Academic Vocabulary
MODULE 1:Enrichment of
Academic Vocabulary
Defining Reading
Reading is a psycholinguistic guessing
game. - Kenneth Goodman
Reading – both a psychological or mental
(psycho-) process that happens inside the head
and a process that is tied with language (-
linguistic).
It is so because:
1.) Reading involves interpreting or giving
meaning to printed symbols such as letters and/
or pictures;
2.) Reading begins with perceiving or
recognizing symbols and ends with
comprehending or understanding the meanings
of the said symbols;
3.) Reading involves using pieces of information
called inputs in various ways such as dividing
them into smaller parts (i.e., analyzing), putting
them together (i.e., synthesizing), or even
relating them to other sources of information.
In a nutshell, reading means understanding
the meanings behind various inputs that may come
in various printed forms, e.g., letters, words,
sentences, and/ or graphics/ pictures. With almost
everything in the world having printed inputs that
must be understood, it is a must for a person to
possess competence in deriving correct meanings
from what is presented. This is especially true for
people in the academe since a huge part of their
lives is dedicated to studying/ learning from printed
materials such as lectures, books, journals, or
researches.
The first step to better ensuring that
comprehension will be at hand is to enrich one’s
vocabulary.
Vocabulary - refers to the collection of words
that a person is capable of defining, explaining, and/
or using.
While people’s vocabulary varies from person to
person, it can be generally divided into two
categories: 
 General - refers to words that are used in
daily or ordinary interactions between and
among people.
 Academic/ Technical - talks about the
collection of words used in academic
situations, being known only to selected
people engaged in specific fields of study or
work. In addition, in some other cases, the
second one is further subdivided into (a)
general academic, (b) discipline-specific, and
(c) nominalization.
With academic/ technical vocabulary being
known only to a handful of people, it may serve
as a hindrance to comprehension, especially to
those whose exposure to it is limited; however,
there are ways by which such a problem may
be countered so that reading in general and
understanding in particular are still possible.
Once overcome, unknown vocabularies can
subsequently be personally used.
Reading Techniques in Unlocking
Unknown Academic Vocabulary
Aside from the very obvious way of using
references such as dictionaries and thesauruses
whenever unfamiliar academic vocabularies come
up, readers can use any of the following ways in the
absence of or when there is restriction to the access
of the aforementioned usual references:
Morphemic Analysis. This is done when a
given vocabulary can be divided into smaller
parts called morphemes. Examples of
morphemes are affixes (e.g., prefixes, infixes,
and suffixes) that give hints about what a given
word may mean.
Consider the following research abstracts
containing possibly unknown academic
vocabularies boxed in red whose meanings can be
correctly derived through morphemic analysis:
This research aimed to determine the
effects of electronic cigarette to the health of
the users. This is important to a lot of
smokers who are already addicted to
smoking. This research will provide the
information if the electronic cigarette is safer
to use than the traditional way of smoking.
To gather the needed data, different
references were used such as books,
magazines, newspapers and the Internet. An
'interview' with ten respondents which
includes students, vendors, salesmen and
bystanders, was also done to ask their
experiences in using the EC (electronic
cigarette).
Without the help of any reference material,
what might the vocabulary word “interview”
mean? Can the vocabulary word be broken
down into smaller parts? If yes, what words will
emerge from the process of breaking it down?
Morphemic Analysis in Action: Given the prefix
of the said vocabulary which is “inter-,
“meaning between two individuals, objects, or
groups and its root word “view,” meaning
opinion or outlook, then it, the vocabulary
“interview,” may mean getting to know about
people’s
opinions on a given issue through a
conversation between the researcher and the
participants.
Abstract: Adequate health care services are
often not available in rural and remote areas,
and this problem is expected to grow worse in
the near future. [Topic/Significance] Telehealth
interventions represent a strategy for
addressing access to care problems. [RQ] We
examined and compared attitudes toward
medical and mental health care delivered via
telehealth applications among adult rural (n _
112) and urban (n _ 78) primary care patients.
We also examined attitudes toward telehealth
applications among a subset of patients with
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—a group
likely in need of specialized services. [Method]
Both urban and rural patients were receptive to
receiving medical and psychiatric services via
telehealth. There were few meaningful
differences across variables between urban and
rural patients, and there were no meaningful
differences by PTSD status. [Results] These
findings support the feasibility of telehealth
applications, particularly for rural patients who
may not otherwise receive needed services.
[Discussion]
Without the help of any reference material,
what might the vocabulary words “telehealth”
and “posttraumatic” mean? Can the vocabulary
words be broken down into smaller parts? If
yes, what words will emerge from the process
of breaking them down?
Morphemic Analyses in Action: Given the
prefix of the first vocabulary which is “tele-,
“meaning far such as in television, telegraph,
and telephone and its root word “health,”
meaning the physical and/ or mental
condition/s of a person, then it, the vocabulary
“telehealth,” may mean checking on then
providing assistance to the physical and/ or
mental conditions of a person, from afar. For
the vocabulary “posttraumatic,” it has the prefix
“post,” meaning after; and the suffix “-tic”
added to the root word “trauma,” meaning a
deeply painful mental or physical experience. It
may then mean actions that people do after
they have experienced a deeply painful mental
or physical experience.
Contextual Analysis (AKA Context
Clues). This is done when the meaning of a
given vocabulary can be derived from the clues
found in the situation, i.e., sentence or
paragraph, where it is used. These clues can
come in the forms of examples, synonyms,
antonyms, definitions, or explanations also
provided somewhere in the text.
Consider the following research abstracts
containing possibly unknown academic
vocabularies boxed in red, whose meanings can
be derived through contextual analysis:
This research aimed to determine the
effects of electronic cigarette to the health of
the users. This is important to a lot of
smokers who are already addicted to
smoking. This research will provide the
information if the electronic cigarette is safer
to use than the traditional way of smoking.
To gather the needed data, different
references were used such as books,
magazines, newspapers and the Internet. An
'interview' with ten respondents which
includes students, vendors, salesmen and
bystanders, was also done to ask their
experiences in using the EC (electronic
cigarette).
Without the help of any reference material,
what might the vocabulary word “interview”
mean? Are there parts of the text that provide
additional clues regarding its meaning? If yes,
which parts are they?
Contextual Analysis in Action: The correct
meaning of the unknown vocabulary “interview” in
the abstract may be gained from the part that says,
“was also done to ask their experiences in using the
EC (electronic cigarette).” The said part provides an
explanation or an example of how an interview can
be done and that is through raising questions
between the researcher and the participants.
Abstract: Article History Quality of the instructional
process is at stake when taught by out-of-field
teacher. The current study identified the problems
met by such teachers who teach across their
specialization in the teaching of social studies. These
Out-of-field social studies teachers encounter several
issues in the preparation and administration of their
lessons. This study first identified this specialization-
workload mismatch and investigated what coping
mechanisms can be introduced for the survival of
these teachers in and out-of-field-teaching
environment The study employed a qualitative
phenomenological research methodology and
conducted an in-depth interview using open-ended
questions, in order to generate the eidetic insights of
the issues. Ethical considerations were administered
to protect the confidentiality of the research
participants. The data collected were translated and
analyzed, resulting in the unveiling of themes and
concepts from the narratives of the research
participants. In the light of these findings, a
Heideggerian interpretive analysis catapulted the
creation of a Culture-based BAYLE Teaching Model
(BTM) for that could be a solution to the out-of-field
teaching individuals. The study recommends the
introduction of BTM in all schools facing out-of-field
issues. Contribution/Originality: This study contributes
a pioneering mechanism in responding to the problem
of out-of-field social studies teaching in the workplace
using Heideggerian / interpretivism. This study
recommends crafting of a culture-based model of
innovative instructional delivery known as the Bayle
Teaching Model-a legacy of the Philippines to cultural
global education.

Without the help of any reference material,
what might the vocabulary “out-of-field
teacher” mean? Are there parts of the text that
provide additional clues regarding its meaning?
If yes, which parts are they?
Contextual Analysis in Action: The correct
meaning of the unknown vocabulary “out-of-
field teacher” in the abstract may be gained
from looking at the parts where the words or
phrases “teachers who teach across their
specialization” and “specialization-workload
mismatch” are found. The said parts provide an
explanation about and/ or synonymous details
with what kind of teachers are those who are
“out-of-field,” and they are those who teach a
subject that they do not specialize in or were
not trained for.
Summary and Conclusion:
Reading is a complex process that begins
with first recognizing printed symbols followed by
being able to give correct meanings to the said
symbols in order to ultimately comprehend their
message. In academic setups where texts range
from simple lectures to complex researches, it is
inevitable to encounter words that may not
immediately be defined, let alone understood, so it
is a must to employ reading strategies such as
morphemic and contextual analyses that can prove
helpful so that comprehension may be achieved and
expansion of one’s vocabulary may be possible.
MODULE 2: Interpretive and
Critical Reading Strategies
Graphic Aids and How to Interpret
Them
As established previously in Module 1,
reading means giving meaning to printed
symbols that may come not only in the forms of
printed letters or words but also in pictures or
graphics. This is so because there are instances
when details are best presented and
summarized in graphic than in word or
paragraph form. As such, it is a must for one to
have the ability to still make sense out of/
interpret pieces of information presented
differently than the usual.
Graphic aids, also referred to as visuals,
illustrations, or figures, are classified into three
categories, varying depending on the type of
information they contain: (A) charts; (B) tables;
and (C) graphs.
A. Charts
1. Components: (a) boxes, (b) lines, and
(c) arrows—these are the graphic
objects that can be commonly seen
in charts and be used in
distinguishing them from other kinds
of graphic aids.
2. Purposes/ Uses: (a) show rank and (b)
show sequence—charts are used for
either showing order of importance/
value or for illustrating a process
from beginning to ending.
3. Types/Varieties: (a) organizational
and (b) flow—varieties of charts
depend on the purposes they serve.
The former is used for showing rank
while the latter is used for showing
sequence.
 4. Examples/ Given:
(a) Organizational Charts—show
position/ ranking and relation
How to Read/ Interpret Organizational
Charts:
Describe. Positions held by different people,
their duties and responsibilities, and the other
positions they work with must be identified
then described.
Sample sentence/s showing how an
organizational chart such as the given may be
interpreted or read:
The president occupies the highest position in
the company (position). He/ she evaluates and
executes actions and suggestions from the vice
presidents who have their own duties and
responsibilities and charges (other positions
and their duties and responsibilities). The vice
president for marketing is in charge of leading
managers and their teams vested with the
responsibility of promoting the company to
both its existing and potential clients; the vice
president for sales...
(b) Flow Charts—show sequence or
steps that lead to results.
How to Read/ Interpret Flow Charts:
Illustrate and explain. Steps must be identified
in succession until their outcome. After the
identification of each step, explanations about
what happens under/ during it must be given.
Sample sentence/s showing how a flow chart
such as the given may be interpreted or read:
The flow chart presents the process of looking
for a missing object that begins with looking for
it (first step). After initially searching, a person
may stop to tell if he/ she already found the
object (second step explained). Depending on
the answer to that question, the search may
continue on with telling whether or not the
object is needed (third step explained).
Ultimately, if the object is needed, the search
must be continued (fourth step/ outcome).
B. Tables
1. Components: (a) columns, (b) rows,
and (c) numbers—these are the
graphic objects that can be
commonly seen in tables and be used
in distinguishing them from other
kinds of graphic aids.
2. Purposes/ Uses: (a) comparison and
contrast and (b) clarification of
relationships—tables are used for
showing numerical data that can be
compared and contrasted for
similarities or differences between
and among groups or over a period
of time.
 3. Example/ Given:
How to Read/ Interpret Tables:
Describe then Compare and Contrast. After
identifying the general topic and what each
column and/ or row represents, differences
and/ or similarities between and among data
are mentioned then explained.
Sample sentence/s showing how a table such
as the given may be interpreted or read:
Table 1 provides a breakdown of the colleges in
terms of the number of deans, academic
advisers, and student-respondents they have
(description/ identification of general topic).
All colleges have one dean each but differ in
terms of the number of academic advisers they
have. Both CAS and CBA have more than two
academic advisers and a total of more than 200
student-respondents (similarities and
differences).
  C. Graphs
1. Components: (a) bars, (b) lines and
dots, and (c) circles—these are the
graphic objects that can be
commonly seen in graphs and be
used in distinguishing them from
other kinds of graphic aids.
2. Purposes/Uses: (a) comparing amou
nts/ quantities; (b) showing data
changes over period/s of time; and
(c) illustrating relation of parts to the
whole in percentage form—graphs
are used in either showing
similarities/ differences in
quantitative data between and
among variables or groups; showing
developments over a period of time;
or for concretely showing how parts
relate to their wholes.
4. Types/ Varieties: (a) bar, (b) line, and
(c) circle/pie—varieties of graphs
depend on the purposes they serve.
Bar and line graphs are generally
used when there are numerical data
between and among groups/
variables that can be differentiated
during certain time periods whereas
circle/ pie graphs are used when the
concern is breaking down large
groups/ quantities into smaller ones
so that their relation may be seen/
illustrated.
5. Examples/ Given:
How to Read/ Interpret Graphs:
Describe then Compare and Contrast.
Begin with first describing what the
graph is generally about (i.e., identify its
topic) and what each part contains.
Following that, proceed to stating the
differences and similarities between and
among all the groups or variables. In
some other cases, such as in the case of
line graphs, changes over certain points
in time are identified in place of
differences between and among groups/
quantities.
(a) Bar Graphs—are graphs that use
either vertical or horizontal bars
to represent data
 The line graph presents the earnings that
the booth gained on its first week of operation
(describing the topic and the period of time
covered). The graph shows a consistent upward
trend in terms of earnings with the exception of
Wednesday that registered the lowest earnings
for the week. From a profit of only 300php on
Monday, the booth gained 150php more came
Tuesday for registering a total of 450php
(showing of changes over certain periods of
time) …

(c) Circle/ Pie Graphs—are graphs

that use the circle shape divided
into wedges/ sectors (informally
called slices)

The bar graph presents the number of

people and their opinions about which fruit is
the nicest (describing the topic). The fruits
grape and banana were identified to be the
least nice from respondents’ opinions,
garnering 5 and 10 responses respectively; on
the other hand, the nicest ones according to
the respondents were those that gained more
than 20 votes which are twice to thrice the
number of those who viewed grape and banana
to be the nicest (comparison and contrast)
(b) Line Graphs—are graphs that use The pie graph presents the educational
rising and/ or falling (diagonal) attainment of the faculty members in the
lines university (describing the topic). The most
common type of degree among them is the
baccalaureate with 55% of their population
having it as their current educational
attainment. On the other hand, the least
common type of degree is that of the doctorate
with only 10% of the faculty attaining it.
Meanwhile, a significant percentage among
them have masters’ degrees, comprising the
remaining 35% (identifying the smaller parts of
the big whole in percentage forms).

Critical Reading
After being able to understand the
messages or the pieces of information
contained by reading materials that range from
printed letters to graphics, the next step as a
reader is to analyze and evaluate the
usefulness and validity of their contents. Doing
so is called critical reading and it prevents one
from falling prey to misleading information.  current expression.
As a critical reader, one answers any or a
number of the following questions while
reading a material:
 What is the general message of the text?
 Is the text or its portion supporting or
opposing an idea?
 Is the author presenting an objective or
a subjective/ biased information? Why?
 Are the pieces of information accurate
and consistent with other reliable
sources?
 Are the pieces of information supported
with logical and valid details?
The following are skills related to critical
reading: 
A. Getting the Main Idea and
Identifying Supporting Details
The main idea refers to the topic or provides
the summary of a given paragraph. It may be
implied/ not written or directly stated in the
paragraph. On other hand, supporting
details just give additional/ clarifying
information related to the main idea.
Consider the following paragraphs wherein the
main ideas are highlighted while the rest of the
other parts serve as mere supporting details.
After completely reading each paragraph,
reflect on the given guide questions that follow
to aid yourself in understanding why each
paragraph has the highlighted part as its main
idea and the rest as mere supporting details:
1st Paragraph: (1) The phrase "raining cats and
dogs" originated in 17th Century England. (2)
During heavy downpours of rain, many of these
poor animals unfortunately drowned and their
bodies would be seen floating in the rain
torrents that raced through the streets. (3) The
situation gave the appearance that it had
literally rained "cats and dogs" and led to the
Guide Question/s: Can Sentence 2 or 3
summarize the whole paragraph? Don’t they
both just illustrate further the point of
Sentence 1 with the help of historical events?
2nd Paragraph: (1) Having a pet teaches children
many values. (2) Children learn responsibility at
once. (3) They also learn compassion while
taking care of animals. (4) These young ones
also learn respect and value life of creatures.
Guide Question/s: Don’t sentences 2 to 4 just
illustrate the many values that children gain
from having a pet? If so, aren’t they just
supporting details whereas Sentence 1 is the
main idea?
3rd Paragraph: (1) The Kiwi, national bird of
New Zealand, cannot fly. (2) It lives in a hole in
the ground, is almost blind, and lays only one
egg each year. (3) Despite these facts, it has
survived for more than 70 million years. (4) Kiwi
is indeed a unique bird.
Guide Question/s: Don’t sentences 1 to 3 just
show the things the Kiwi can do that make it a
unique bird? If so, aren’t they just supporting
details whereas Sentence 4 is the main idea?
B. Keeping and Answering the Right
Questions in Mind
As a critical reader, there are questions that
must be kept in mind and eventually answered
while or after reading a material before it could
be deemed believable or useful as well as to
have deeper understanding about its purpose
or point. These questions are as follows:
Critical Question/s: Who is the source? Does
s/he have the needed credibility to write about
the information presented?
Suppose that the given text is:
“The coming year will be plagued by numerous
natural disasters such as earthquakes and tidal
waves.”
Applying the Critical Question/s: Later on, as a
result of answering the above questions, it was
found that the author/ source of the
information is a fortune teller/ Feng Shui
expert. Knowing this invalidates or makes the
text questionable and something that must not
be immediately believed since the author lacks
the actual ability, unlike seismologists, to tell if
natural disasters such as earthquakes and tidal
waves are highly likely to occur.
Note: Checking on the author’s or source’s
background information as a result of the
above questions helps in strengthening the
veracity of the details presented and prevents
one from easily being fooled.
Critical Question/s: What is the text for? What
is the aim of the author for writing it?
Suppose that the given text is:
“Wattpad is a writing community in which users
are able to post articles, stories, and poems
about anything online.”
Applying the Critical Question/s: As a result of
answering the above questions, the given text
is thought to be for advertisement purposes
because it highlights the usefulness of Wattpad
by saying that users can use it to post about
anything online. In addition, the text can also be
added with other texts that are positive about
the usefulness of Wattpad since they share the
same positive idea about it.
Note: Answering the above questions will help
make understanding the nature of a given text
easier and its connection to other texts and/ or
situations quicker to identify.
Critical Question/s: Are details believable?
Why or why not? Are they consistent with
other sources?
Suppose that the given text is:
“A terrifying ‘sniff and die’ bug that kills 89,000
people around the world each year can travel
from the nose to the brain and spinal cord in
just 24 hours, scientists have learned.”
Applying the Critical Question/s: By answering
the above questions, a reader can determine
that the details in the given text are possibly
true because it has details such as numbers and
a supposed credible source identified to be
“scientists”. However, by further checking the
consistency of the contained details with other
sources, a reader can ultimately verify if it is
true or fake.
Note: Answering the above questions will
prevent one from immediately believing what
already seems to be true information.
Summary and Conclusion
Reading does not only entail deriving meaning
from printed letters, words, or sentences, but it
also means extracting or interpreting information
from other sources such as graphic aids. In
addition, not everything that is written and read
should be believed or immediately taken as true
which is why critical reading must be applied.

MODULE 3:Effective Academic
Writing Part 1
The Thesis Statement and Its Purposes
As established previously in Module 2,
one way for a reader to be critical is to be able
to identify the main ideas of the materials s/he
reads, and the main idea refers to the topic or
summary of a particular paragraph that is
supported by related details that clarify or give
additional information.
Similar with main ideas, thesis statements serve
the following purposes:
A. Guide—it is like a road sign that serves as a
guide that tells what the focus of the whole text
is.
B. Main Point—it tells readers about the
overall message of the whole text.
However, do note that while the main idea
provides the topic or summary of each
paragraph, the thesis statement is responsible
for providing the main point of the whole text,
not just a single paragraph.
In order to get a clearer picture of what a thesis
statement is, consider the following essential
components of a thesis statement. These
components must be satisfied, achieved, or
found in a statement before it can be
considered a thesis:
 Length—it has to be 1 to 2 sentences in
terms of length.
 Location—it is embedded or found in
the first paragraph of the whole paper.
 Topic—it announces the topic, issue, or
area of concern to be tackled.
 Argument/ side/ opinion/ claim—it
contains an argument,
informed opinions/ beliefs, sides
or claims about the topic
 Testable/ defendable—it can be proven
as or defended to be true or false
depending on evidences; it is NOT a
fact that can no longer be negated (e.g.,
the sun can be found at the center of the
solar system, being orbited by planets).
Sample Analysis
Found below is a sample color-coded
analysis or breakdown of a given statement.
Read and study it in preparation for an
independent analysis later. 
Sample Statement: Maria Clara in Jose
Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo is anyone but a good role
model for a Filipina.
Topic: Maria Clara in Jose Rizal’s Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo
Opinion/ claim: anyone but a good role
model for a Filipina
Factuality of the statement: It is NOT a
fact that is always true because Maria
Clara in the novel can also be interpreted
differently and be identified as someone
who embodies all the good traits of a
Filipina given her behaviors in the novel.
Supporting the Thesis Statement
Once a sound thesis statement is
formulated following the essential
components tackled earlier, the next step is
to support it with relevant pieces of
information. This can be done through
(A) direct quoting; (B) paraphrasing; and
(C) summarizing.
A. Direct Quoting
What is it? The process of simply including the
verbatim or exact words from the source
How is it done?
Step 1: Copy each word of the part being
quoted.
Step 2: Enclose the copied statement in
quotation marks (“”) to show where it starts and
ends.
Step 3: Ensure attribution or the
identification of the source—usually this is done
by including ANY TWO of the following: (1) the
name of the source, (2) a verb, and/ or (3) a date.
Sample source:  Spokesperson Harry Roque,
representing the Malacanang and its statement
regarding COVID-19 developments last June
29, 2020: We are winning. We beat UP.
Direct Quotation:
Step 1: We are winning. We beat UP.
Step 2: “We are winning. We beat UP”
Step 3: “We are winning. We beat UP,”
Spokesperson Harry Roque (name of
source) said (verb).
OR
Step 3: Spokesperson Harry
Roque (name of source) stated (verb), “We are
winning. We beat UP.”
Note: Using this way of supporting a thesis
statement entails simply copying pieces of
information from sources. Because of this,
outputs with too much direct quotations may
seem to lack originality which is why it must be
used seldomly.  
B. Paraphrasing
What is it? The process of rewriting the original
material using one’s own words while maintaining
its meaning and at times, even the length of its
sentence/s
How is it done?
Step 1: Comprehend the message of the
original material. Usually, this is done by
identifying its main point or topic and its
supporting details.
Step 2: Rewrite the original
material (a) using different words
or (b) changing sequence of details but ensure
that the meaning is the same.
Sample source:  Playing any mental game
stimulates the brain, slows down brain cell
death, and lowers risks for Alzheimer’s.
Paraphrase:
Step 1: Benefits of playing mental games
such as keeping the brain active, prevents aging
of cells in the brain, and lessens possibility of
Alzheimer’s
Step 2 (using different words): Engaging in
games that make people think have benefits
such as keeping the brain active, preventing the
aging of cells in the brain, and lessening the  Its meaning is the same with the original.
possibility of Alzheimer’s.
 The repetition of the word relationship
OR is no longer present.
Step 2 (changing sequence of  It is a shortened version of the original
details): Participating in games that require
thinking leads to benefits such as prevention of that has two sentences composed of 19
brain cells aging and Alzheimer’s disease and
maintenance of brain activity.

C. Summarizing
What is it? The process of rewriting the original words; the rewritten form only has one
material using one’s own words while sentence with 14 words.
maintaining its meaning, removing unneeded
details, and shortening the length of its
sentence/s For more inputs on direct quoting,
paraphrasing, and summarizing, audio-narrated
How is it done? web-references/ online lectures titled
“Academic Integrity: Quoting” and “Academic
Step 1: Comprehend the message of the Integrity: Paraphrasing and Summarizing” are
original material. Usually, this is done by made available by Curtin University in Australia
identifying its main idea and its supporting (2018) (links: (1)
details. https://studyskills.curtin.edu.au/better-
Step 2: Rewrite the original material referencing/quoting/ (Links to an external site.);
while maintaining its meaning. Make sure that and (2) https://studyskills.curtin.edu.au/better-
the rewritten form (a) uses a different set of referencing/paraphrasing-and-summarising/
words; (b) DOES NOT include unnecessary or (Links to an external site.)).
repetitive supporting details; and (c) has fewer
Summary and Conclusion
words or has shorter length than the original.
Essential to effective academic writing is
Sample source:  The first relationship one could
being able to formulate sound thesis statements
have in life is relationship with parents. This
and support them in a variety of ways such as
relationship changes positively as one ages.
direct quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing,
Summary:                   with each one having a specific set of guidelines to
be followed and kept in mind.
Step 1: bond with parents being
considered as the first relationship in life which
positively changes over time
  Step 2: The earliest relationship in life is
with parents, and it gets stronger over time.

Characteristics of the sample summary:

 Most of its words are different from the
original.

MODULE 4:Effective Academic
Writing Part 2
The Three Main Parts of An Academic
Paper and Techniques in Developing
Them
An academic paper such as an academic essay
or library research can be generally divided into
three main parts: (A) introduction, (B) body, and
(c) conclusion. Each one serves a particular
purpose and may be developed using various
techniques in paragraph development.
A. Introduction
these are the first few paragraphs in an
academic paper. It serves two purposes:
(1) identify what the topic and the thesis
statement/s are; and (2) prove the
importance of the topic and validity of
the author’s thesis statement related to
the topic
For an introduction to effectively serve its
purposes, there are various techniques in
paragraph development that writers can use
separately or in combination:
1. Factual Information this technique
comes in the form of including details
that have already been proven and tested
to be true or deemed to be logical.
Example:
Until recently, estradiol, the primary
hormone secreted by the ovary, has
been thought to predominantly
influence reproductive functions.
Thesis Statement: It is now known that
this pleiotropic hormone has profound
effects on plasticity in the developing
and adult brain (McEwen et al., 1995).
Recent clinical studies demonstrate that
estradiol replacement in
postmenopausal women ameliorates
cognitive dysfunction (Sherwin. 1994;
Robinson et al., 1994; Henderson et al.,
1996) and decreases the incidence and
rate of neurodegeneration associated
with diseases such as Alzheimer's
disease (Henderson et al., 1996;
Paganini-Hill and Henderson, 1994:
Brenner et al., 1994).
Guided analysis of the above-given example:
(1) What factual pieces of information are
included in the paragraph?
(a) The hormone from the ovary called the
estradiol influences reproductive
functions.
(b) It also affects plasticity of the
developing and adult brain.
(c) Its replacement among menopausal
women lessens brain-related problems
such as Alzheimer’s
(2) How can the so-called factual pieces of
information be checked for their validity or
truthfulness?
(a) Citations
which include those by
McEwen et al. (1995), Sherwin (1994),
 Robinson et al., (1994), etc. can be
counterchecked
(3) How do the so-called factual pieces of
information contribute to the effectiveness of
the given introduction?
(a) The paragraph introduces the hormone
estradiol as a potential preventive
source of medication/ medicine against
Alzheimer’s and other similar diseases—
ailments that affect many and are seen
to
still be unpreventable or incurable until
the present times.
2. Anecdote—this technique comes in
the form of including retellings of relevant
personal experiences or experiences by
other people.
Example:
We sat on the edge of the bed together,
the day's end ritual drawing to a close. I
gently stroked her bent arthritic spine with
the loving intent to ease the pain from the
hours spent in immobility, moving only from
the chair to the bathroom, to the dining
table and back again to the chair. Her
physical care for this day was complete. She
relaxed under the soft touch of my hand
and suddenly said: “You are such a good
mother." I was jolted out of my reverie to
reply: “Excuse me, Mom." Our eyes met, we
laughed spontaneously and heartily,
embraced and in that instantaneous
moment transcended the mundane tasks of
caring and entered into a special moment of
togetherness--a mutual caring, compassion
and recognition. Thesis Statement: This
moment was not one of role reversal but
one of experiencing the meaning of
caregiving and receiving. Several days later,
I shared this experience in a qualitative
research class discussion in phenomenology.
The class participants were visibly moved,
and shared recognition of…
Guided analysis of the above-given example:
(1) What experiences are included in the
paragraph?
(a) generally, an encounter between a
patient and his/ her nurse or caregiver
(2) For what topic/s may the experiences be
most relevant?
(a) in showing the essence or meaning of
caregiving and receiving
(b) in discussing phenomenology (as
mentioned in the paragraph itself)
(c) in gaining insights about maintaining
proper nurse-patient relationships and
care of patients
(3) Why might the experience of the person
who shared his/ her encounter be relevant to
the topics covered by the introduction?
(a) He/ she is probably a nurse/ caregiver
who has had firsthand experience in
caring for patients.
3. Definition—this technique comes in
the form of giving meaning to, providing
examples of, or describing of relevant
concept/s.
Example:
Cancer is the uncontrolled growth and
spread of abnormal cells inside the
body with the potential to cause death.
 [1] In America, it is the main cause of
death in children aged 14 years or less.
[2] In Indonesia, the 2013 Basic Health
Research data state that 0.5% of total
cancer patients are children aged 14
years or less.[3] Children suffering from
cancer at the end of their lives need
comfort, but it is rarely fulfilled.[4] The
uncomfortable conditions experienced
by children are related to pain, dyspnea,
digestive problems, and neurological
changes. [3] Nurses' management of
pain or other symptoms is part of the
multidisciplinary model of providing
comfort. [6] Nurses' understanding of
4. Brief History —this technique comes
what comfort means to children at the
end of their lives affects the
intervention of comfort provided to
increase the children's quality of life. [Z]
Thesis Statement: Therefore, exploring
the nurses' understanding on the
essence and meaning of children's
comfort at the end of their life is a
study necessarily conducted.
Guided analysis of the above-given example:
(1) What concepts are given meaning, provided
with examples, or described in the introductory
paragraph?
(a) cancer
(b) uncomfortable conditions related to
cancer experienced by children such as
pain, dyspnea, digestive problems, and
neurological changes
(c) nurses’ duties including management
of pain or symptoms/ provision of
comfort
(2) How do the concepts defined in the
paragraph relate to its topic, and how do they
make the introduction effective?
(a) The definitions provide ideas about
the disease cancer that causes
discomfort among young patients; they
identify the different types of
discomfort that the said disease causes
among the identified patients; and they
make the introduction effective as they
provide a clear picture of an issue of
concern which is the comfort that can
be afforded to the patients while
experiencing a pain-causing disease.
in the form of including details about
past events.
Example:
Thesis Statement: As with other
practice professions, nursing requires a
knowledge foundation that is based on
theory and derived from systematic
research. The first nursing theorist,
Florence Nightingale, created detailed
reports of both medical and nursing
matters as chief nurse for the British in
the Crimean War in the mid-1850s.
Nightingale noted that “...
apprehension, uncertainty, waiting,
expectation, fear of surprise, do a
patient more harm than any exertion”
(p. 6) (2). As a result, Nightingale's
conceptualization of nursing included
the need to have an understanding of
the laws of nature, the prevention of
disease, and the use of personal power.
She viewed persons as both physical
and spiritual beings, emphasizing the
importance of the environment and the
 need to care for the patient, not the
disease. With her emphasis on the
environment, changes in nutrition,
hydration, and sanitation, mortality
rates dropped drastically during the
Crimean War (3). In subsequent years,
Nightingale developed "laws of nursing"
that formed the basis for nursing
science and guided nursing education in
the United States from 1850 to the
1950s (4).
Guided analysis of the above-given example:
(1) What past event/s are included in the
paragraph?
(a) the creation of detailed reports by
Florence Nightingale during the
Crimean War in the mid-1850s
(b) her detailed reports and experiments
leading to the dropping of mortality
rates during the said war
(2) Why are the identified past events relevant
or helpful in making the introduction effective?
(a) They prove the thesis statement or
the claim that the nursing profession,
just like any other jobs, benefits from
both sufficient theoretical knowledge
and the process of systematic
researching which includes keeping
records, experimentation, and
healthcare decisions based on
results.
Guided analysis of the above-given example:
(1) What statement from another person is
5. Quotation—this technique comes in
included in the paragraph?
the form of using statements coming
from other sources.
Example:
Thesis Statement: As with other
practice professions, nursing requires a
knowledge foundation that is based on
theory and derived from systematic
research. The first nursing theorist,
Florence Nightingale, created detailed
reports of both medical and nursing
matters as chief nurse for the British in
the Crimean War in the mid-1850s.
Nightingale noted that “...
apprehension, uncertainty, waiting,
expectation, fear of
surprise, do a patient more harm than
any exertion” (p. 6) (2). As a result,
Nightingale's conceptualization of
nursing included the need to have an
understand laws of nature, the
prevention of disease, and the use of
personal power. She viewed persons as
both physical and spiritual beings,
emphasizing the importance of the
environment and the need to care for
the patient, not the disease. With her
emphasis on the environment, changes
in nutrition, hydration, and sanitation
resulted, and mortality rates dropped
drastically during the Crimean War (3).
In subsequent years, Nightingale
developed "laws of nursing" that
formed the basis for nursing science
and guided nursing education in the
United States from 1850 to the 1950s
(4
 (a) the statement of Nightingale:
“Apprehension, uncertainty, waiting,
expectation, fear of surprise, do a
patient more harm than any exertion.”
(2) How does the identified part help in making
the introduction an effective one?
(a) It comes from an icon in the profession
(2) How do the unexpected details support or
being talked about—Florence
make the introduction effective?
Nightingale.
(b) It supports the thesis statement that the
nursing profession benefits best from
deriving decisions from research results
—like what the source found out, i.e.,
apprehension, among many others,
affects patients negatively.
6. Shocking Statement this
technique comes in the form of
identifying unusual, unexpected, or
unknown pieces of information.
Example:
Thesis Statement: A mother's genetics
determines how clever her children are,
according to researchers, and the father
makes no difference. Women are more
likely to transmit intelligence genes to
their children because they are carried
on the X chromosome and women have
two of these, while men only have one.
Guided analysis of the above-given example:
(1) What unusual or unexpected details are
included in the short introduction?
(a) Intelligence comes from just one parent
instead of both—the mother.
(b) The male parent has little to no
contribution to a child’s intelligence,
making their genes insignificant
intelligence-wise.
(c) Intelligence is carried on the X
chromosome which women have two of
while men only have one.
(a) They logically support or scientifically
further explain the thesis statement
that mothers are the sole persons who
pass on their intelligence to their
children.
7. Current Events—this technique
comes in the form of including recent
events or trends that are happening at
the time of writing.
Example:
Thesis Statement: All hospitals should
use electronic health records (EHRs). As
new legislation and advances in
technology have led many hospitals and
clinics away from paper records, the
debate between the two still lingers.
Some doctors cling to paper records
out of habit or personal preference, and
there are often concerns about the
security of information and protecting
patient privacy. But, as Americans
become more transient and medical
professionals more interconnected, the
fact that electronic records can be
shared easily between hospitals is
becoming more and more important.
EHRS also have a physical lasting power
that is unmatched by paper records.
There are legitimate concerns about the
 security of electronic records, but the
benefits outweigh the risks. Thus, even
though EHRs pose some security risks,
every hospital should use them because
they are permanent and they can be
shared easily between hospitals.
Guided analysis of the above-given example:
(1) What recent events or current trends are
included in the introduction?
(a) New rules and advancements in
technology making hospitals shift away
from using printed records
(b) electronic records being easily sharable
and longer lasting
(2) How do the recent events or given trends
support or make the introduction effective?
(a) They make it seem that the thesis
statement or argument, “All hospitals
should use electronic health records
(EHRs),” is true since many believe it or
imply it to be their belief by means of
how they prefer electronic versions of
their records over their printed
counterparts.
8. Statistics—this technique comes in
the form of presenting and interpreting
numerical or mathematical data.
Example:
Cancer is the uncontrolled growth and
spread of abnormal cells inside the
body with the potential to cause death.
[1] In America, it is the main cause of
death in children aged 14 years or less.
[2] In Indonesia, the 2013 Basic Health
Research data state that 0.5% of total
cancer patients are children aged 14
years or less.[3] Children suffering from
cancer at the end of their lives need
comfort, but it is rarely fulfilled.[4] The
uncomfortable conditions experienced
by children are related to pain, dyspnea,
digestive problems, and neurological
changes. [3] Nurses' management of
pain or other symptoms is part of the
multidisciplinary model of providing
comfort. [6] Nurses' understanding of
what comfort means to children at the
end of their lives affects the
intervention of comfort provided to
increase the children's quality of life. [Z]
Thesis Statement: Therefore, exploring
the nurses' understanding on the
essence and meaning of children's
comfort at the end of their life is a
study necessarily conducted.
Guided analysis of the above-given example:
(1) What numerical or mathematical data are
included in the introduction?
(a) 0.5% of total cancer patients are
children aged 14 years or less
(2) How does the number or numerical data
support or make the introduction effective?
(a) It makes readers have more concrete
idea about how many of those who
suffer from cancer are children whose
comfort, while going through such
illness, must be ensured. While the
number or percentage may seem
insignificant, it still presents the idea that
there are young lives at stake and must
be taken care of.

B. The Body
this part of an academic paper serves
the following functions: (1) to explain, (2)
to provide examples, and (3) elaborate on
reasons/ explore ideas.
Consider the following essay as an example:
(1) The human body is a wonderful piece of
work that nature has created. (2) It is not
beautiful like the body of a butterfly or peacock
but it is shaped practically. (3) It can do many
types of work which other animals cannot.
(4) It is not strong like the body of a tiger. (5)
But in place of physical strength it has a big and
sharp brain. (6) By using this brain, the human
physique has been able to overcome many of
its limitations. (7) By sitting in an airplane, it
flies faster than a kite, by riding a motorcycle, it
travels faster than a leopard, and by firing a
machine gun it fights much better than a tiger.
(8) In spite of all this, the human body suffers
from many diseases because it has a weakness
for habits such as smoking, drinking and
overeating. (9) When it is healthy the body can
give great pleasure, but when it is sick, it can
cause great pain.
Guided analysis of the above-given example:
(1) What is the thesis statement of the
paragraphs above?
(a) Sentence 1: The human body is a
wonderful piece of work that nature has
created.
(2) What techniques were possibly used to
support and develop the introduction?
(a) Sentences 2 and 3 may either be
classified as factual pieces of information
or shocking statements since they prove
what makes the human body wonderful
by means of saying how it is better
shaped compared to bodies of other
organisms despite it being less beautiful
and how it is capable of doing many types
of work.
(3) Which sentences form the body of the
paragraphs above?
(a) Sentences 4 to 9
(4) Why and how do those sentences function
as the body?
(a) Sentences 4 and 5 explain and provide
the reason why the human body is more
practical than the bodies of other
organisms
(b) Sentences 6 and 7 provide examples of
the many abilities that the human body
is capable of doing to overcome its
limitations.
(c) Sentences 8 and 9 also provide other
things that the human body can do, but
they focus more on the negative ones
and their consequences that may put it
to harm.
Since the body of an academic paper must
explore an idea, elaborate on a chosen topic,
and support the thesis statement, there are
various paragraph development techniques a
writer can use to do so other than the one used
previously. The common ones are as follows:
1. Narrative—this kind of paragraph
shows how events take place and in
what sequence.
 Example: It was three in the morning.
Sarah’s husband stood up from their bed
and rushed to their room’s toilet. There, he
started vomiting. Later that morning, he was
rushed to the hospital and was found to
have suffered from food poisoning. Hours
before that unfortunate event, the couple
had gone eating at a fine-dining restaurant,
with Sarah’s husband unknowingly ordering
and eating spoiled scallops. It took them
such a mishap to realize how serious and
bothersome food poisoning can be, with
Sarah even saying, “I was so shocked by
what was going on that didn’t know what to
do to help him.”
Guided analysis of the above-given example:
(1) What events were mentioned in the
paragraph?
(a) Sarah’s husband vomiting at 3am in the
morning
(b) hospitalization of Sarah’s husband and
the diagnosis of food poisoning
(c) Sarah’s husband and she eating at a
restaurant and ordering spoiled food
(2) Can the events be sequenced in a
chronological order or according to how they
actually happened? Which event comes first,
second, and third?
(d) Sarah’s husband and she eating at a
restaurant and ordering spoiled food
(a) Sarah’s husband vomiting at 3am in the
morning
(b) hospitalization of Sarah’s husband and
the diagnosis of food poisoning
(3) If any, are there details that support the
claims of the narrative paragraph to be true?
(a) Direct quotation of Sarah where she
states the events to be shocking and her
not knowing what to do
2. Definition—this kind of paragraph
provides readers with meanings,
descriptions, or examples of a given
concept or topic.
Example: Gardner and Lambert (1972) have
defined attitude in terms of the endurance
exhibited by the learner in using extensive
effort or energy to achieve a particular goal.
Stem (1983) has included attitudes towards
learning the target language itself and learning
languages in a general way.
Guided analysis of the above-given example:
(1) What concept is given meaning in the
paragraph?
(a) attitude
(2) How is it given meaning?
(a) Citations involving Gardner and Lambert
(1972) and Stem (1983)
(b) Gardner and Lambert (1972) defining
attitude as related to the endurance or
effort that a person exhibits or exerts to
achieve his/ her goals
(c) Stem (1983) specifying attitude in the
context of language learning
3. Classification—this kind of
paragraph groups things or individuals
together based on a certain standard or
 rule and by specifying their shared
characteristics.
Example: It’s perfectly normal for kids to
exhibit a certain behavioral style in class.
Behavior, after all, is a primary form of
communication for school-age children.
Decipher its meaning and you’ll be better
equipped to help your child succeed
academically.
Here are a few of the more common
classroom styles: The class clown tends to
be outgoing. Gregarious child is in need of
attention. At home he’s also charming and
funny, but at times drives you crazy with his
endless capacity for high jinx.
The shrinking violet is shy, introverted and
insecure about speaking up in school. In a
comfortable setting at home or with close
friends, however, she may be full of talk.
The daydreamer who tunes out or doodles
in class may have a concentration problem,
or the work could be either too advanced or
too easy.
The eager beaver tends to be a high
achiever who’s naturally motivated. But he
can be hard on himself if he doesn’t meet
his own standards.
Guided analysis of the above-given example:
(1) What standard or rule is used in grouping
the individuals in the paragraph?
(a) behavioral style in class or common
classroom styles
(2) What are the groups identified?
(a) shrinking violet
(b) daydreamer
(c) eager beaver
(3) What characteristics do the individuals in
each group share?
(a) shrinking violet—shy, introverted,
insecure, only talks with close friend or
at home
(b) daydreamer—tunes out of class, doodles,
has problems with concentrating
(c) eager beaver—high achiever, motivated,
expects highly of himself or herself
4. Exposition or Process—this kind of
paragraph presents a series of actions
that lead to a result. In addition, it may
provide explanations about how
concepts function or work.
Example 1: The researcher requested
permission from the author of the “A Survey of
Foreign Language Learning Motivation” (Wang,
2010) among Polytechnic Students in China to
use the questionnaire in gathering the data
needed in the study.
The questionnaire was modified through the
assistance of the statistician and his adviser.
Example 2: A number of curious experiences
occur at the onset of sleep. A person just about
to go to sleep may experience an electric shock,
a flash of light, or a crash of thunder – but the
most common sensation is that of floating, or
falling, which is why “falling asleep” is a
scientifically valid description.
A nearly universal occurrence at the beginning
of sleep (although not everyone recalls it) is a
sudden, uncoordinated jerk of the head, the
limbs, or even the entire body. Most people
tend to think of going to sleep as a slow,
slippage into oblivion, but the onset of sleep is
not gradual at all. It happens in an instant. One
moment the individual is awake, the next
moment not.
(3) What are the other details in Example 2 that
do not just state steps but explain the process
or concept involved?
(a) going to sleep not being slow or gradual
but instantaneous

Guided analysis of Example 1:

5.
(1) What process is illustrated in Example 1?
(a) requesting permission from an author
for the use of his/ her questionnaire
(2) What are the steps, in ascending order,
involved in the process illustrated in Example
1?
Description—this kind of paragraph
simply describes what is given (e.g., a
table, an illustration, a person, an
experience, etc.) by identifying its
contents or appearance and telling what
they mean; it does not involve personal
interpretation.

(a) requesting permission from Wang

(2010) for the use of his/ her
questionnaire from the study titled “A
Survey of Foreign Language Learning
Motivation”
(b) modification of the questionnaire with
the help of a statistician and the
research adviser
Guided analysis of Example 2:
(1) What process/ concept is illustrated in
Example 2?
(a) sleeping
(2) What are the events involved in the process
illustrated in Example 2?
(a) electric shock, flash of light, crash of
thunder, floating, or falling
(b) uncoordinated jerking of the head, the
limbs, or the entire body
Example: The Respondents in Terms of their
Use of Chinese Outside their Class Table 5
shows the distribution of the respondents by
their use of Chinese outside their class. The
11.2% of the respondents hardly use Chinese
outside their class. The 42.2% of the
respondents sometimes use Chinese language
with foreign friends while 11.2% of the
respondents sometimes use Chinese language
with other teachers or peers. The 35.4%of the
respondents sometimes use Chinese language
with their family members.
Guided analysis of the above-given example:
(1) What parts of the table are mentioned or
identified in the paragraph?
(a) The title, i.e., distribution of the
respondents by their use of Chinese
outside their class
 (b) percentage corresponding to the
response labeled as “hardly,” i.e., 11.2%
(c) percentage corresponding to the
response labeled as “sometimes with
foreign friends,” i.e., 42.2%
(d) percentage corresponding to the
response labeled as “sometimes with
other teachers or peers,” i.e., 11.2%
(e) percentage corresponding to the
response labeled as “sometimes with
family members,” i.e., 35.4
(2) Does the paragraph contain personal
interpretation of the given table?
(a) No, it does not. It merely presents or
tells what the table contains and the
connection or meaning of the different
parts.
6. Comparison and Contrast—this
kind of paragraph focuses on similarities
and differences between and among
identified groups.
Example: The Changing World of Women
The lifestyles of women have changed
drastically in the last thirty years and are still
changing today. Basically, there have been four
major changes. These have been in sexual
attitudes, marriage ideas, marriage roles, and
career opportunities.
The first major change has been in sexual
attitudes. Thirty years ago it was considered
taboo for a woman even to say the word “sex”
in public. Today women as well as men are able
to discuss sex and its problems and joys freely
and openly. Additionally, women are now
emphasizing their roles as sexual partners and
leaders rather than inferiors and followers, and
men are accepting that change, too.
Guided analysis of the above-given example:
(1) What is the topic explored in the given
example and who are being compared and
contrasted?
(a) change in the lifestyle of women in the
last thirty years
(2) How many changes are there and what are
they specifically?
(a) 4: sexual attitudes; marriage ideas;
marriage roles; career opportunities
(3) How different are the women of the past
from their present counterparts in terms of the
identified major changes in their lifestyle?
(a) sexual attitude—present-day women are
now expressive of the word “sex” even
in public setups unlike the women
before them.
(b) marriage and career opportunities—
present-day women are now active in
discussing with their partners the roles
they play in life as well as in pursuing
leadership roles unlike their previous
counterparts who saw themselves as
inferiors and as mere followers.
7. Cause and Effect—this kind of
paragraph specifies reasons or sources
and results, telling how an event takes
place and why.
Example: Why Students Leave College
There seem to be six basic reasons some of our
classmates will not be with us when graduation
day arrives in four years.
The first to leave are the dissatisfied, such as
my high school friend who could not adjust to
being away from home and among so many
strangers.
Next to leave are those who get sick or have
bad accidents. This happened to a girl down the
hall in my dormitory, but she plans to be back
after Christmas.
Another reason to leave is marriage, either
“shotgun” style or being unable to wait until
summer or graduation.
Also, after the first year or two, some students
transfer, either for the reasons that might also
make them drop out (get closer to home, marry,
money problems) or to earn a degree only
offered elsewhere.
There are two final reasons that cause
dropouts: money problems and bad grades.
College students everywhere are always short
on funds.
Finally, some students cannot handle the
academic part of college life. For many reasons,
from too much partying to weak high school
preparation, they flunk out of school. In fact,
after looking back over this list, it will be
surprising if anyone sitting in this class will be
left to graduate in four years.
Guided analysis of the above-given example:
(1) What is the topic explored in the given
example?
why students leave college/ six basic
reasons some of our classmates will not
be with us when graduation day arrives
in four years
(2) What causes students to leave college?
(a) dissatisfaction
(b) illnesses or accidents
(c) marriage
(d) transfer of residence or change of
course preference
(e) financial problems
(f) bad grades because of bad habits or lack
of ample preparation in high school
C. The Conclusion—the last part of an
academic paper that serves the
following functions: (1) to summarize/
restate the main point/ thesis statement
or (2) challenge readers to do certain
action/s related to the thesis statement.
Consider once again the example given
previously:
(1) The human body is a wonderful piece of
work that nature has created. (2) It is not
beautiful like the body of a butterfly or peacock
but it is shaped practically. (3) It can do many
types of work which other animals cannot.
(4) It is not strong like the body of a tiger. (5)
But in place of physical strength it has a big and
sharp brain. (6) By using this brain, the human
physique has been able to overcome many of
its limitations. (7) By sitting in an airplane, it
flies faster than a kite, by riding a motorcycle, it
travels faster than a leopard, and by firing a
machine gun it fights much better than a tiger.
(8) In spite of all this, the human body suffers
from many diseases because it has a weakness
for habits such as smoking, drinking and
overeating. (9) When it is healthy the body can
give great pleasure, but when it is sick, it can
cause great pain.
(10) The wise man would always keep his body
fit because only a healthy mind and body can
work to do amazing things that no other
creature ever can.

Guided analysis of the above-given example:

(1) Which sentence in the above paragraphs

serves as the conclusion?

(a) Sentence 10: The wise man would

always keep his body fit because only a
healthy mind and body can work to do
amazing things.

(2) Why and how does that sentence function

as the conclusion?

(a) Sentence 10 states a similar idea with the

thesis statement as it says that the body can
do amazing things that no other creatures
ever can, making it a restatement. Also, it
challenges readers to stay fit so that they
can better take care of the wonderful
bodies they have and prevent them from
suffering from the consequences of bad
habits

II. Using Transitional Devices in

Academic Writing
Transitional devices are used in academic
writing for two general purposes: (1) to connect
sentences and paragraphs with each other; and
(2) to facilitate clear movements from one idea
to another