Academic Text – is a reading material that based in facts and solid basis.
lid basis. Therefore, it is Academic Writing – is linear which means it
provides information which includes concepts
and theories that are related to the specific
discipline.
Academic Structures
 Introduction’
 Body
 Conclusion
Purposes of reading an Academic Text
 To locate main idea.
 To scan for information.
 To identify gaps in existing studies.
 To connect ideas to existing ones.
 To gain pieces of information.
 To deeply understand an existing idea.
Common Styles in writing Academic Text
- State critical issues and questions.
- Provide facts and evidence from
credible sources.
- Use precise and accurate words while
avoiding jargon.
- Take an objection point of view.
- List references.
- Use cautious language.
Academic paper – defined as critical,
objective, specialized texts written by experts
in a given field using formal language, it is also
generally formal, objective (impersonal) and
technical.
Literary Analysis – it examines, evaluates, and
make an argument about a literary work, it
also goes beyond mere summarization.
Research Paper – it uses outside information
to support a thesis or to make an argument, it
is written in all disciplines and may be
evaluates, analytical or critical in nature.
Dissertation – is a document submitted at the
conclusion of a Ph.D program, it is also a book
length summarization of doctoral candidate’s
research.
Academic papers may be done as a part of a
class, in a program of study, or for publication
in an academic journal or scholarly book of
articles around theme, by diff. authors.
Structure – is an important feature of
academic writing. It enables the reader to
follow the argument and navigate the text.
Highfalutin – words with deep meaning/highly
technical.
FEATURES OF ACADEMIC WRITING
has one central point or theme with every
part contributing to the main line of the
argument.
Complexity – is relatively more complex than
spoken language, it lexically denser and it has
a more varied vocabulary. It uses noun-based
phrases than verb-based phrases.
Formality – this means that in an essay you
should avoid colloquial words and
expressions.
Precision – facts and figure are given precisely.
Objectivity – is in general objective rather
than personal, it means that the main
emphasis should be on the information that
you want to give and arguments you want to
make.
Explicitness – is explicit about the
relationships into the text and making it clear
to the reader how the various parts of the text
are related.
Accuracy – it uses vocabulary accurately and
have words with narrow specific meanings. It
distinguishes clearly between "phonetics" and
"phonemics".
Hedging – in academic writing is known by
linguists as a "hedge" or "not clear", it is also
recognized that academic writing is the
concept of "cautious language" or known as
"hedging".
Responsibility – must be able to provide
evidence and justification for any claims you
make, you are also responsible for
demonstrating an understanding of any
source texts you use.
Organisation – academic writing is well
organised. It flows easily from one section to
the next in a logical fashion. Once you have
decided on the genre, the structure is easily
determined.
Planning – academic writing is well planned. It
usually takes place after research and
evaluation, according to a specific purpose
and plan.
Types of a Text
1. Formal Writing - objective are
existing, impersonal/technical, formal
structure, non-fiction, research based
ideas.
2. Informal Writing - subjective, fiction
or make believed and the imaginative
of the writer.
Proper Mechanics
 Organization Critique writing employs a formal, academic
 Capitalization writing style and has a clear structure, that be;
 Spelling
- Introduction
 Abbreviation
- body - includes a summary of the
 Contraction
work and detailed evaluation.
 Acronyms
- conclusion
 Punctuations
 Language Use The purpose of the evaluation is to gauge the
usefulness or impact of a work in a particular
IMRAD - Intro - Method - Results - Analysis field.
and Discussion.
Why do we write critique?
What is a Critique?
– it will help you to enhance your knowledge
– is a paper that gives a critical assessment of of the work's subject area and it will also
a book or article, it is also a systematic provide you understanding of the works
analysis of a piece of literature that discusses purpose, intended audience, development of
its validity and evaluates its worth. argument, structure of evidence or creative
– its main purpose is not informational but style.
analytical and persuave and it briefly How do you write a critique?
summarizes and critically evaluates a work or
concept. It is important to have a through
understanding of the work that will be
It can be used to carefully analyze a variety of critiqued.
works such as;
Creative works - novels, exhibits, films, images
and poetry. - study the work under discussion
- make note on the key parts of the
Research - monograph, journal articles, work.
systematic reviews, theories.
Media - news reports, feature articles.
 - develop an understanding of the main
argument or purposes being
expressed in the work.
-
Literary Criticism - practice of interpreting and
writing about literature as the latter, in turn,
strives to make sense of the world.
Various Approaches to Literary Criticism
1. Reader's Response Criticism - this judge
according to how the reader perceives it and
ignores both the author and the text's
contents, confining analysis to the reader's
experience when reading a particular work.
2. Structuralism - it focuses on form, structure,
organization, word choice and multiple
languages. it analyze, interpret features of a
text.
3. Feminism - is a literary analysis that arises
from the viewpoint of feminism, it also
examines how work of literature embody
patriarchal attitudes.
4. Historicism - it is in the light of historical
evidence or based on the context in which a
work was written, it includes the author's life
and historical and social circumstances of of neurosis" and it is popularized by Sigmund
times. Frend.
5. Marxism - views literary works as 10. Sociological Approach - it viewed as the
reflections of the social institutions from expression of man within a given social
which they originate, it believed that literary situation which is reduced to discussion on
text are a reflection of the economic base and economic.
emphasizes persons of the lower class and
11. Media Criticism - is the act of closely
their constant oppression by the upper class.
examining and judging media when we
6. Formalist Criticism - it emphasizes the work examines the media stories, we often find
as an independent creation or something to instances of media bias.
be studied in itself, it also emphasizes on the
Media bias is the perception that the media is
form of the work, construction, relationship
reporting the news in partial or prejudiced
between parts, point of view and the function
manner.
of rhymes.
7. Cultural Approach - one of the principal
manifestation and vehicles of a nations, races,
culture and traditions, it is the richest way to
arrive at the culture of people and one of the
most pleasurable ways of appreciating the
literature of the people.
8. Moral and Humanistic Approach - nature of
man is central to literature, it requires that
the piece presents MAN AS ESSENTIAL
RATIONAL, that is endowed with intellect and
free will; on that the piece does not
misinterpret the true nature of man.
9. Psychological Approach - consider literature
as expression of "personality" of "inner drive