LESSON 1: READING ACADEMIC TEXTS ACADEMIC WRITING CONVENTIONS

ACADEMIC TEXT F – FORMAL

➢ Develop students’ strong command of the I – IMPERSONAL
language set in academic context. S – STRUCTURED
H – HEDGED
➢ Required in curriculum of SHS or in
college 1. ACADEMIC WRITING IS FORMAL
- This refers to how we use a different
➢ Done by students to meet the standard. phraseology or words that we carefully
chose to suit a particular idea or concept.
➢ Example of a text produced for academic
- This means not writing immediately the
purposes.
first thing that comes to mind and
avoiding a conversational tone in writing
ACADEMIC WRITING
➢ Posing a question
2. ACADEMIC WRITING IS IMPERSONAL
- This refers to wording and expression
➢ Problematizing a concept
that conveys a sense of non-familiarity
and objectivity.
➢ Evaluating and opinion
- In other words, it’s how we maintain a
➢ Answering the questions or questions certain distance between the reader and
posed clarifying the problem. the writer.

3. ACADEMIC WRITING IS STRUCTURED

TYPES OF ACADEMIC WRITING
- This refers to a certain structural element
that set academic writing apart from
✓ Essay
others
✓ Concept Paper
a. Avoid nominalization: it is
✓ Reaction Paper
replacing an action word with
✓ Position Paper
a noun counterpart that
✓ Education Reports
makes the sentence less
✓ Research Paper
active
b. Avoid passive voice: it allows
FACTORS TO CONSIDER IN ACADEMIC TEXT
the doer of the action to be
relegated to the background.
1. Role – refers to who you are as a writer;
2. Audience – refers to the intended reader 4. ACADEMIC WRITING IS HEDGED
for one’s piece of writing. - This refers to the use of cautious
3. Purpose – refers to the reason why a language in order not to sound
piece of writing is produced; condescending or too proud about a
4. Format – refers to the form most
certain claim.
appropriate for one’s piece of writing. - Academic writing that uses hedged
language allows for an objective and
impersonal language thus may provide
greater interactions

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 NATURE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF AN COMPLEXITY
ACADEMIC TEXT - An academic text addresses complex
issues that require higher-order thinking
STRUCTURE skills to comprehend.
- The basic structure that is used by an
academic text is consist of three (3) parts EVIDENCE-BASED ARGUMENT
introduction, body, and conclusion which - What is valued in an academic text is that
is formal and logical. opinions are based on a sound
- This kind of structure enables the reader understanding of the pertinent body of
to follow the argument and navigate the knowledge and academic debates within
text. and often external to a specific discipline.
- In academic writing a clear structure and
THESIS DRIVEN
a logical flow are imperative to a cohesive
- The starting point of an academic text is a
text.
particular perspective, idea or position
TONE
applied to the chosen research problem,
- This refers to the attitude conveyed in a
such as establishing, proving, or
piece of writing. The arguments of others
disproving solutions to the questions
are fairly presented and with an
posed for the topic.
appropriate narrative tone.
- When presenting a position or argument
FEATURES OF ACADEMIC TEXT
that disagrees with one’s perspectives,
describe the argument accurately without
✓ Complex
loaded or biased language.
✓ Formal
LANGUAGE
✓ Precise
- It is important to use unambiguous
✓ Objective
language.
✓ Explicit
- Clear topic sentences enable a reader to
✓ Accurate
follow your line of thinking without
✓ Hedging
difficulty.
✓ Organize
- Formal language and the third person
point-of-view should be used.
PURPOSE IN READING ACADEMIC TEXT
- Technical language appropriate to area
of study may also be used, however, it
does not mean using “big words” just for ✓ To locate the main idea;
the sake of doing so ✓ To scan for information;
CITATION ✓ To identify gaps in existing ones;
- Citing sources in the body of the paper ✓ To connect new ideas to existing
and providing a list of references as either ones;
footnotes or endnotes is a very important ✓ To gain more pieces of information
aspect of an academic text. ✓ To support a particular writing
- It is essential to always acknowledge the assignment; and
source of any ideas, research findings, ✓ To deeply understand an existing
data, or quoted text that have been used idea.
in a paper as a defense against
allegations of plagiarism.

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ACADEMIC LANGUAGE
- It is the language needed by students to
do the work in schools.
- It includes, for example, discipline-
specific vocabulary, grammar and
punctuation, and applications of
rhetorical conventions and devices that
are typical for a content area (e.g., essays,
discussions of a controversial issue.)

SOCIAL LANGUAGE
- It is the set of vocabulary that allows us to
communicate with others in the context of
regular daily conversations

CHARACTERISTICS OF ACADEMIC
LANGUAGE

1. FORMAL - it should not sound

conversational or casual. Colloquial,
idiomatic, slang or journalistic
expressions should particularly be
avoided
2. OBJECTIVE - this means it is
unbiased. It should be based on facts
and evidence and are not influenced
by personal feelings.
3. IMPERSONAL - This involves
avoiding the personal pronouns ‘I’
and ‘we’. For example, instead of
writing ‘I will show’, you might write
‘this report will show’. The second
person, ‘you’, is also to be avoided.

LESSON 2: TEXT STRUCTURES

Text structure refers to how the information

within a written text is organized.
This strategy helps you understand that a text
might present a main idea and details; a cause
and then its effects; and/or different views of a
topic among others. Knowing to recognize
common text structures can help monitor your
comprehension.

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 Two Common Academic Text Structure
3 Part Essay Structure- This is the basis of all
formal writing.

1. Introduction - states the issue or

topic, reason or purpose, and
structure or the manner in which the
writer wants the readers to get the
information of the paper.
2. Body Paragraph - elaboration or
explanation of the topic. It is in the
body that comprehensive discussion
of the topic is done by citing
evidences that support the writer’s
perspectives on the topic being
discussed through examples,
definitions, etc.
3. Conclusion - summary of the ideas
presented in the paper and explains
briefly how these ideas are
connected to one another. This
connection of ideas is generally
known as the general statement.

IMRad Text Structure - This is commonly used

in writing scientific articles or reports
IMPORTANCE OF TEXT STRUCTURE
1. Introduction - states the status of a
The readers can significantly improve their current phenomenon. It includes
comprehension and retention of information what the author knows and what
when they can identify and recognize the text he/she wanted to know about It is
structure of a text. It can also help them: also in the introduction where the
writer states his/her thesis statement,
1. Organize information and details hypothesis or research question
they are learning in their minds while 2. Methods - explains the process on an
reading. author reach the results of his/her
2. Make connections between the study or investigation.
details being presented in a text 3. Results and Discussion - explains the
3. Summarize the important details findings of the study or investigation.
shared in a text At this stage, you Here, the author can compare the
should have several ideas on the result of his/her work with other
common text structures used in existing studies or investigations and
academic texts. posts his/her recommendation/s
based on his/her findings.

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 ✓ Combine the sentences into a paragraph.
LESSON 3: SUMMARIZING TEXTS
✓ Ensure that you do not copy a single
Paraphrasing, Summarizing, and Quoting are sentence from the original text.
different ways of including the ideas of others
✓ Refrain from adding comments about the
into your work.
text.

Summarizing
✓ Edit the draft of your summary by
➢ A skill that you need to possess as
eliminating redundant ideas.
learners of academic writing. Aside from
the fact that summarizing improves one’s
✓ Compare your output with the original
memory of a reading text, it also helps a
text to ensure accuracy.
lot in identifying relevant information and
integrating essential ideas in making ✓ Record the details of the original source.
meaningful write ups.
➢ It is often used to determine the essential TIPS IN SUMMARIZING
ideas in a book, chapter, an article.
➢ These essential ideas include the gist or
✓ Re-read the text to be summarized
main idea, useful information, or key
repeatedly.
words or phrases.
➢ It is an important skill because it helps ✓ Identify the main idea of the text.
deepen the understanding of the text.
✓ Put yourself in the situation of the reader.
FACTORS TO CONSIDER IN SUMMARIZING
✓ Use appropriate transitional devices.
✓ Clarify your purpose before you read.
✓ Limit your summary to a few sentences.
✓ Read the text and understand the
meaning. ✓ Proofread your work.

✓ Select and underline or circle the key TECHNIQUES IN SUMMARAZING

ideas and phrases while reading.
✓ Erase things that don’t matter.
✓ Write all the key ideas and phrases you
identified on the margins or on your ✓ Erase things that repeat.
notebook in a bullet or an outline form.
✓ Trade, general terms for specific names.
✓ Without looking at the text, identify the
connections of these key ideas and ✓ Use your own words to write the summary
phrases using a concept maps, graphic
organizers, or thinking maps. 5 WAYS OF SUMMARAZING

✓ List your ideas in sentences into a

paragraph.

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 LESSON 4: PARAPHRASING THE TEXTS
PARAPHRASING
➢ It is a way of interpreting the text in
your own way without conceptual
change.
➢ Meant to be a retelling of
information in unique words, not
word for word.
➢ Required in academic writing
➢ Altering the wording used by
someone else into your own words.

STEPS IN PARAPHRASING

1. Repeatedly read the passage to be

paraphrased until you have completely
understood what it says.

2. Do not look at the passage while you are

writing your paraphrase.

1. Somebody Wanted But So Then - This 3. After writing your paraphrase, read the
strategy helps student generalize, original passage once again to check if
recognize, cause and effect, relationship, you were able to accurately capture its
and find main ideas. meaning.
2. SAAC Method - This method is
particularly helpful in summarizing any 4. Check whether your paraphrase has
kind of text. The acronym refers to a errors in grammar or mechanics.
specific element that should be included
in the text. 5. Always cite your source.
3. 5Ws and 1H - This Technique relies six
crucial questions that help the LESSON 5: THESIS STATEMENT
summarizing process easily identify the
main character, important details, and Thesis Statement
main idea. ➢ A thesis statement is a sentence used in
4. First Then Finally - This technique helps an essay that serves as the guide for the
students summarize every event in essay and directly answers the question
chronological order or task asked of you.
5. Give Me The Gist - A type of technique
➢ An essay must have a main point, main
that is giving a friend the excerpt of the
idea and such main point or central
story. In other words, they want a
message is the thesis. It is written as the
summary not a retelling of every detail
thesis statement.
➢ Remember a thesis statement is simply a
factual statement nor is not just a topic

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 sentence. It has to be noted that the thesis 5. HINTED/IMPLIED
statement is also considered the main - The most different among the methods;
idea. this pattern does NOT directly present a
generalized statement or conclusion,
CHARACTERISTIC OF THESIS STATEMENT which means that the writer leaves it to
the audience to conclude and make
1. It addresses the prompt clearly. generalized statements about the ideas
2. It makes a claim or presents an argument. presented in the text.
3. It may be arguable if the thesis an opinion.
LESSON 6: OUTLINING TEXTS
WAYS OF THESIS STATEMENT
Outlining
1. INDUCTIVE ➢ It is the process of organizing one’s
- A writing method which starts from ideas in a logical way.
particular to general ➢ In writing, it helps the writer what to
- it means that specific details are include and not to include.
presented at the first part of the text and
conclusions or generalizations are placed PURPOSE OF OUTLINING
at the end of the text.
✓ An outline helps organize your ideas.
2. DEDUCTUVE ✓ Outlines help present your material in a
- The opposite of induction; this writing logical form.
method starts from general to specific ✓ An outline helps show the relationship
- which means that conclusions are among your ideas.
presented first before presenting the ✓ An outline helps build an ordered
support ideas or specific details. overview of your writing.
✓ Outlines help to define the boundaries
3. DEDUCTIVE-INDUCTIVE and groups.
- A combination of the first two methods;
this pattern starts from general statement,
COMMON OUTLINE PATTERNS
proceeds in discussing specific details in
the middle of the text, and ends with a
recapitulation of the generalized
statement at the end.
- Usually, this repeated general statement
becomes an “intensifier” of the idea
presented at the beginning of the text.

4. INDUCTUVE-DEDUCTIVE
- A combination of the two previous
methods; this pattern starts from specific,
presents a generalized statement or
conclusion at the middle and proceeds in
discussing information or support details
towards the end.

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 GENERAL PRINCIPLES IN OUTLINING 4. DIVISION - Basic rule is to have two or
more parts and this division should be
1. PARRALELISM - Nouns should be made based on rank/level/category.
parallel with nouns, verbs with verbs; This
will enable the reader to recognize Example:
similarity and function. This will enable the I. Preparing for a Test
outline to be expressed in parallel A. Review the lessons
sentence structure. B. Take down notes
C. Sleep early
Example: D. Have a good breakfast
Blessed are the poor in spirit; for II. Taking the Test
theirs is the kingdom of heaven. A. Concentrate
Blessed are they that mourn; for they
B. Read the questions
shall be comforted.
C. Answer the test
Blessed are the meek; for they shall
inherit the earth GENERAL RULES WHEN WRITING AN
OUTLINE
2. COORDINATION - Items of equal
significance in the same category or label.
1. Follow this format:
Headings = using Roman Numerals
MAIN TOPICS = ROMAN NUMERALS (I, II, III)
Subheadings = Arabic Letters
Sub – topics = CAPITAL LETTERS (A,B,C)
Details under capital letters = Arabic numbers
Example:
(1, 2, 3)
I. Definition of Communication
Details under Arabic numbers are shown by
II. Functions of Communication
small letters (a, b, c)
III. Forms of Communication
Details under small letters = ((1), (2), (3))
A. Oral
Details under Arabic numbers in parentheses
B. Written
(a) (b)
2. First letter must be capitalized.
3. SUBORDINATION - Though its most
3. Any point must have at least two (2) sub
important and least important details
points
Writer should distinguish major and
4. Use either the sentence or phrase
minor components of the outline.
(topic/words) for each point.
5. Be consistent.

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 PROCESS OF OUTLINING There are two important ideas about the
reader response criticism:
1. Determine the purpose and audience of a. An individual reader’s interpretation
your paper usually changes over time;
2. Brainstorm all the ideas you want to b. Readers from different generations
include and different time periods interpret
3. Organize the ideas by grouping like ones texts differently.
together
4. Order the groups of ideas in a logical It answers the questions
sequence “How do YOU feel about what you have read?
5. Label groups of ideas with main and sub What do YOU think it means?”
headings
2. Formalist Criticism
LESSON 7: CRITIQUE WRITING
- This approach emphasizes the form of a
literary work to determine its meaning,
What is critical approach in writing?
focusing on literary elements and how
they work to create meaning.
Critical Approaches are different perspectives
we consider when looking at a piece of
- It examines a text as independent from
literature. They seek to give us answers to
its time period, social setting, and author’s
these questions, in addition to aiding us in
background. This approach focuses on
interpreting literature.
the text as an independent entity.

1. What do we read?
Two emerging principles are the things that
2. Why do we read?
we have to remember when performing a
3. How do we read?
formalist criticism approach:
a. literary text exists independent of any
TYPES OF CRITICAL APPROACHES IN particular reader and, in a sense, has
WRITING a fixed meaning;
b. The greatest literary texts are
1. Reader-Response Criticism “timeless” and “universal.”

- This approach asserts that a great deal 3. Psychological/ Psychoanalytic criticism

of meaning in a text lies with how the
reader responds to it. - This approach views a text as a
revelation of its author’s mind and
- It focuses on the act of reading and how personality. It is based on the work of
it affects our perception of meaning in a Sigmund Freud.
text (how we feel at the beginning vs. the
end). More so, it also deals more with the - It also focuses on the hidden
process of creating meaning and motivations of literary characters. It looks
experiencing a text as we read. at literary characters as a reflection of the
writer.

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 - It asserts that most “literature”
4. Biographical Criticism throughout time has been written by men,
for men.
- This approach argues that we must take
an author’s life and background into - This approach examines the way that
account when we study a text. the female consciousness is depicted by
both male and female writers.
- This approach refers to how the author
has direct influence over the writing. This approach subscribes to 4 Basic Principles
of Feminist Criticism
Because of this, it has the 3 following benefits:
i. Western civilization is patriarchal.
a. Facts about an author’s experience ii. The concepts of gender are mainly
can help a reader decide how to cultural ideas created by patriarchal
interpret a text. societies.
b. A reader can better appreciate a text iii. Patriarchal ideals pervade
by knowing a writer’s struggles or “literature.”
difficulties in creating that text. iv. Most “literature” through time has
c. A reader can understand a writer’s been gender-biased.
preoccupation by studying the way
they apply and modify their own life b. Marxist Criticism
experiences in their works.
- emphasizes economic and social
5. Sociological Criticism conditions.

- This argues that social contexts (the - It is based on the political theory of
social environment) must be considered Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.
when analyzing a text.
- This approach is concerned with
- It focuses on the values of a society and understanding the role of power, politics,
how those views are reflected in a text. and money in literary texts

- It also emphasizes the economic, It examines literature to see how it reflects:

political, and cultural issues within literary i. The way in which dominant groups
texts. The core belief in this approach is (typically, the majority) exploit the
that “Literature is a reflection of its subordinate groups (typically, the
society.” minority)
ii. The way in which people become
Two sub approaches: alienated from one another through
power, money, and politics
a. Feminist Criticism
6. Historical Criticism
- concerned with the role, position, and
influence of women in a literary text. - Argues that every literary work is a
product of its time and its world.

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 1. Provides background information 3. show relationship between ages and
necessary to understand how literary cultures
texts were perceived in their time.
4. contribute to better understanding of a
2. Shows how literary texts reflect ideas work
and attitudes of the time in which they
were written. 5. make a study on art and its "making"

3. New historicist critics often compare 6. introduce the relationship of art and life
the language in contemporary
documents and literary texts to Note:
reveal cultural assumptions and A critique is the paper that exercises the
values in the text value of a piece of writing or research
A critic is a person who writes a critique
Critiquing
➢ Critiquing is a systematic way of It needs to be clarified that when one
highlighting weakness and strengths performs criticism, it’s NOT SIMPLY FINDING
and weaknesses and its applicability FAULT/MISTAKES OR WRONG, but it aims to
to practice. find excellence and perfections.
➢ Experts affirm that almost every
reader can identify the strengths and STEPS THAT WE NEED TO DO TO WRITE A
weaknesses of a masterpiece. CRITIQUE

Why write a critique? It is important that your critique has a definite

structure and is easy to follow. You will need
➢ A critique is an exercise in judging the to think logically about how you sequence
value of a piece of writing or your work. Below is a pattern that you might
research. like to use.

➢ It is also a way of improving your 1. Analyze the text

own skills by looking at the way other
writers and researchers work. This should include some or all of the
following
➢ It is a valuable exercise in the careful
reading of text that will increase your ✓ set out the main purpose of the
understanding of a particular author’s book or article.
subject.
✓ identify the main point that the author
is making
FUNCTIONS OF BEING A CRITIC
✓ discuss the arguments that are used
1. to introduce the author/work to support the main point and the
evidence that supports them.
2. ignite interest on a neglected work

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 ✓ explain the conclusions reached by
the author and how they have been PARTS OF A CRITIQUE
reached.
The following is the different section of a
2. Evaluate the text critique:

You will need to comment not only on the I. Introduction

content of the piece but also on the way in • Define the subject of your critique
which it has been written. and your point of view
• Background to Research
Consider the following:
II. Main body
✓ is the argument logical? • Begin with a brief summary
describing the project.
✓ is the text well organized, clear and • Discuss the strengths of the article
easy to read? • Discuss the weaknesses of the article

✓ have important terms been clearly III. Conclusion

defined? • Re-emphasize your argument/point
of view
✓ are the facts accurate?
• Make final suggestions and/or
positive and negative criticisms on
✓ do the arguments support the main
the book or article you critiqued
point?
• What questions/observations does
the article suggest? (the final
✓ is there sufficient evidence for the
paragraph)
arguments?

✓ does the text present and consider LESSON 8: CONCEPT PAPER

opposing points of view? does the
material help you understand the Concept Paper
subject?
➢ Concept Paper is an academic
✓ what questions/observations does writing that presents a short
this article suggest? summary that tells the reader what
the project is, why it is important, and
✓ what does this text make you think how it will be carried out.
about?
➢ Concept papers generally serve the
3. Write in standard essay form purpose of providing in-depth
discussion of a topic that the writer
A critique should be written in an essay has a strong position on, usually with
format. It will need an introduction, a main the intent of obtaining funding for
body of text and a conclusion. You will need to that project from donors
prepare a rough draft of your essay.

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 ➢ Even if no one else ever reads it, the
concept paper helps a researcher What are the Parts of a Concept Paper
spot hole in her or his project that
might later prove fatal (Kimper, nd). INTRODUCTION
- It is to present the scope and purpose of
ELEMENS OF A CONCEPT PAPER your paper. This section explains the
overall idea of your claim.
1. A title in the form of a question
This may be the last part of the concept BODY
paper that you write, but it should appear - It is the main section of the concept paper.
at the heading of the paper. In this part, you will elaborate on the
specific claims made in your thesis
2. A clear description of the research topic statement.
including a summary of what is already - To make your work manageable,
known about that topic. consider developing topic sentence for
each supporting point from your thesis
3. A one-sentence statement of the statement.
research question that the project will
seek to answer. - These topic sentences will then be used as
(This is almost always something that is the main idea of each paragraph to make
not known.) The concept paper should up the body of the essay.
elaborate on how this question can be
answered -- something that almost CONCLUSION
always takes more than one sentence to - This part reemphasizes the thesis
accomplish. statement, provides a summary of the
body of the paper, and relates the
4. A demonstration of why it is important to importance of the concept in a specific
answer this research question. field.
What good comes of this answer? Why is
this project worth writing? - It is the easiest to write since you will be
referring to the previous parts you
5. A description of how the researcher drafted.
plans to answer the research question.
MODES OR PATTERNS IN PRESENTING A
This includes: CONCEPT

a. a description of the data or evidence A concept paper may be explained through

that the researcher plans to gather or different modes or patterns. This may be in the
use; form of definition,
explication, and explanation.
b. a description of how the Researcher
will analyze these data; and Using Definition in Developing Concept
➢ Providing the meaning of a particular
c. a demonstration of how these data word or term.
and this analytic method will answer
the research question.

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Three Types of Definitions Using Explanation in Developing Concept
➢ A concept can be developed through
1. Formal Sentence Definition explanation by providing varied
– this includes the term, class, and examples or situations in the given
distinguishing features. Below is the text or paragraph.
diagram presentation on formal
definition. Using Explication in Developing Concept
➢ Explication provides another
perspective of a concept.

➢ It interprets another work by

examining the concept/s presented.

➢ A richer explanation of the concept is

given to readers through critical
2. Informal Definitions analysis of points raised in a text.
- do not include distinguishing features.
Below is the diagram presentation on
informal definition

TIPS TO CLEARLY DEFINE YOUR CONCEPT

3. Extended Definitions
1. In formal definitions, avoid using the
- are essay length texts use which used
same term to be defined
different rhetorical patterns to present the
meaning of a particular term or concept.
Example: “A cell phone is a phone…”

- This type of definitions do not just define

2. In writing definitions, observe the
but describe the concept, compare and
concept of mutual exclusivity. Meaning,
contrast the concept, show cause and
make sure that the features of the term do
effect relationships to provide the reader
not overlap with other similar concepts of
a complete definition of term.
the same class.

Example:
Example: “A skateboard is a mode of
Friendship is a state of acquaintance between
transport that has four wheels.”
or among people characterized by a strong
bond of shared concern and caring. In true
friendship, the bond is mutually shared.

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