The Nature and Structure of

Academic Texts
 What are academic texts?
are usually written by professionals who specialize in a field (Mid Michigan College,
2020)

are usually clear, direct to the point, focused on a particular structure, and always
supported by evidence (University of Leeds, 2020)

are used to determine and establish intellectual boundaries in a certain body of

knowledge (University of South Carolina, 2020)

Examples: dissertations, journals, theses, research papers

 What are non- academic texts?
- Are quickly accomplished and can be written virtually by anyone
- Language used is informal and may contain slang
- The author’s sources may not always be recognized
(Mid Michigan College, 2020)

- Is not limited to a specific audience

- Usually not peer reviewed
(Kumar, n. d.)

Examples: magazine articles, newspaper articles, literary texts

 ACADEMIC TEXTS NON- ACADEMIC TEXTS
INTENDED belongs to a specific Meant for mass
AUDIENCE field consumption;
no specific audience

LANGUAGE Formal and follows a Informal/casual, may contain

USED specific set of slang
vocabulary items

WRITING STYLE Concise, direct to the Maybe written using literary

point, and objective in language
nature Subjective in nature

CITATION/S Authors and sources Authors/ sources may not

are ALWAYS always be recognized
recognized
 Mathematics Texts
LANGUAGE AND
TEXT STRUCTURE Business texts
ACROSS
DISCIPLINES Social Science Texts

Natural Science Texts

Literature and the Arts

 Importance

Adjust reading strategies to understand the material better

Structure of AcademicTexts
 Structures of a Specific Academic text

• Depends on a primary purpose of a text which in turn

determines how it is written
• What information the author introduces in the text
• How this information is organized
Example:

ACCIDENT:

Treatment Aims
1.Control bleeding
2.Minimize shock for casualty
3.Prevent infection – for casualty and between yourself and the casualty
4.Arrange for casualty to go to the hospital if necessary
 What is the purpose of the text?

To inform the reader that bleeding

needs to be controlled.

To instruct the reader on what to do if they

come across an accident.
 Nine Main Structures
1. Definition - explain the nature of something
2. Description - gives concrete details about the
appearance, characteristics and actions
3. Recount of Sequence - chronological
narration
 Nine Main structures
4. Cause and Effect - presents the
reason why a situation is obtained
 Nine Main structures
5.Comparison and contrast - presents similarities
and differences
6.Enumeration - listing parts and characteristics,
of examples.
 Nine Main structures
7.PROBLEM SOLUTION - starts off with a
negative situation and ends with a positive
situation
8.Classification - presents groupings, types,
classes, categorizes
9.Thesis evidence - argues, points,
interprets
 Individual activity
Write an academic text that shows any
of the nine structures.