Communication

for Academic
Purposes

FOCUS SKILLS: READING

AND WRITING

WEEK 7-8
 Academic Writing

 Any writing done to comply with a

requirement of a university or a
subject; any given assignment in an
academic setting.

 Publications that are read by students,

teachers and researchers or presented
at conferences.
 Purposes of Academic Writing
 Persuasive purpose

 To try to change the readers’ point of view

about a topic

 You need to support your answer using reason

and evidence.
 Purposes of Academic Writing
 Analytical purpose

 To explain and evaluate a subject matter

 Informative purpose

 In informative academic writing, the purpose is to

explain possible answers to a question, giving the readers
new information about your topic.
Academic Language
• Uses formal language does not use colloquialisms, contractions or
first- person pronouns such as ‘I’ or ‘We’.

• Uses strong action verb, passive voice when the writer does not
know or does not want to name the doer; Uses active voice for
conciseness.
Academic Language
• Uses appropriate signal words
- to indicate time – finally, before, after, soon

- to add ideas – furthermore, also, moreover

- to contrast – however, but, on the other hand

- to conclude – thus, therefore, to summarize, in conclusion

Academic Language
• Is concise

- Conciseness is the use of short and simple words and phrases, fewer words, stronger
expression.

- When there is concision, texts are easier to understand and read and more persuasive and
more user-centered.

• Avoids redundancy

- Avoid phrases like ‘exactly the same’, ‘absolutely essential’, ‘extremely

significant’, and ‘very unique’.

- Don’t say the same thing twice, e.g. ‘completely eliminate’, ‘end result’,
‘basic essentials’.
Academic Language
• Avoids redundancy
- Avoid double negatives, e.g. ‘not unlikely’, ‘not insignificant’.
- Use specific numbers instead of ‘many’, ‘a number of’, ‘several’, etc.
- Eliminate redundant words and phrases, e.g. ‘due to the fact that’ or
‘in order to determine’.

• Uses hedges
- Hedge - a word or phrase used to express probability or indecisiveness
about the remainder of the sentence, rather than certainty or decisiveness.

- Hedges are used to soften generalizations, opinions, critique or to

express likelihood.

- Hedges are adjectives or adverbs, but they can also be modal verbs or
clauses.
Academic Language
•Uses an impersonal tone
- use the third person pronoun in research
papers;

- use first person pronouns for essays.

Using Academic Vocabulary (formal words)

Informal words Formal Words

• Ask • Inquire
• Check • Verify
• Get • Receive
• Help • Assist
• Need • Request
• Use • Consume
• Start • Commence
• Try • Endeavor
• Idea • Notion
JBALARCON
Academic Writing Situations
• Writing a thesis paper

• Writing essays (reaction paper, reflection paper, concept paper, etc.)

• Answering essay-writing examinations

• Classroom activities that require writing

POSITION
PAPER
 • It presents your side or position of an arguable issue;

• It explains the rationale for your position;

Position • It convinces your reader/s that your position on an issue is

Paper valid and defensible;

• It generates support on an issue;

• It is based on facts that provide a solid foundation for

your position.
 • Use evidence to support your position, such as statistical
evidence or dates and events, research results, facts, etc.

• Validate your position with authoritative references or

reliable sources.
In a position
paper, • Examine the strengths and weaknesses of your position.
you should:
• Evaluate possible solutions and suggest courses of
action.

• Consider feasibility, cost-effectiveness and

political/social factors when evaluating possible
solutions and courses of action.
Structure of a position paper:
1. An introduction, which includes the following:

• Identification of the issue and your proposed solution/s

• Thesis statement, which is the statement of your position

and written as the last sentence of your Introductory
paragraph.

• Your thesis statement is your explicit position/solution to

the issue you identified.
Structure of a position paper:

2. The body, which contains several paragraphs, includes

the following:

• Topic sentence
• Supporting sentences (evidence such as facts, research
results, statistics from reliable sources, etc.
• Concluding sentence
Structure of a position paper:
3. A conclusion, which may contain the following:

• Restatement of your thesis statement

• Restatement of possible solutions

• A statement of hope that your position will be

considered, and your suggested solutions will be
adopted.
Position Paper Structure
I. Introductory paragraph (3-4 sentences; last sentence is your thesis
statement)

II. Body/Developmental paragraphs (5-7 sentences each paragraph)

A. Reason 1 in your thesis statement that is expressed in one complete
sentence.
1. Supporting sentence 1
2. Supporting sentence 2
3. Supporting sentence 3
4. Concluding sentence
Position Paper Structure
B. Reason 2 in your thesis statement that expressed in one complete sentence.
1. Supporting sentence 1
2. Supporting sentence 2
3. Supporting sentence 3
4. Concluding sentence
C. Reason 3 in your thesis statement that is expressed in one complete sentence.
1. Supporting sentence 1
2. Supporting sentence 2
3. Supporting sentence 3
4. Concluding sentence
III. Concluding paragraph (2-3 sentences)
 - Write a position paper (pair work
and with Turnitin result not higher
than 10%) based on your chosen
advocacy.
Major
Assessment - Submit your position paper in
Task 3 your section’s shared drive in the
Position Paper folder (inside your
group’s folder).
PU
Position Paper Guidelines:
RPCOM MATTERS
1. Contextualize. (Group’s chosen SDG; localized SDGs based on the
needs of your chosen community/one of the partner communities
of your College/Faculty);
1. 1 ½ to 2 pages only;
2. Include the following: a) Group’s advocacy; b) a title to your
composition;
3. Cite your references (both in-text and references section; minimum
of 3) using the APA 7th edition format.
Specific Guidelines:
URPCOM MATTERS
▪ Font size 12, Font- Times New Roman
▪ Paragraph Alignment - Justify REMEMBER:
INTELLECTUAL/ACADEMIC
▪ Spacing - 1.5 Margins - 1 inch all sides HONESTY
▪ Paper Size – 8.5 X 11” Nothing higher than 10%
in your Originality Report.
▪ Paper Orientation – Portrait
HONESTY
▪ Kind of File – Word Document or PDF (but comments can still be inserted)
10% in our Originality Report.
▪ Word count should be included: 300-450 words (bottom of the paper)

▪ Number of Pages: 1 ½-2 pages only excluding References

▪ G Drive Submission (AT 3 Folder) on _________.

▪ Append the Rubric.

▪ UNDERLINE YOUR THESIS STATEMENT AND TOPIC SENTENCES.