meetings, and presentations -- is an intensely social activity. In this guide, you can learn more about the situations in which writers and readers find themselves and the physical, social, cultural, and historical contexts that shape them.

Reading and Writing as Social Acts
Reading and Writing as Conversation
A Social Model of Writing
The Role of Context

Writing Guides

Understanding Writing Situations

Overview: Understanding Writing Situations