REVIEWER – 1st QUARTER

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES

*Writing is a form of communication that shaped by the following factors such as topic, role, audience and purpose.

*Texts Types (Academic Texts and Non-Academic Texts)

*Academic Texts (reviews, concept papers, position papers, reports, research papers, journal, articles)

* Non-academic Texts (news articles, feature articles, editorials, creative essays, poems, advertisements)

*Academic Writing is a process that starts with posing a question, problematizing a concept, evaluating an opinion, and
ends in answering the question or questions posed, clarifying the problem, and/or arguing for a stand.

*Academic writing has a specific purpose, which is to inform, to argue a specific point, and to persuade.

*Formality reflects your dignified stance in your writing as a member of the academic community.

*Writing must be impersonal and maintains a certain level of social distance. (Objectivity)

*In combining ideas effectively, you will need to avoid redundancy and at the same time, make sure that the ideas are
packed effectively.

*Academic writing demands the use of signposts that allow readers to trace the relationship in the parts of the study.
(Explicitness)

*Academic writing requires care since knowledge is built from proven theories and concepts. Caution is needed to avoid
generalization.

*Plagiarism is defined as copying verbatim of language and idea of other writers and taking credit from them.

*Plagiarism is a serious form of academic dishonesty and if frowned upon the academe.

*Two types of Plagiarism (Plagiarism of Ideas / Plagiarism of Language)

* Plagiarism of Ideas occurs when credit for a work is ascribed to oneself untruthfully.

* Plagiarism of Language happens when an author uses the language of another writer and claims it as his/her own.

*Word-for-word from a source: -word-for-word copying and citing the source.

*Word-for-word plagiarism of a text: -the writer simply cites the author but copies the whole text verbatim.

*Patchwork Plagiarism-ideas from the source are mixed with interpretations of the writer, creating patches of text where
ownership of ideas is unclear.

*Three types of Note-taking Techniques (Using Direct Quotation, Summarizing, Paraphrasing)

*Using direct quotation means to lift text and enclose them in quotation marks. In addition to the author’s name, the
page numbers are included.

*If the text is too long, you may omit certain parts and replace them with an ellipsis (three dots). If the words omitted are
at the end of the statement, another dot is added, making it four.

*Interpolation may be done to insert notes within the directly quoted passage to help readers understand the context of the
statement. Interpolation is marked by open and closed brackets.

*Twenty percent of the total length of the work may employ direct quotations. For 1000 words essay only 200 words
allotted for direct quotation.

*Summarizing involves understanding the texts and “representing the ideas of the writer in a more condensed form, using
mostly your own words” (Henderson, 2015, p. 87)

*As the writer of a summary, your task is not to judge or interpret the text, but to express the essence as precisely as
possible. (Abrams, 2020)
*Summarizing is a short restatement of the main idea of the text.

*Contrary to summarizing, the objective in paraphrasing is not to condense the material. The writer should be able to use
their own words to explain what the material means, regardless of whether it condenses the original or make it longer.

*A restatement in your own words of the main idea and supporting details of the text.

*Reading academic texts does not stop at knowing how a text looks like or understanding what the writer’s purpose is.
One of the most effective ways to ensure our understanding of a text is to be careful in processing what we read. And
that’s what we called “ACTIVE READING”.

*Active reading is reading something with a determination to understand and evaluate the reading material for its
relevance to your needs. This also refers to “learning a text’s value”.

*The thesis statement is the overall idea or argument of your work. It is a general statement that presents essential points
that leads the reader to the right direction. It should be focused and succinct. It should have at least two supporting ideas.

*The thesis statement is the main idea of an essay. This means that since an essay has several paragraphs, the thesis
statement covers the main idea of the essay.

*On the other hand, a topic sentence serves as the main idea of a paragraph.

*The thesis statement contains at least two supporting points which are developed in succeeding paragraphs.

*A topic sentence usually has just one supporting point.

*A thesis statement is always formed declarative statement.

*A good thesis statement is focused, meaning it provides supporting points that strengthen the main claim.

*A good thesis statement has clear boundaries. It sets limits as to what the essay intends to explore.

*Together with the thesis statement, the outline is a helpful tool for organizing your work.

*Texts can be cut into manageable chunks, regardless of whether the writers used strategic spacing and sub-headings or
not. (Henderson, 2015)

*Reading Outline reveals the text’s structure or the order by which the ideas appear in a text.

*In writing a reading outline, the reader ought to know why the writer decided on a specific structure.

*Ask how or in what manner or form the ideas fit into the hole and how one is related to another.

*Two types of outline according to Valdez (2016) – Traditional Format, Standard Format

*Three types of outline according to Rebonquin (2021)

– Paragraph Outline, Formal Topic Outline, Informal Outline

*Parallelism- Entries should observe the same language structure (e.g words, phrases, sentences)

*Coordination- Entries should observe the levels of importance. In the example above, note that colleges labeled as major
ideas because they carry the same level of significance in the research university.

*Subordination- Entries should observe difference of importance (which ideas should be classified as minor or major
ideas?)

*Division- Entries should at least be two to be sure that supporting points of a major idea are adequate.

*Like thesis statements and outlines, writing essays requires preparatory steps.

*An essay is similar to research in that it requires planning and execution.

*Concept - an abstract idea; general notion; a plan or intention; a conception

*A concept paper defines an idea or concept and explains its essence in order to clarify the “whatness” of that idea or
concept.
*A concept paper starts with definition, either formal or informal, of the term or the concept and proceeds with an
expanded definition and analytic description of the aspects of the concept.

*In writing concept paper, you must connect from a theory and experience.

*Theory-From numerous academic articles.

*Experience-From day-to-day observation.

*Deductive Reasoning-Examine real-life phenomena.

* Inductive Reasoning- Produce a theory from bits and pieces of information.

*Definition is important because it clarifies the meaning of a concept, and it also limits the scope of that particular word
or concept.

*Two types of Definition (Scientific, Subjective)

*Scientific definition defines concepts in the most factual way.

*Subjective definition defines objects in a personal way.

*Techniques in Defining (Formal, Extended)

*Formal Definition-The most common technique in which you are given a term to be defined and you define the term by
giving class where the word/term belongs (genus) and the characteristics that distinguish the term from other terms,
known as the differentia.

*Extended Definition-These are essay length texts that use different rhetorical patterns to show the meaning of a particular
concept or term. Usually, extended definition essays or concept papers not only define but also describe, compare and
contrast, and show cause-and-effect relationships to provide the reader a holistic definition of a term.

*Definition by Etymology
Defining the term by its origin
Example:
Communication was derived from the Latin term ‘communicare’ which means ‘to share’ and later evolved into
‘communicatio’ which is the basis of the old English term “Communication.”

*Definition by Contrast
Defining the term by using its opposites
Example:
Unlike plant cells, animal cells each have a centrosome and lysosomes.
*Definition by Example
Defining the term by giving examples
⮚ Camaraderie
✔ The SSSC exhibits strong camaraderie as they face challenges in organizing school events.

*Definition by Synonym
Defining the term by using similar word or phrase to define a word
Example:
To feel ecstatic is to be overwhelmed with happiness.

*Definition by Function
Defining the term by stating what the term is for
Example:
CFC or Chlorofluorocarbon is one of the chemical elements present in aerosols which causes harmful effects to the
ozone layer.

*Definition by Analogy
Defining the term by comparing the term to another object/concept/idea that shares the same characteristics as the term
being defined
Example:
Creative Nonfiction uses creative language while Nonfiction retains the use of formal language.

*Definition by Negation
Defining the term by stating what it is not
Example:
✔ Challenges make us a better person.
⮚ Challenges only give us depressions, stress and reasons to give up.

*Definition by Illustration
defining the term by narrating incidents. It uses specific examples
Example:
 Contemporary arts include performance plays, interpretative contemporary dance and digital painting.

*Definition by Likeness or Similarity

defining the term by using concepts that similar or having resemblance with each other
Example:
Moissanites or white sapphires can be an alternative to diamond.

*A concept can be developed through explanation by providing examples.

*Explication employs a critical interpretation of a concept.

Introduction
 Think of a topic that genuinely interests you.
 Create your Thesis Statement and Outline
 In writing your introduction, make sure that you refer to your thesis statement and outline.
 Include citations and use appropriate note-taking techniques

*An introduction should establish the topic with a strong opening that grabs the reader's attention.

*Body-“The Main Event” of writing a text.

*The body is the largest part of a research paper; in it you collect and arrange evidence that will persuade the reader of
your argument.

*The conclusion is intended to help the reader understand why your research should matter to them after they have
finished reading the paper.

*Critiques are papers made of important rhetorical patterns in academic writing as they present a balanced view of things.
*Provide background information for the readers including the central ideas of the book, the concept, the event, or the
movie to be critiqued.

*Relating your critique to greater realities.

*Critiques should be organized

*The first part should provide readers a sense of the ideas you want to tackle.
*The next part should provide a summary of the concept.
*Strength and Weaknesses should be part of the critique.
*The final section of the critique should include the final recommendations of the author.

*When you write a REVIEW, you are called upon to pass judgment on a certain food, film, restaurant, and product.

*The key to writing an effective review is to put oneself in the shoes of the consumer.

*Industrial design is the professional practice of designing products used by millions of people around the world every
day. Industrial designers not only focus on the appearance of a product, but also on how it functions, is manufactured and
ultimately the value and experience it provides for users.

*A major part of a review is a brief summary of the event, book, concept, or object being critiqued. In this part, specific
descriptions are needed for the reader to have an overview of the central features of the topic.

*Aside from providing an overview, it is important to provide informed insights on these features (THESIS
STATEMENT). For instance, weakness or strengths should be based on what is observable and comparable to other items
of the same class.

*The evaluation of the final section should summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the subject to be critiqued. This
includes points for readers to consider before reading the book, watching the film, attending the event, or purchasing the
item.
*Recommendations must be backed up with sources to strengthen your claims.

*A negative appraisal must be expressed with tact.

*Language has always been a part of our lives. We use it to communicate with friends, understand what is going on
around us, and of course, read this introduction at this very moment.

*Writers start with a reason to communicate. This reason—or what we call purpose—is what the writer wants to achieve
in producing a text.

*The writer of an academic text can be an expert in a certain discipline or can be a student like you who has already
learned at least the basic concepts in the field.

*Style refers to how a text is written. More specifically, it describes the writer’s word choice.

*Generally, academic texts use formal language.

*The information being shared has to be credible. Parenthetical citations (e.g. (Santos, 2018) and narrative in-text
citations (e.g. According to Santos, 2018) are evidence of the strong grounding on research of most academic texts. You
will see such citations expanded in the list of references (or works cited) placed towards the end of the texts, complete
with other information such as the sources’ titles and years of publication.

*Academic texts generally sound more impersonal too.

*Writers usually use the third person point of view and the passive voice (e.g. ‘They are loved’ as opposed to ‘Their
parents love them’ in active voice) to tone down the involvement of the doer of the action.

*Academic and professional organizations have started to encourage the use of first person point of view (using the
pronouns “I” or “we” as opposed to “the researchers” or “the authors”) to give importance to the writer’s insights.

*The world we know it is run by principles discovered and innovations made by experts in various fields.

*Great works are made out of passion.

*Audiences like us sense this love in the brilliance of their creations.

*Aside from film, we can also review books, articles, advertisements, product designs, etc.

Academic text is usually written by experts or professional in a given field.