Close to the wall lighting.
This type of close to wall lighting can be general or a decorative wall-wash, sometimes used to bring out texture (like stucco or plaster) on a wall, though this may also show its defects as well. The effect depends heavily on the exact type of lighting source used.

Flush with the ceiling.
Recessed lighting (often called "pot lights" in Canada, "can lights" or 'high hats" in the U.S.) is popular, with fixtures mounted into the ceiling structure so as to appear flush with it. These downlights can use narrow beam spotlights, or wider-angle floodlights, both of which are bulbs having their own reflectors.

Easier to install.
Track lighting, invented by Lightolier, was popular at one point because it was much easier to install than recessed lighting, and individual fixtures are decorative and can be easily aimed at a wall.

More decorative track lighting.
This modified version of track lighting is cable lighting, where lights are hung from or clipped to bare metal cables under tension.

Increase the flow of natural light
This is a wall-mounted fixture, particularly it shines up and sometimes down as well. A torchiere is an uplight intended for ambient lighting. It is typically a floor lamp but may be wall-mounted like a sconce.

Gives you light for reading and writing.
The portable or table lamp is probably the most common fixture, found in many homes and offices. The standard lamp and shade that sits on a table is general lighting, while the desk lamp is considered task lighting.

Unique ceiling accent lighting
Popular in the 1960s and 1970s but fell out of favor after the 1980s, this type of lighting uses diffuser panels hung like a suspended ceiling below fluorescent lights, and is considered general lighting.