(ENGLISH11B) Academic Reading and Writing

Lesson 1 - Critical Thinking

Critical Thinking - a series of complex thought processes which allows you to make reasoned
judgements, assess the way you think, and solve problems effectively.
Non-critical Thinking - happens when you simply accept the things you are told without examining
them. It also happens when you construct thoughts based on emotions.

In 1956, Benjamin Bloom, an American educational psychologist, together with a team of

educational psychologist, published the Bloom's Taxonomy of the Cognitive Domain, which is a
system that classifies the levels of thinking important in learning.
Created to promote higher levels of thinking, it is composed of six levels which follow a successive
pattern. This means that to proceed to the next level, the current one must be mastered first. The
six levels are: Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation.

Later on in 2001, Bloom's former student, Lorin Anderson, and a group of cognitive psychologist
published a revision to the original taxonomy to make it more relevant to 21st-century students and
teachers. They changed the names of the levels and used verbs instead of nouns to denote an
active process of thinking.
Knowledge, comprehension, and synthesis were renamed remembering, understanding, and
creating, respectively. Aside from this, Anderson et. al, also restructured the levels
because creating is a more complex form of thinking than evaluating.

Qualities of a Critical Thinker

1. Inquisitive
He/she asks genuine questions that lead to a better understanding of things and events.
2. Investigator
He/she does not settle for a superficial level of interpretation instead, he/she investigates and digs
deeper.
3. Open minded
He/she does not necessarily mean looking for faults; it is rather about being open-minded to
different ideas to arrive at a better judgement.
4. Evaluator
He/she does not accept information until it is verified.

In the area of reading, critical thinking makes you recognize different texts and react to them
intelligently. It enables you to analyze written works, comprehend the message they convey, and
apply the message in real life. Evaluating texts critically also allows you to maximize the learning
experience that reading provides. This also leads to a better understanding and enjoyment of the
texts you read.
In the area of writing, a critical approach provides you with the skills to create well-written texts.
By knowing how to analyze and evaluate, you can write with clear purpose and position. Through
critical thinking, you can distinguish good and bad sources and know which information to use. This
leads to the production of good texts with reliable and insightful content.

Lesson 2 - Fundamental Reading Skills

Reading - a cognitive process of decoding symbols to derive meaning from text.

Reading can be more meaningful if it will be viewed as an interactive process between the writer
and the reader.

Factors Affecting the Acquisition of Reading Ability

– Intelligence
– Interest
– Motivation
– Langauge Facility
– Home Background
– Teaching Strategies
1. Comprehension
2. Vocabulary
3. Study Skills
4. Literary Appreciation
– Motor-Ocular Discrimination
– Auditory Discrimination
– Visual Discrimination

Three Components of Reading

Decoding
– is the ability to apply your knowledge of letter-sound relationships, including knowledge of
letter patterns, to correctly pronounce written words
Comprehension
– is the ability to process text, understand its meaning, and to integrate with what the reader
already knows
Retention
– is the condition of retaining/keeping something either from the short-term memory or long-
term memory
Stages in Reading
. Pre-reading Stage
– where the teacher activates background knowledge, sets purposes, introduces key
vocabulary terms, and previews the text with the students.
. Reading Stage
– where the students begin reading the material through any type of reading (buddy, shared,
guided, etc.). It includes reading strategies/skills, the examination of illustrations, reading
from beginning to end, and note taking.
Independent Reading - where a student reads independently.
Buddy Reading - where a group of 2-3 students take turns reading
Guided Reading - where the teacher begins reading a book to a group of 4-5 students
and then lets the students finish on their own.
Shared Reading - similar to guided reading only the teacher reads the entire book
while the students follow along.
. Responding
– the stage where the students respond to what they read through reading logs, journals, or
grand conversations.
. Exploring
– where the students go back and reread certain things in the text, learn more vocabulary,
participate in mini-lessons, examine the author's craft (style of writing), or identify
memorable quotes/passages.
. Applying
– where the students create projects, read similar or related material, evaluate their
experiences while reading, or use information learned in thematic units.

L2 (Moodle)

It is not true that reading is an effortless task. It is instead a complex cognitive process. It is also
highly visual because it involves the transmission of messages through the optic nerve. Although
you may not be aware of it, you apply different skills when reading a particular text. You do more
than just read.

As a complex process, reading consists of the following stages: pre-reading, while reading, and
post-reading stage.

The pre-reading stage aims to motivate the readers to read and to activate their schema or
background knowledge. The skills used in this stage include previewing, free writing, surveying,
questioning, making assumptions about the author, and identifying the purpose.

In the while-reading stage, you may reread the text until you fully understand its meaning. The
skills used in this stage include getting the meaning of words through context clues, predicting,
inferencing, monitoring comprehension, annotating the text, and reflecting.

In the last stage or the post-reading stage, you have to check your understanding of the text. The
skills used in this stage include summarizing, paraphrasing, drawing conclusions, making graphic
organizers, and journal writing.

1. Rapid Reading aims to locate specific information or main ideas in a very short span of time.
Example of this include skimming, locating the main idea and scanning, which are both pre-
reading skills.

a. Skimming is a type of quick reading which aims to get the main idea and overview of the
material. It is usually done when reading newspapers, magazines, books, and letters.

b. Locating the main idea is a reading skill which involves identifying the central message of a
reading selection. The main idea is usually found in either or both the first and last sentences of a
paragraph, but it may at times appear in the middle of the text.

c. Scanning is a quick reading strategy which aims to get specific information from a given text.

2. Previewing is a skill wherein a reader looks over a material and focuses on the information he/
she finds relevant. Previewing allows readers to set the purpose and link the content of the
material to their background knowledge. It is conducted during the pre-reading stage.

Effective previewing involves clarifying the purpose, reading the title and headings, and checking
the illustration and other visuals. Browsing, or inspecting unhurriedly, the table of contents,
introduction, or summary, is also a previewing technique.

3. Literal Reading involves the understanding of ideas and facts that are directly stated in the
material. This skill include note-taking, paraphrasing, and summarizing. These are typically done in
the post-reading stage.

a. Summarizing is a technique that involves condensing a lengthy text into a shorter passage
which is usually 15 to 30 percent of the source material while retaining its essence.

b. Paraphrasing involves restating ideas from the original text. Unlike a summary, the length of a
paraphrased text is almost similar to the length of the original text because it focuses on the details
and not on the main idea.
4. Inferential reading refers to the process of deducing facts and ideas not directly expressed in a
text. It is also known as "reading between the lines."

This skill includes making generalizations, inferences, and conclusions. This is applied during the
while-reading stage.

5. Critical reading refers to the close and thorough evaluation of the claims in the text in terms of
relevance, validity, and logic.

This skill includes distinguishing facts from opinions and detecting logical fallacies. As with
inferential reading, critical reading happens in the while-reading stage.

People have different reasons why they read, but most of these reasons, if not all, fall under
three general purposes: to be informed, to be entertained, and to be inspired.
Types of Reading According to Purpose
1. Developmental Reading - is a type of reading which aims to develop the reader's reading skills.

Ex: Mary reads a long text to improve her reading comprehension skills.
2. Pleasure Reading - is a more passive type of reading that primarily aims to provide enjoyment
and entertainment.
Ex: Karen reads her favorite book, To Kill a Mockingbird, to relax after a long day.
3. Functional Reading - is a type of reading designed to help readers learn basic functional
reading, such as reading school forms and instructions.
Ex: Kim reads a college application form to understand how to fill it out.
4. Remedial Reading - is a type of reading which aims to correct the effects of poor teaching and
poor learning.
Ex: Francis reads a pronunciation chart with his teacher to help him correct his pronunciation of
diphthongs.
Brainstorming
● - It is an informal way of generating topics to write about or points to make about your topic.
● - It is the most popular tool in generating creative and rich ideas.
●
● - It helps people establish patterns of ideas, develop new ways of thinking, activate
background knowledge, and overcome mental block.
While brainstorming is commonly thought of as a group activity, it can also be done individually.
-Some studies show that individual brainstorming produces more ideas because in group
brainstorming, people focus too much on other people's ideas that they are unable to generate
ideas of their own.

Methods in Brainstroming
1. Idea List
● - simply involves listing of ideas about a particular topic
● - requires writing the main topic and all related concepts below it
● - appropriate for textual people, or those who are more comfortable in processing words
than visuals
● - helps to find the main idea and supporting details from numerous listed ideas
Example:
2. Idea Map
● - also called as webbing or clustering
● - visual representation of ideas and their connections with one another
● - more structured and is able to show how one idea subordinates another idea
Example:
3. Free Writing

● - similar to brainstorming but is written in sentence and paragraph form without stopping
● - traditionally seen as a pre-writing technique in academic environments, in which a person
writes continuously for a set period of time without worrying about rhetorical concerns or
conventions and mechanics
Example:
4. Cubing

● - is an idea is examined from six distinct viewpoints

Example:
5. Researching

● - is a process of systematic inquiry that entails collection of data, documentation of critical

information, and analysis and interpretation of that data/information
● - a creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock knowledge, including
knowledge of humans, culture and society
Graphic Organizers
Graphic Organizers are visual representations of concepts that help you structure information
into organizational pattern. They present essential information and connect these pieces of
information into a coherent framework.
They are helpful tools for brainstorming, facilitating reading and writing, promoting active learning,
and accessing previous knowledge and experiences.
Through the graphic organizers, you can focus your attention on key elements and help you
integrate new knowledge into your current knowledge.

Types of Graphic Organizers

1. Venn Diagram
● - is use to compare and contrast ideas and events
● - uses two or more overlapping circles to show similar and different attributes
Example:
2. Network Tree
● - used to present hierarchy, classification, and branching
● - useful in showing relationships of scientific categories, family trees, and even lineages
Example:
3. Spider Map
● - also known as semantic map
● - used to investigate and enumerate various aspects of a central idea, which could be a
concept, topic, or theme
Example:
4. Problem-Solution Map
● - displays the nature of the problem and how it can be solved
● - usually contains the problem description, its causes and effects, and logical solutions
Example:
5. Timeline
● - used to show how events occurred chronologically through a long bar labeled with dates
and specific events
● - can be linear or comparative
a. Linear Timeline - shows how events happened within one period
Example:
b. Comparative Timeline - shows two sets of events that happened within the same period of time
Example:
6. Plot Diagram
● - used to map events in a story, making it easier to analyze the major parts of the plot
Example:
7. Series of Events Chain
● - used to show the logical sequence of events
Example:
8. Fishbone Map
● - used to better understand the casual relationship of a complex phenomenon
● - shows the factors that cause a specific event or problem, as well as details of each cause
Example:
9. Cycle
● - used to describe how series of events interact to produce as set of results repeatedly
Example:
10. Persuasion Map
● - used to map out arguments and evidence that prove a viewpoint
● - useful when processing persuasive or argumentative texts
Example:
Outline
An outline is a tool for organizing ideas. It is used not only as a pre-writing strategy but also a post-
reading activity. It shows how the part of a text are related to one another as parts that are of equal
importance, or sections that are subordinate to a main idea.

Two Outline Formats:

1. Decimal - uses numbers as labels

2. Alpha-numeric - uses both letters and numbers as labels
Four Principles in Making Effective Outline
1. Principle of Coordination requires of the same relevance to be labelled in the same way.
2. Principle of Subordination shows that minor details have to be place under their respective
major details.

3. Principle of Division requires that no cluster should contain only one item.

4. Principle of Parallel Construction requires all entries in each cluster to use the same structure
and format.

Kinds of Outline
1. Topic Outline
● - uses words and phrases for its entries
● - used if the ideas being discussed can be arranged in a number of ways
Example:
2. Sentence Outline
● uses complete sentences for its entries
● used when the topic being discussed is complicated and requires a lot of details
Example:
L4
Patterns of Development

Patterns of development refers to the logical arrangement of ideas that helps you to follow ideas
easily and understand a text better. It distinguishes the major details from minor ones and predict
ideas.
Patterns of Development - Definition
1. DEFINITION

This pattern explains the information through the use of illustrations, examples, and descriptions.
Using definition to develop an idea helps to clarify and explain concepts by answering the question
"What does it mean?"
Varieties of Definition:
1. Scientific Definition - defines concepts in the most factual way, which is often used in scientific,
proper, or real world facts
2. Subjective Definition - defines the object in a more personal way and usually derived from the
author's own experiences and opinions

Patterns of Development - Classification

2. CLASSIFICATION/DIVISION
A classification pattern organizes ideas into categories or divisions based on criteria and
standards. This pattern can be used when classifying people, objects, events, things, places, and
other items.
3. EXEMPLIFICATION
An exemplification pattern presents the main idea in a general statement and then provides
specific and concrete examples to expound on it. Providing a series of examples — facts, specific
cases, or instances — turns a general idea into a concrete one; this makes your argument both
clearer and more persuasive to a reader. A

4. DESCRIPTION PATTERN
A descriptive pattern basically provides details on the idea by using either a sensory or spatial
pattern. Through a sensory pattern, ideas are arranged based on one or all of the five senses while
spatial pattern arranges ideas by location or physical space.
5. NARRATION/CHRONOLOGY

Narration is the most basic pattern of development. It describes how, when, and where and event
or occurrence actually happened. It also used to tell a story or focus on a set of related events. It
can be based on personal experience or on knowledge gained from reading or observation.
Chronology usually governs narration, which includes concrete detail, a point of view, and
sometimes such elements as dialogue.

6. Enumeration/Listing
● Tells a listing of facts and events in no special order
● Signal words/phrases:
– Also
– Another
– Several
– First
Examples: grocery list, listing of examples

7. COMPARISON AND CONTRAST

A comparison and contrast pattern organizes ideas on how events, places, people, things, and
concepts are similar to or different from one another.
There are two ways on how ideas can be arranged: separately, which involves describing one item
first followed by the second item; or side-by-side, which means discussing both items based on
each point of comparison.
8. PROBLEM-SOLUTION
A problem-solution pattern organizes ideas into problems and proposed solutions.
The problem section usually includes the what, who, when, where, and how of the problem. The
solution section then presents the major effects of the problem, the possible solutions to address
it, and the steps in implementing the solutions.
9. CAUSE AND EFFECT
A cause and effect pattern organizes details based on the cause, the reason, and the result or
consequences of a certain phenomenon. This pattern may discuss the causes only, the effects only,
or both.

10. PERSUASION
A persuasion pattern organizes ideas to show how a set of evidence leads to a logical conclusion
or argument.
Specifically, this pattern presents the issue, the position, and the supporting evidence that
supports the position. Make sure to check these three essential elements while reading a
persuasion text.
Lesson 5 - Critical Reading Skills

Critical Reading
– involves recognizing t h e writer's purpose, identifying the tone, persuasive elements used,
and recognizing bias
Intertext
– refers to a work whose meaning is shaped by referencing or calling to mind other texts
– can occur in either online or printed media, literature, movies, and songs
Hypertext
– is characterized by the external links embedded in a text by the writer
– reader can read the text in a non-linear way because he/she is led to other links outside the
main text

The 3 Claims
. Claim of Fact
. Claim of Value
. Claim of Policy
Important Aspects:
● A claim is a statement not a question.
● A claim is against the status quo.
● The claim is the focus of the argument.
Claim of Fact
– asserts that something has existed, does exist, or will exist.
– debates whether it is true or false.
– it can be an assertion of the past, present, or future.
Claim of Value
– asserts judgement whether it is good or bad, more or less desirable.
– it is claiming whether something is good or bad or the other thing is better than the other
one.
Claim of Policy
– is something that should or should not be done.
– the key word is the verb "should", which implies that some action ought to be taken, but not
that it must or will be taken.

Logical Fallacy
– is the use of invalid or otherwise faulty reasoning, or "wrong move" in the construction of an
argument
Types of Logical Falacies
. Hasty Generalizations
– making assumptions about a whole group or range of cases based on a sample that is
inadequate (usually because it is atypical or just too small)
– stereotypes about people are a common example of the principle underlying hasty
generalization
. Irrelevant Conclusion
– the premises of an argument do support a particular conclusion — but not the conclusion that
the arguer actually draws
– the premise supports a conclusion other than the one it is meant to support
. Post Hoc
– this fallacy gets its name from the Latin phrase “post hoc, ergo propter hoc” which translates
as “after this, therefore because this of this”
– assuming that because B comes after A, A caused B
. Slippery Slope
– the arguer claims that a sort of chain reaction, usually ending in some dire consequence, will
take place, but there’s really not enough evidence for that assumption
– the arguer asserts that if we take even one step onto the "slippery slope," we will end up
sliding all the way to the bottom; he or she assumes we can't stop halfway down the hill
. False Analogy
– many arguments rely on an analogy between two or more objects, ideas, or situations.
However, drawing an analogy alone is not enough to prove anything. It is crucial to make sure
that the two things being compared are truly alike in the relevant areas
. Appeal to Authority
– often we add strength to our arguments by referring to respected sources or authorities and
explaining their positions on the issues we’re discussing
 – if, however, we try to get readers to agree with us simply by impressing them with a famous
name or by appealing to a supposed authority who really isn’t much of an expert, we commit
the fallacy of appeal to authority
. Appeal to Pity
– the appeal to pity takes place when an arguer tries to get people to accept a conclusion by
making them feel sorry for someone
. Appeal to Ignorance
– in the appeal to ignorance, the arguer basically says, “Look, there’s no conclusive evidence
on the issue at hand. Therefore, you should accept my conclusion on this issue.”

Lesson 6- Principles of Effective Writing

Various factors must be considered in identifying the effectiveness of a particular text, such
as organization, cohesion and coherence, language use, and mechanics. To further understand
these properties, you must first know the components of a text or composition.

A composition can either be a paragraph or an essay. A paragraph is a group of interrelated

sentences that talk about one main idea while an essay is a group of paragraphs that talk about
one central idea.

Paragraph is composed of three major parts: the topic sentence, the body which consists of the
supporting details, and the closing sentence.
Topic sentence is the central idea of the paragraph; it can be a stand or a comment, an objective
statement or a question.
Supporting details are sentences that clarify and prove the main idea.
Closing sentence concludes the details that have been presented.
Cohesive devices are transitional devices, pronouns, or repetition of ideas used in order for all of
the sentences to be linked properly.

Paragraph Essay
Organized around a topic sentence Organized around a thesis
statement
Contains an introductory sentence Contains an introductory paragraph
Uses sentences to explain major Uses paragraphs to explain major
points points
May use a concluding sentence Always uses a concluding
paragraph
Paragraph and Essay

Unlike a paragraph, an essay has more elaborate structure. It is divided into three general parts,
namely the introduction, body, and conclusion.
Introduction is the first statement in the essay which aims to hook the readers.
Transitional paragraph is a paragraph that does not directly support to a thesis statement; it is to
bridge one paragraph to another.
Body is the meat of the essay; it discusses the thesis statement in details through its paragraph.
Conclusion is the concluding paragraph begins with the restatement of the thesis statement using
a different structure and wording to uphold the language style.
Below are the specific parts of an essay.
I. Introduction
A. Lead or Attention-getter
B. Transitional Statement
C. Thesis Statement
II. Body
A. Major Point 1
. Minor Detail 1
. Minor Detail 2
B. Major Point 2
. Minor Detail 1
. Minor Detail 2
C. Major Point 3
. Minor Detail 1
. Minor Detail 2
III. Conclusion
A. Reiteration of the thesis statement
B. Transitional Statement/Reiteration of the purpose, benefit, and recommendation
C. Closing Statement
Since the essay is made up of individual paragraphs, the rules of writing a paragraph still apply.

Properties of a Well-written Text

It refers to the arrangement of ideas in a text. You can easily follow good organization when you
create an outline of your ideas before you start. An outline is like the skeleton of the human body—
the latter gives the body form while the former gives your writing basically the same thing. The form
will make the readers see which ones are the major parts and which ones are the minor parts. An
outline can be useful because it provides a format in which ideas can be arranged in a hierarchy—
that is, it distinguishes the general ideas from the specific or subordinating ideas.

Coherence and Cohesion

Coherence and cohesion refer to the connection of ideas and connection between sentences
and between paragraphs. As you have read previously, a text is connected discourse. This means
that the ideas you will write on a topic will not be considered a well-written text if they do not stick
together. In order for you to assure coherence and cohesion, you need to use transitional and
cohesive devices. For instance, to provide coherence, you may use phrases that signal that you are
adding more information (e.g. in addition, moreover), or referring to the previous statement (e.g. as
mentioned earlier), or contrasting the previous statement (e.g. however), and so on. For providing
cohesion, you must organize old and new information in your text. Organizing old and new
information can be done by using certain vocabularies such as synonyms and antonyms, or
repetition of words from the previous sentence, or using pronouns and conjunctions.

Language Use
Appropriate language use refers to the acceptable style of language for a particular form of
text. For business correspondences, for instance, the style must be concise and formal which is
why writers of such texts should not use wordy phrases and must have a courteous tone to it. For
literary pieces, on the other hand, the language and style may be less formal and more creative.

Mechanics refers to the conventions of writing which include capitalization, punctuation,

spelling, numerals, abbreviations, acronyms, and contractions. You may have experienced being
confused as to whether you have committed an error in grammar or mechanics when you
accidentally put an apostrophe in the possessive pronoun it’s or in the plural form of a noun such as
cats. These errors are not errors in grammar since you have demonstrated that you know the rules
in forming the possessive pronoun and plural. Since you made a mistake in the use of punctuation,
you committed an error in mechanics.
In a unified text, all supporting ideas are relevant to the main thought. Without unity, text will be
confusing.
Having unity in your writing helps the readers to easily understand what the composition is about
without having to re-read it.

Lesson 8 - The Writing Process

Steps in the Writing Process

Preparation
During this stage, you have to establish your purpose first. Ask yourself: "Why do I want to inform,
entertain, or persuade the audience about my topic?" Once you identify your purpose, you need to
specify your persona as a writer. Will you be a magazine columnist, an activist, a politician, or a
lawyer? This will set the tone, language, and level of formality in your paper.
Finally, you need to think of the topic you are writing and the type of output that you will produce.
Modeling
Modeling is the process by which the writer looks at different works which are similar in nature
with paper he/she is about to write. For instance, if you will write an argumentative paper, you can
check at least two samples of argumentative essay. Analyze the features such as organization,
structure, and language use of the sample texts to determined how they achieved their purpose.

Be sure that the model papers that you will use are of excellent quality.

Generating Ideas
To come up with ideas, you can do any of these pre-writing activities: brainstorming, clustering, or
freewriting.

Focusing on a Topic
The next thing you do with the general topic you came up with is to narrow it down. Think of
questions related to the specific purpose. Afterwards, answer the question with at least two details.
The answer to your question will most probably lead to your initial thesis statement.

Organizing Ideas
The next step in writing is organizing your idea in an outline.
In preparing an outline, begin by answering the question that leads to your thesis statement. Two
or three main ideas can be generated using this technique. Use these main ideas as your main
heading (level 1). Then, write the subtopics for each main idea (level 2). Finally, write the supporting
details for each of the subtopics (level 3).
You can use various outlines based on the structure you prefer:
Topic outline - using words and phrases
Sentence outline - using complete sentences
Paragraph outline - using paragraph forms
Drafting
Once you have outlined your ideas, it is time for you to write your first draft.

At this stage, you need to focus on the content and the organization not on the grammar and
mechanics. Build credibility by using reliable and valid sources. When using the internet,you check
the website address and look at the UniformResource Locator (URL). exercise caution and critical
thinking in using the information from those sources.

Feedback
Feedback is an important component of the writing process. It is a response to the written work
which focuses on all aspects. During the drafting stage, the feedback focuses more on the content,
structure, organization, and clarity of the message.

Feedback can be classified into three: self, peer, and teacher feedback

Revision
Revision is the act of improving the original paperby applying changes based on the feedback. You
need to apply critical thinking and evaluation skills when considering the comments on the paper.

You do not have to accept all the comments as long as there are valid reasons for doing so. If time
permits, give time for yourself at least two or three days before starting your revision to have a
fresher look at your paper.

Editing
The finishing stages of pre-writing are editing and proofreading. While editing focuses on the
grammar and the language use, while proofreading focuses on typography and mechanics.
During this stage, you need to use the standardized editing symbols to note the corrections.
Publishing
After exerting effort in writing a good paper, you can showcase your work to other people by
publishing your work in social media sites, books,magazines, and other reputable research-
sharing websites.
You can also publish your work collectively with your classmates by coming up with a book or
magazine out of your essays or by creating a class blog which will feature everyone's works.
https://youtu.be/PwtdBiFg6Tw?si=JMGvDTyDH2AD1KCT

Lesson 9 - Academic Writing

Definition

Academic writing is a type of writing produced by students and professionals in an academic

setting. Its main purpose is to inform and persuade not entertain. The most common type of
academic writing include academic essays, book reviews, literature reviews, research reports,
project proposals, position papers, and reaction papers.
Compared to other forms of writing, academic writing is impersonal and formal. It is
impersonalbecause it usually uses the third person perspective and does not have a direct
reference to persons and feelings. It is formal because it strictly adheres to formal English and
avoid word contractions (e.g. don't, shouldn't).
You also need to build a wide-ranging, field-specific vocabulary. this refers to the specialized
words that are excusive to a specific field of study such as psychology,, medicine, linguistics, and
sciences.
In terms of mechanics, make sure to follow the guidelines for language use and mechanics in well-
written texts. Citation and referencing are also two essential elements of any academic writing.

Components of Academic Writing

Components of Academic Writing
Context refers to the situation where professional writing is performed. It includes the people
involved, relationship between the people involved in the communication, time and place, and some
possible interferences.
Message refers to the content of your document. It includes the main topic, and the details that
support it. These details may be in the form of facts, statistics, testimonies, and observations.
Language refers to the channel used to convey the message. It can either be visual or textual,
formal or informal, verbal or non-verbal.
Purpose is the reason or motive that you have when communicating. It also helps you determine
the reactions you want to elicit from your target audience.
Audience is the receiver of the message.
Product refers to the output that you intend to produce after considering all the other components.
Some examples of outputs produced through academic writing are; Academic essay, Thesis,
Dissertation, Library research, Coursework, Reaction paper, Book review, Literature review,
Research report, Project proposal, Position paper.

Types of Academic Writing (Book Review or Article Critique)

1. Book review or article critique is a specialized form of academic writing evaluates the
contribution of scholarly works such as academic books and journal articles. A book review which
usually ranges from 250 to 750 words, is not simply a summary. It is a critical assessment,
analysis, or evaluation of a work.

As an advanced form of writing, it involves your skills in critical thinking and recognizing
arguments. It is different form movie review that you see in newspapers. Although movie
reviewsinvolve the analysis of a work, they are written for a general audience and primarily aim to
offer a persuasive opinion. On the other hand, a book review addresses a more specific audience
and usually offers a critical response to a published scholarly work.

Structure of a Book Review or Article Review

2. Literature Review provides an overview of a specific topic. It surveys scholarly work such
as academic books (but not textbooks), computerized databases, conference
proceedings, dissertations/theses, journal articles, monographs, and statistical handbooks.

A literature review critically analyzes the relationship among different scholarly works and the
current work.

Doing a literature review will test your ability to seek literature efficiently and identify useful
scholarly work. It will also test your ability to evaluate studies for their validity and reliability.
Hence, writing a literature review involves research, critical appraisal, and writing. Everything else
included, a student may take 40 hours to finish a well-written literature review.
Structure of a Literature Review

Introduction Body
• Purpose for writing and
importance of the topic
• Scope of the review
• Criteria used for selecting the
literature
• Organizational pattern of the
review
Historical background
• Relevant theories
• Relationship among studies and
how each study advanced a theory
• Strengths and weaknesses of
each study
• Various viewpoints on the topic
1. TITLE PAGE - contains an informative title that describes the content of the paper, the name
of the author/s, addresses or affiliations, and date of submission.
2. ABSTRACT - contains the summary of the research findings and conclusions.
3. INTRODUCTION - explains the current state of the field and identifies research gaps.
4. LITERATURE REVIEW - contains the summary and synthesis of all available sources directly
related to the study.
5. METHODOLOGY - describes how the experiments or tests in the research were conducted.
6. RESULTS - factually describes the data gathered and the tables and graphs that summarize
the collected data.
7. DISCUSSION - provides an explanation of all the results in relation to the previous studies
presented in the literature review.
8. CONCLUSION - contains the restatement of the major findings, the limitations of the study,
the recommendations, and the implications,
9. REFERENCES - contains the different sources used in the study.
1. Introduction
Ø Uses a lead that grabs the attention of readers
Ø Defines the issue and provides a thorough background
Ø Provides a general statement of the writer’s position through a thesis statement
2. Body
Ø States the writer’s main arguments and provides sufficient evidence (e.g. statistics, interviews
with experts, and testimonies) for each argument
Ø Provides counter arguments against possible weaknesses of the arguments presented in the
paper
3. Conclusion
Ø Restates the writer’s position and main arguments
Ø Suggests a course of action
Ø Explains why the writer’s position is better than any other position
Ø Ends with a powerful closing statement (e.g. quotation, a challenge, or a question)
Choosing the issue
1. The issue should be debatable. You cannot take any position if the topic is not debatable.
2. The issue should be current and relevant.
3. The issue should be written in a question form and answerable by yes or no.
4. The issue should be specific and manageable.