UNDERSTANDING

ACADEMIC TEXT
 • Understanding the author’s
tone—his or her attitude toward
Identifying the the subject and audience will
help you understand the purpose

Author’s Purpose and the author’s perspective.

• Authors convey purpose and

perspective through their
choice of words and the
impression those words create.
20XX presentation title
 Writing to Entertain

• Entertainment is defined as the

action or performance made to
amuse or give enjoyment
to others.

Writing to Inform

The primary purpose of texts that are written to inform is to

enlighten the reader or provide the reader with
information about a topic. Examples of Texts That
Are Written to Inform;

 Expository Essays or Article

 Instructions or Directions
 Encyclopedias or Other Reference Texts
UNDERSTANDING A WORD THROUGH STRUCTURAL
ANALYSIS
Structural Analysis COOPER, J. DAVID (2003) DEFINED STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS AS, A WORD
RECOGNITION SKILLS IN WHICH KNOWLEDGE OF THE MEANINGFUL PARTS OF
WORDS AIDS IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF AN UNKNOWN WRITTEN WORD.

KNOWLEDGE ON
STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS :

AIDS WITH THE

PRONUNCIATION OF
UNKNOWN WORDS.

AIDS WITH THE

UNDERSTANDING OF AN THE STUDENT LOOKS FOR MEANINGFUL PARTS
UNKNOWN WORD. OF AN UNFAMILIAR WORD IN ORDER
TO DECODE IT OR TO DETERMINE WHAT THE
WORD MEANS.
 A ) Root Words and
Base Words
• Root words come from another language or
language structure and cannot stand alone in
English as word.
Examples: the root - tain in the following:
maintain, sustain, pertain

- fer : Refer, confer, prefer

• Base words are English words and can stand

alone as words.
Examples: assist/assistance under/undergo
B) AFFIXES
Letter combinations or syllables added at the beginning or
end of a word to change its meaning or part of speech.

There are two kinds of affixes: Prefixes

and Affixes

1. Prefixes - Prefixes are attached to

the beginning of base words or
root words to change their
meaning.
 B ) Suffixes - are attached to the end of base words
or root words that can change the word’s part of
speech or its meaning.
Two types of suffixes:

a. Inflectional endings – the formation

of grammatical variants of the
same word.
Example: determine determined

b. Derivational suffix – the process of

forming a new word on the
basis of an existing word.
Example: happy - happiness
C )Compound Words - Compound words are
a combination of two words.

 The new word must keep the pronunciation

of the two original words in
order to be considered a compound word.

 The new word contains some sense of

meaning connection with one or both of
the original words.

Examples: roadway, classroom, bookstore

The Structures of
Academic Texts
 Common Structures of
Academic Text

A. THE THESIS STRUCTURE

o It is the basic pattern in writing. The thesis is what the

writer presents first by laying down his or her primary
argument about an important subject .
 Components of a Thesis
Structure
o I - Introduction – usually the first paragraph of short essay. The section
where the argument is presented. It can be placed either on the beginning
or ending of the introductory paragraph. It shows you how the author
will discuss the central idea and how the discussion will be organized.

o II – Body – Explains by giving details about the thesis or main

argument presented in the introduction. It consists of several
sections or paragraphs.

o III – Conclusion – the final paragraph which reaches the

final argumentative conclusion. It restates the main
argument in the introductory part but in another
words.
 Using Transitional Devices
• Understanding how to arrange sentences and organize paragraphs
will help you achieve coherence in writing academic texts. In both
academic writing and professional writing, your goal is to convey
information clearly and concisely.

Transition signals are Uses of transition signals:

words and phrases that
help readers organized  To clarify sequencing
their thoughts in writing  To emphasize a
to achieve unity and comparison
coherence.  To introduce a contrast
 To present a result
 To add information
thank you