What factors are to be considered constitutive for competence in spelling, punctuation, and formal written correctness? The study attempts to answer this question with reference to a corpus of ‘ordinary’ writing (scrittura popolare) from 20th century Tuscany, some thirty texts by Tuscan writers with elementary school education (3-6 years). Based on theories of writing as a system and a process and theoretical knowledge on the acquisition of writing skills, the empirical analysis sets out to distinguish the socio-cultural and situational factors relevant for competence in the use of written language and in the selection of resources appropriate to the communicative aims involved.