Divide the class into 8 groups with four

members and assign a number for each

group. Each group should write a set of
directions for the following persons who
need to get to the entrance of the building:

• Groups 1 & 2 – a five-year-old girl

• Groups 3 & 4 – a man on a wheelchair
• Groups 5 & 6 – a deaf woman
• Groups 7 & 8 – a ninety – year – old woman
 Each person reading the directions cannot seek assistance
from other people and should reach their goals on their own.
 Guide Questions:
• What were your difficulties in writing instructions for your
audience?
• Do you think the recipients of your instructions will safely
get to their destination? What difficulties do you think
they will encounter and how can these be addressed?
• If you can improve your set of directions, what revisions
can you make?
THE
ACADEMIC
WRITING
STYLE
 Academic Writing
• Academic writing is a process that starts with posing a question,
problematizing a concept, evaluating an opinion, and ends in answering
the questions or questions posed, clarifying the problem, and/ or arguing
for a stand.
• It has a specific purpose, which is to inform, to argue a point, and to
persuade. It also addresses a specific audience.
• Academic writing is thinking. You have to abide by the set of rules and
practices in writing. You have to write in a language that is appropriate and
formal but not too pretentious. You also have to consider the knowledge
and background of your audience.
 Why is academic writing style
important?
The purpose of academic writing, as with most other kinds
of writing, is to communicate. For you, as a student, your
writing is the marker's only window to your thoughts.
Therefore it is important that you learn how best to write
in a way which will convince the marker that you
understand what you are talking about.
Writing is a form of communication
that is shaped by the following
factors:

• Topic • Purpose
• Role • Audience
• Topic – What is the text about? What details am I imparting to
the readers?
• Role – Who am I as a writer? Do I write as a sibling? A student? A
son/daughter? A customer?
• Purpose – Who am I writing this in the first place?
Audience and purpose are interconnected. If the audience knows less
than the writer, then purpose is instructional. But if the audience knows
more than the writer, as is the case with students, the purpose will be
demonstration of knowledge and expertise. So you should be aware of the
purpose of your writing as it is a decisive factor.
Purpose is the goal or aim of a piece of writing:
• to express oneself,
• to provide information,
• to persuade, or to
• create a literary work

When someone communicates ideas in writing, they usually do so

to express themselves, inform their reader, to persuade a reader or
to create a literary work.
• Audience – Who is reading this piece? What knowledge does
he/she need to understand in my writing?
• Considering your audience is something you should do before writing
your paper. If you are a student, your audience will be your instructor who
has definitely some expectations which you will have to meet. Your
audience may also be advisors, thesis committees, and journal and
conference reviewers. Taking your audience into account will affect the
content of your writing. For example, if you assume that your readers are
familiar with the subject you are writing about, you will not provide much
background information.
Examine three texts below and fill
out the table that follows.
 Excerpt 1 Excerpt 2 Excerpt 3
Abstract Comic Strip Poster

Purposes

Conversational or
technical language
used

Audience

Role of the writer/

artist