WRITING GENERAL

TO SPECIFIC TEXTS
WHAT IS A GENERAL TO SPECIFIC TEXT?
 General to Specific (GS) texts move from broad statements
to narrower ones. However, they often widen out again in the
final sentence. The shape is similar to that of a glass or cup.

General statement

Detail in support of the

general statement

More detailed

Broader statement
YOU PRODUCE GS TEXT FOR:
An answer to an examination
question
An opening paragraph of an
assignment
A background (or scene-setting)
paragraph to an analysis or discussion
HOW TO BEGIN GS TEXTS
A short or extended definition
A contrastive or comparative
definition
A generalization or purpose
statement
A statement of fact
DEFINITIONS
 “hooks” from which GS text can be hung

e.g. The majority of corporate profits, or

earnings after all the operating expenses
have been deducted, are subject to tax by
the government.
WRITING A DEFINITION
A definition sets the boundaries
for a word’s meaning.
Words and phrases may have
different meanings depending on
the field of study.
e.g. menu, tone, memory
COMMON WAYS TO
DEFINE
 Short definitions or glosses – give
information about a term or phrase and are
placed within either parentheses or commas
in a sentence; phrasal definitions signaled by
such devices as e.g. or i.e. or phrases such as
known as, defined as, and called.
 Fyi- e.g. is abbreviation for the Latin phrase
exempli gratia meaning for example
 Fyi- i.e. is abbreviation for the Latin phrase
id est meaning that is
COMMON WAYS TO
DEFINE
Sentence definitions – brief and
somewhat similar to a dictionary
definition.

Extended definitions – longer and

more detailed than definitions found in
dictionaries.
FORMAL SENTENCE
DEFINITIONS
may be signaled by a single verb phrase or
may be expressed using a class term and
restrictive clause
some verb phrases include refer to as,
is/are known as, is/are defined as

e.g. Dental erosion is defined as a

progressive loss of hard dental tissues by a
chemical process without bacterial action.
 ELEMENTS OF FORMAL
SENTENCE DEFINITIONS
Term + Class + Distinguishing Detail

e.g.
A solar cell is a device that converts
the energy of sunlight into electric
energy.
DELETIONS
 You may reduce the restrictive relative if
1. The relative clause consists only of the relative
pronoun, the verb to be, and one or more prepositional
phrases.

e.g. A wharf is a structure that is along a waterfront

providing a place for ships to load and unload
passengers and cargo.

A wharf is a structure along a waterfront providing a

place for ships to load and unload passengers and
cargo.
DELETIONS
 You may reduce the restrictive relative if
2. The relative clause consists of a passive verb plus some
additional information.

e.g. A theater is a building that has been specifically

designed for dramatic performances.

A theater is a building specifically designed for

dramatic performances.
CHANGE IN WORD OR WORD FORM
 You may reduce the relative if
1. The relative clause contains the verb have. The relative
pronoun and have can both be dropped and replaced by
with.

e.g. A parliament is national governing body which has the

highest level of legislative power within a state.

A parliament is national governing body with the

highest level of legislative power within a state.
CHANGE IN WORD OR WORD FORM
 You may reduce the relative if
2. The relative clause contains an active state verb (a verb
that expresses a state or unchanging condition). The
relative pronoun is dropped and the verb is changed to
the -ing form (except the verb to be and have).

e.g. Pollution is a form of contamination that often results

from human activity.

Pollution is a form of contamination often resulting

from human activity.
CORE IN CONSTRUCTING DEFINITIONS
 Avoid the following:
Using something
e.g. A solar cell is something that changes sunlight into
electricity.
A solar cell is a device that changes sunlight into
electricity.

Using when and where

e.g. Pollution is when the environment becomes
contaminated as a result of human activity.
Pollution is a form of environmental contamination
resulting from human activity.
EXTENDED DEFINITIONS
 It usually begins with a general, one-sentence
definition and then becomes more specific as
additional details are provided.
 There may be a need to focus on components,
types, applications, history or examples.
 It may also include information regarding
operating principles (process analysis) or
causes and effects.
COMPETING DEFINITIONS
 Sometimes a definition of a term or
concept is not fixed. There may be a lack
of agreement as to a precise definition or
competing perspectives.

 A good strategy is to acknowledge some

of the different definitions but make clear
to your reader the definitions you will
adopt.
COMPETING DEFINITIONS
Skeletal phrases you could use

While debate exists regarding a precise

definition of …, the stance adopted in this
paper is that…

For the purpose of this paper, …. refers to/is

defined as/is considered to be…
CONTRASTIVE DEFINITIONS
 Defining two or more related terms

e.g. a CD and DVD

good news and bad news letter
British and American English

 Focusing on differences
COMPARATIVE DEFINITIONS

Two approaches
Present a historical account of how
a concept has changed over time

Present an overview of how

various experts today view a
concept differently