Word Confusion: Write vs Writing vs Written

Posted July 7, 2016 by Kathy Davie in Author Resources, Self-Editing, Word Confusions, Writing

Revised as of
14 July 2023

It is a confusion, but primarily one of verb tense. Write and writes are present tense. Wrote (and writ) are the past tense version of write.

Writing is both noun and verb with the verb a present participle, i.e., it’s present tense using an -ing ending.

Written is a past tense, specifically the past participle, albeit with an irregular ending.

Word Confusions . . .

. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end. Consider sharing this Word Confusion with friends by tweeting it.

Write Writing Written

John Lennon and Paul McCartney at Kennedy Airport

Lennon–McCartney by an unknown photographer for United Press International and is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Lennon and McCartney did write most of the Beatles songs.


Animation of writing a letter in Kannada

Kannada Alphabet AEE is Gopala Krishna A’s own work under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.

I do love the look of script, and it’s fun to watch the pen writing.


Portion of the writing on the Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Hierogliphs is courtesy of Bugboy52.40 and under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Rosetta Stone is inscribed with a written decree in three languages, which provided the key to the modern understanding of Egyptian hieroglyphs.

Part of Grammar:
Verb, intransitive & transitive Morpheme: write


Noun; Verb, intransitive & transitive
Morpheme: write


Verb, intransitive & transitive
Gerund: writing

Third person present verb: writes
Past tense: wrote, writ [archaic] Past participle: written
Present participle: writing

Verb, intransitive:
Mark (letters, words, or other symbols) on a surface, typically paper, with a pen, pencil, or similar implement

  • Have the ability to mark down coherent letters or words
  • Write in a cursive hand, as opposed to printing individual letters

Compose, write, and send (a letter) to someone

Compose (a text or work) for written or printed reproduction or publication

  • Put into literary form and set down in writing

Verb, transitive:
Mark (letters, words, or other symbols) on a surface, typically paper, with a pen, pencil, or similar implement

  • Fill out or complete (a sheet, check, or similar) in this way
  • Write in a cursive hand, as opposed to printing individual letters

Compose, write, and send (a letter) to someone

[Chiefly North American] Write and send a letter to (someone)

  • [write in] Write to an organization, especially a broadcasting station, with a question, suggestion, or opinion

Compose (a text or work) for written or printed reproduction or publication

  • Put into literary form and set down in writing
  • Compose a musical work
  • [write someone into; write someone out of] Add or remove a character to or from a long-running story or series
  • [Archaic] Describe in writing

[Computing] Enter data into a specified storage medium or location in store

Underwrite an insurance policy

See the leftmost column for the intransitive and transitive verb definitions for writing.


Noun:
The activity or skill of marking coherent words on paper and composing text

  • The activity or occupation of composing text for publication

Written work, especially with regard to its style or quality

  • [Writings] Books, stories, articles, or other written works
  • [The Writings] the Hagiographa

A sequence of letters, words, or symbols marked on paper or some other surface

  • Handwriting
See the leftmost column for the intransitive and transitive verb definitions for written.
Examples:
Verb, intransitive:
He wrote very neatly in blue ink.

And that’s all she wrote, folks.

He couldn’t read or write.

She writes a beautiful hand.

Paul wrote almost every day.

Verb, transitive:
Baby, with your looks, you can write your own ticket.

He wrote under a pseudonym.

Mother wrote me and told me about poor Simon’s death.

If you want to learn more, write in with your query.

I didn’t know you wrote poetry.

“If I could write the beauty of your eyes, / And in fresh numbers number all your graces,” – William Shakespeare, Sonnet XVII

It’s nothing to write home about.

I get annoyed with authors who write down to their readers.

Janet’s granny will write her off, you’ll see.

Now, will you write her up!?!

Noun:
Parents want schools to concentrate on reading, writing, and arithmetic.

She made a decent living from writing.

The writing is straightforward and accessible.

He was introduced to the writings of Gertrude Stein.

She carried this leather briefcase with gold writing on it.

Doctors must take a special course in incomprehensible writing.

Verb, intransitive:
What’s she writing now?

There are people who cannot read or write.

She wrote for most of her adult life.

Please write while you are away.

Verb, transitive:
He is writing a song specifically for her.

I think he’s writing a complaint out.

She’s writing her name?

She’s been writing five pages an hour.

Verb, intransitive:
It’s an invisible message written in lemon juice.

What has Georgie written about now?

He had written about the beauty of Andalucia.

Verb, transitive:
They’ve written Dr. Lester out of the show.

Amesco has underwritten the ship policy.

He had written his name on the paper.

Had Alice written down the address?

The check was written for $800.

Helen had written a letter to Elizabeth.

Every bit of code we’ve written will have to be redone.

Ah, geez, it’s written all over your face!

Well, it’s not like it’s written in stone.

Derivatives:
Adjective: self-writing, unwriting, writable
Noun: handwriting, writing
Verb: miswrite, miswriting, miswritten, miswrote
Phrasal Verb
write something down
write someone in
write something off
write something up
History of the Word:
Old English wrītan, meaning score, form (letters) by carving, write, is of Germanic origin and related to the German reissen meaning sketch or drag.

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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!

Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.

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Resources for Write vs Writing vs Written

Apple Dictionary.com

The Free Dictionary: write

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Pinterest Photo Credits

Stanza 135.2 to be Revised and Go on the Square is under the Public Domain Mark 1.0 license, via Gary Stockbridge and courtesy of the New York Public Library.

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