The first section of the book looks in detail at essay writing, the most common genre for academic study. It begins by looking at the content and structure of a typical essay, then looks at different essay types, namely comparison and contrast, cause and effect, problem-solution, classification, argument, discussion, definition, process, exemplification, and description. The second section of the book looks at report writing, the next most common genre for academic study, beginning with an overview of report writing, followed by a detailed look at the two most common report types, namely laboratory reports and business reports. Other report types are also covered. The third section covers other genres which do not fit into the essay or report category. They are posters, reflective writing, book reviews, research proposals, and theses/dissertations. The fourth and final section considers genre elements. These are types of writing which can form part of other genres, but can also be stand-alone pieces of writing, and need looking at in detail. They are abstracts and literature reviews.