Republic of the Philippines

Department Of Education
Schools Division Office I Pangasinan
AGNO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Agno

ACADEMIC TEXT
STRUCTURES
CHRISTINE NIVERA-PILON, MBA
Have you tried to talk to someone but do not know
what to say and how to say it?

Or have you tried to write something but do not know

what language and structure should be used?

How many times have you been assigned to do a book

review or position paper? Or was there a time where
you thought that academic writing is boring, difficult
and is not readily accessible?
 Learning Objectives
Identify the nature, features and characteristics of academic
writing;

Differentiate academic texts from non-academic texts;

Recognize the features of language used in academic texts;
and

Evaluate academic texts based on its use of language.

 What I Know

Answer the pre-test and work on Activity 1 as directed.

Do your best in it. Enjoy learning!
 Read the passages below. Then, identify whether each
passage is an Academic Text or Non-academic Text.

1. The project is worth sponsoring for it will enable

the out-of-school youth to develop their skills
and intellect. This will also help children from
less fortunate families to participate in the free
lectures, seminars and: trainings to be conducted
by the proponents and the speakers.
Read the passages below. Then, identify whether each
passage is an Academic Text or Non-academic Text.

`
Read the passages below. Then, identify whether each
passage is an Academic Text or Non-academic Text.

3. I want to obtain answers to the questions that

are swarming in my mind. But it seems
everything in life is just a cycle of questions with
no answers in sight.
Read the passages below. Then, identify whether each
passage is an Academic Text or Non-academic Text.

4. The COVID-19 public health crisis has led to a spike

in known risk factors for mental health conditions
,including everything from social isolation to
unemployment to overall feelings of insecurity and
instability. In light of these risk factors, as well as
potential long-term mental health impacts. The
researchers advocate footsore-term and ongoing
responses
Read the passages below. Then, identify whether each
passage is an Academic Text or Non-academic Text.

5. A child was standing on a street-corner. He leaned

with one shoulder against a high board-fence while
kicking carelessly at the gravel. Sunshine beat upon
the cobbles, and a lazy summer wind raised yellow dust
which trailed in clouds down the avenue. Clattering
trucks moved with indistinctness through it. The child
stood dreamily gazing.
 Language Used in Academic Texts from Various
Disciplines

Effective writing is a skill that is grounded in the cognitive domain. In order to

bean effective writer, we must know the different rules and conventions of
writing that will regulate its different types. Thus, writers must be
knowledgeable of the format, organization, structure, and presentation of the
points discussed.
Think of the things that
should be considered
when writing. What are
the things that we have
bear in mind?
Academic writing is a scholarly
act of presenting ideas or
concepts about a specific topic. It
is scholarly because It involves a
thorough, 'careful, investigative
and scientific study of a specific
topic.
Features of Academic Writing:
1. Academic writing has a specific purpose.
2. It also addresses specific audience. The
assumption is, your audience is composed of
people who are knowledgeable on the
subject you are writing about.
3. Academic Writing is thinking. It requires
deliberate, thorough, and careful thought
and that is why it involves research.
 Examples of academic texts
• Research Paper • Feasibility Study
• Academic Journals • Thesis/Dissertation
• Reports • Reviews
• Conference Paper • Essay
Structure

Unlike fiction or journalistic

writing, the overall structure
of an academic text is formal
and logical (Introduction,
Body, Conclusion).
 Tone
The overall tone refers to the
attitude conveyed in a piece of
writing. The arguments of others
are fairly presented and with an
appropriate narrative tone.
Language
It is important to use unambiguous
language. Clear topic sentences
enable a reader to follow your line of
thinking without difficulty. Formal
language and the third person
point-of view should be used.
Citation
Citing sources in the body of the
paper and providing a list of
references as either footnotes or
endnotes is a very important aspect
of an academic text.
Complexity

An academic text addresses

complex issues that require
higher-order thinking skills
to comprehend.
Evidence-based
What is valued in an academic text
is that opinions are based on a sound
understanding of the pertinent
body of knowledge and academic
debates that exist within, and often
external to a specific discipline.
Thesis-driven
The starting point of an academic text
is a particular perspective, idea or
position applied to the chosen
research problem, such as
establishing, proving, or disproving
solutions to the questions posed for
the topic.
 Features of Language Used
Formality
Objectivity

Explicitness
 Formality

It reflects your dignified stance in your writing as

a member of the academic community. The
language you use requires precision to make it a
"legitimate" piece of academic writing.
 Formality can be achieved through the
following ways:
• Choosing expanded modal forms over contracted forms
such as using cannot instead of can't, or do not instead of
don't. Choosing one verb form over two-word verbs, such
as damage instead of mess up.

• Choosing expanded terms over their abbreviated

equivalents like as soon as possible instead of ASAP.
Avoiding colloquial/trite/idiomatic expressions such
as kind of like, as a matter of fact, or I need to go to John.
 Objectivity

Academic writing requires special knowledge

and use of more complex language and
objectivity.
Objectivity can be achieved by:
Avoiding the use of personal pronouns such as you , I and we.

Poor Example:
You need to conduct the experiment.

Improved version:
The researchers need to conduct the experiment.
Objectivity can be achieved by:
Avoiding rhetorical questions as it marks "closeness" with the reader, and
constantly seeks his/her attention.

Poor example:
How can these problems be solved?

Improved version:
Certain measures must be discovered to solve the problems.
Objectivity can be achieved by:
Avoiding emotive language that shows biases and lessens objectivity.

Poor example:
The investigators were very shocked to see the outcome
of the tests.

Improved version:
The investigators did not expect the result.
 Explicitness

Academic writing demands the use of signposts

that allow readers to trave the relationship in the
parts of the study.
 Examples of Transitional Devices
ADDING SEQUENCING ILLUSTRATING CAUSE AND
EFFECT
and first, second, for example because
also third... such as so therefore
as well as finallly for instance thus
moreover next in the case of consequently
too meanwhile as revealed
futhermore after by...
additionally then illustrated by
subsequently
Examples of Transitional Devices

COMPARING QUALIFYING CONTRASTING EMPHASIZING

similarly but whereas above all
likewise however instead of in particular
as with although alternatively especially
like unless otherwise significantly
equally except unlike indeed
in the same apart from on the other notably
way.. as long as hand..
if conversely
The following phrases may be useful in making
ideas explicit:
1. This is due to the...

A number of MERALCO consumers trooped to the City

Hall to claim a PHP 500cash incentive. This is due lo the
Supreme Court ruling that overcharges must be
returned to the end users whose electric consumption for
the April-May period was below 100kw/hr.
The following phrases may be useful in making
ideas explicit:
2. This resulted in...

With the Supreme Court ordering MERALCO to

return overcharges to the end-users, government
offices have been tapped to operate as claimed
centers. This resulted in a number of MERALCO
consumers trooping to the City Hall to claim the
PHP 500.00 cash incentive.
The following phrases may be useful in making
ideas explicit:

3. When two ideas seem the same express each one

clearly The study showed that eighty percent of the
200 participants involved in the study were
dissatisfied with the operations of MERALCO.
Similarly, the data revealed that majority of the
participants were not aware of the changes imposed
on them by MERALCO.
The following phrases may be useful in making
ideas explicit:

4. If you intend to give extra information in your

sentence, make it clear by writing "In addition..."
MERALCO has been operating as a business
conglomerate involving foreign stakeholders and
independent power producers or IPP in addition
MERALCO owns major IPPs operating in the region
The following phrases may be useful in making
ideas explicit:
5. If you are giving examples, do so explicitly by writing
"Far example.
In academic writing, caution needs to be observed in the
following parts of your paper:
• When a hypothesis needs to be tested
• Drawing conclusions or predictions from your findings
that may generalize certain matters or may not be
conclusive
• Referencing others work to build your own paper
Below are some forms that you may use in
observing caution in writing:

1. Verbs indicating caution: tends, suggests, appear to

be, think, believe, doubt, indicate

Example: The findings of the survey suggest that

students' use of social networking sites in their
academic work tend to be more updated on recent
developments in their respective subjects.
Below are some forms that you may use in
observing caution in writing:
2. Modal verbs: wilI, must, would, may, can, might,
could
Example: The observations of students' use of social
networking sites may lead to the different behaviors
that manifest in real-life communication.
Below are some forms that you may use in
observing caution in writing:

3. Adverbs of frequency: often, usually, sometimes,

rarely, never. Example: The essays that were given
marks were usually high.
Remember that in academic writing, since you are part of a
community, it is important that you express ideas with
openness, striking a balance between being concise and
cautious.
 Check It :
Put a check before the phrases
that are appropriate for academic
texts.
1. The results indicate that...
 2. We used a standard
graphical representation to...
3. I researched the questions
to the problems...
4. A survey of the literature
revealed that...
5. I believe that the result...
 True or False :
Read each statement carefully
and identify whether each
statement is true or false. Write
T if it is true and F if it is false.
 1.Academicwriting results from
one’s struggle to increase his-
knowledge about his carefully
chosen subject matter and to
present his findings skillfully
through different rhetorical or
discourse patterns.
2. In academic writing, it is
important to use ambiguous
language. Clear topic
sentences enable a reader to
follow your line of thinking
without difficulty.
3. Academic language
should be objective, precise,
impersonal and formal.
4. Both academic and
non-academic texts
employ the use of
informal language.
5. Slangs and
colloquialisms are used in
academic texts.