Structure of Academic Texts

The first kind of structure used in academic texts is the paragraph. A paragraph is a collection of sentences that deals
with one topic or idea. A new paragraph usually signals the start of a new concept in a text.

Parts of the Paragraph

The parts of the paragraph are the following:
● topic sentence,
● supporting sentences, and
● concluding and/or transitional sentence.

The paragraph should begin with the topic sentence, whose function is to present the main idea of the paragraph's
theme. On the other hand, the supporting sentences develop the main idea in the topic sentence. The concluding
sentence closes out the main idea by summing up the entire concept and ensuring that the paragraph ends with a
complete idea. In some cases, a transitional sentence is used to close out the paragraph and pave the way for the
introduction of the next concept in the succeeding paragraph.

Structuring the Three-Part Essay

A three-part essay is one of the ways of writing an essay. This structure is composed of three basic parts: introduction,
body, and conclusion. One prominent feature of the three-part essay is that the body is generally longer than both the
introduction and conclusion. Short essays usually have one to three paragraphs for the body, while longer essays may
use more than three paragraphs and may reach several pages long.

Parts of the Essay

The introduction should do the following:
● Introduce the topic.
● Place the topic into context.
● Provide background information.
● Point out the aim of the text.
● Describe how the aim will be fulfilled.
● Provide a thesis statement for the text.
● Suggest what the findings are.
● Explain why the topic could be considered as interesting.
● Catch the readers’ interest.

The introduction starts off the essay with ideas that will be discussed in the body. The thesis statement is usually found
at the end of the introduction, and it can act as a transitional sentence for the body.

The body is the main section of the essay, usually divided into subsections. The body is the most substantial part of the
entire essay. It should do the following:
● Present research data.
● Analyze data.
● Discuss data thoroughly.

In sum, the body should present evidence to support your thesis statement.

Lastly, the conclusion restates the thesis statement and wraps the entire essay. It should shed more light on how the
evidence and data presented in the body support the thesis. There is also an opportunity to evaluate the issue or topic
at hand for further topics in the future. No new material should be presented in the conclusion. Lastly, writers can
suggest further studies or exploration of the topic at hand in the conclusion.

The Thesis Statement

In most academic papers, you will usually write an introductory paragraph first. This paragraph often starts with a brief
discussion of your topic. Afterward, the next step is to state your point of view on the topic you have chosen. This is
usually done in one sentence. This one sentence is called the thesis statement, your main idea that will dictate the
purpose and flow of your arguments in the rest of your paper.

Typically, the following are the characteristics of a thesis statement:

● It shows where you stand regarding the subject matter you are discussing.
● It tells the reader what they can expect from the rest of your paper.
● It directly answers a question posed to you.
● It makes a claim that can be disputed.
● It is a single sentence near the start of your paper that presents your argument to the readers.

The rest of your paper then contains evidence that will help back up your thesis statement in order to persuade others
to take your stand.

When receiving assignments that require you to submit a paragraph, an essay, or a paper, make sure to understand the
instructions carefully to see if you will need to develop a thesis statement. If you are asked to analyze, interpret,
compare and contrast, show causes and effects, or choose a side or stand on an issue, then more often than not you will
need to write a thesis statement for your assignment. The body of your paper should then support and defend your
thesis.

The Writing Process

1. PREwriting
-is the first stage of the writing process
-is the planning process, which consists of determining your purpose and audience, narrowing your topic and
creating a framework

TOPIC- What is the essay all about? What specific details am I imparting to my readers?
ROLE- Who am I as a writer? Do I write as a student? A customer? An expert?
PURPOSE- Why am I writing this in the first place? To give knowledge? To argue? To persuade? To compare?
AUDIENCE- Who will read my essay? What knowledge does he/she need in order to understand my work?

2. Writing
-organizing your ideas into a coherent structure
-this involves the thesis statement and the outline to help organize your essay

THESIS STATEMENT- is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay. It usually comes near
the end of your introduction.

OUTLINE- making an outline makes it easier to plan and organize the flow of your ideas/ essay.

3. Rewriting
-is the process of going through a rough draft and fixing things that don’t work for you.
-it is editing your work through adding, removing, replacing or rearranging.

Academic and Non- Academic texts

The key difference between academic text and nonacademic text is that academic text is intended for the scholarly and
the research community in society, whereas nonacademic text is intended for the general public in society.

Academic texts are for academia, and they are objective, formal, and factual.

Non-academic texts, on the other hand, are casual, informal and personal, and are for the general public.
ACADEMIC TEXTS are critical, objective and specialized texts that are written by professionals or experts in a particular
field. They are written in formal language and has a formal style and tone. Since these are objective texts, they are based
on facts.

Generally, academic texts debate or provide answers to a specific question in a field. The main purpose of academic
texts is to enhance the reader’s understanding of a specific field.

Features of Academic Texts

FORMALITY
Formality can be achieved through:
1. Choosing expanded modal forms over contracted forms
Examples: cannot instead of can't | do not instead of don't
2. Choosing one verb forms over two-word verbs
Examples: damage instead of mess up | reduce instead of bring down
3. Choosing expanded terms instead of abbreviations/ acronyms
Examples: as soon as possible instead of ASAP | senior high school instead of SHS
4. Avoiding colloquial/ idiomatic expressions
Examples: kind of like, super legit, old as the hills

OBJECTIVITY
Objectivity can be achieved through:
1. Avoiding the use of personal pronouns such as I, You and We.
2. Avoiding rhetorical questions.
3. Avoiding emotive language

PRECISENESS
Academic texts are based on facts that is why it is important that facts are given accurately especially the small details.

EXPLICITNESS
The text must be written clearly and directly to make it easier for readers to understand what the text is all about.

Plagiarism
is the act of using someone else's work, ideas, or intellectual property without proper acknowledgment or permission,
presenting it as your own. It is considered a serious ethical and academic offense.

Academic Integrity
is about following ethical guidelines and principles in your schoolwork. It emphasizes the importance of honesty,
fairness, trust, and respect in all academic activities. This means being committed to creating your own original work,
properly citing sources when you use other people's ideas, and valuing the process of learning.

TYPES OF PLAGIARISM
1. Direct plagiarism
Direct plagiarism is copying text word-for-word from a source without quotation marks or proper citation.
E.g. Submitting a copied paragraph from a book or article as your own work.

2. Self- plagiarism
It occurs when an individual reuses their own previously submitted work for a different assignment or course
without proper acknowledgment or permission. It is considered a form of academic dishonesty because it
misrepresents the originality of the student's work.

3. Collusion
 Collusion refers to unauthorized collaboration between students to produce work that is then submitted as
one's own independent effort. It is considered a breach of academic integrity because it misrepresents the true
origin of the work.

4. Word substitution
Word substitution is a form of plagiarism where a writer changes specific words in a source text to synonyms in
an attempt to create an original piece of writing.

While this may seem like a way to paraphrase or rewrite content, it can still be considered plagiarism if the
structure, meaning, and ideas of the original text remain largely intact without proper attribution.

5. Mosaic plagiarism
Also known as ‘patchwriting’, mosaic plagiarism occurs when a person takes phrases, ideas, or pieces of text
from various sources and blends them into a new work without properly citing the original sources.

Even if the words are slightly changed or rearranged, the structure, meaning, and sequence of ideas often
remain too close to the originals.

6. Contract cheating
Contract cheating is when a student hires someone else to complete an assignment or exam on their behalf. This
could involve paying a professional service, individual or peer to produce work that the student submits as their
own.

7. Accidental plagiarism
Accidental plagiarism occurs when a student unintentionally fails to give proper credit to sources. This can
happen through poor paraphrasing, copying text directly without using quotation marks, citing sources
incorrectly or forgetting to include citations altogether. Despite the lack of intent to deceive, accidental
plagiarism is still considered a violation of academic integrity and can have serious consequences.

PARAPHRASING
Paraphrasing is the process of rephrasing or restating someone else’s ideas or information in your own words while
preserving the original meaning.

It involves changing the sentence structure, word choice, and sometimes the order of ideas, but without altering the
underlying message or meaning of the source material.

It’s important to recognize the difference between paraphrasing information and quoting directly from a source.

Both are used within academic writing for different purposes.

Paraphrasing demonstrates your engagement with the source, your understanding of the information, and your ability
to express it in your own words.

Proper paraphrasing ensures that you are not just copying the source material but are contributing your own voice and
analysis to the discussion, which is essential for original academic work. This skill strengthens your arguments, supports
your thesis, and seamlessly integrates research into your writing.

Paraphrasing plays a vital role in avoiding plagiarism, which is the act of presenting someone else's work as your own.

By properly paraphrasing and citing the original source, you give credit to the original author, which maintains academic
integrity and avoids the ethical pitfalls of plagiarism.
Paraphrasing involves more than just rewording a passage; it’s about accurately conveying the original idea in a new
form while maintaining its meaning. Here are some key techniques to master effective paraphrasing!

Merely swapping out words with synonyms or rearranging the order of sentences without a thorough understanding of
the content is a common mistake when paraphrasing.

This approach can result in a paraphrase that is still too close to the original, which not only fails to demonstrate your
own understanding but can also border on plagiarism. Additionally, this superficial rewording can unintentionally alter
the original meaning, leading to inaccuracies or misinterpretations.

SUMMARIZING
Summarizing a text is distilling its essential concepts in a paragraph or two. This is an excellent practice to follow when
you are conducting research or studying. Typically, a summary has two goals:
1. to reproduce the key ideas and points of a text, identifying the general concepts that prevail throughout the entire
piece, and
2. to express these concepts and ideas with precise and specific language.
When writing a summary, it is not enough to rely on the author’s words, as you must still deliver the author’s points
without the language becoming too general. You must also be ready to make decisions about which parts to include and
which parts to exclude in your summary.
When reading a text, there are two techniques you can use in order to prepare for writing a summary. These techniques
are previewing and skimming and scanning.