Features of Academic

Writing
Module in English 7
Fourth Quarter • Module 2 • Week 1

JENEFER A. ABUL Developer

Department of Education • Cordillera Administrative Region
Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Cordillera Administrative Region
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF BAGUIO CITY
Military Cut-off, Baguio City
 Published by
DepEd Schools Division of Baguio City
Curriculum Implementation Division

COPYRIGHT NOTICE
2021

Section 9 of Presidential Decree No. 49 provides:

“No copyright shall subsist in any work of the Government of the Philippines.
However, prior approval of the government agency of office wherein the work is
created shall be necessary for exploitation of such work for profit.”

This material has been developed for the implementation of K to 12 Curriculum

through the DepEd Schools Division of Baguio City – Curriculum Implementation
Division (CID). It can be reproduced for educational purposes and the source must
be acknowledged. Derivatives of the work including creating an edited version, an
enhancement or a supplementary work are permitted provided all original work is
acknowledged and the copyright is attributed. No work may be derived from this
material for commercial purposes and profit.

ii
What I Know
I. Multiple Choice: Select the best answer to each description by writing the
letter of your choice on your answer sheet.
 1. It is a type of writing which is clear, concise, focused, structured and backed up
by evidence.
A. academic writing B. blogging C. essay D. literary writing 2. The target
readers of an academic writing are ______.
A. parents, workers, teachers
B. students, out-of-school, parents
C. teachers, students, professionals
D. none of the above
3. The purposes of doing an academic writing are ____.
A. to entertain, and to inform
B. to defend, to challenge and to question
C. to guess, to give opinions and to make conclusions
D. to inform, to persuade and to argue a specific point
4. You use formal language when ____.
A. talking to a friend C. writing academic essays B. writing
a text message D. writing a comment on Facebook
5. Which of the following is NOT an example of academic writing?
A. historical research
B. personal recount
C. term paper
D. resume
6. The term, "bad points" may be improved using a more appropriate
academic word which is:
A. difficulties B. disadvantages C. negative side D. ugly side
7. The term, "very tired" may be improved using a more appropriate
academic word which is:
A. exhausted B. sleepy C. feeble D. weak
8. Which of the following is NOT a feature of academic writing?
A. Accuracy B. Proximity C. Formality D. Complexity
9. Complexity is observed in academic writing, this means that writers should:
A. use simple words only
B. use subordinate clauses only
C. use technical terms depending upon the body of knowledge
D. present ideas in a very complex style and use highfalutin words
10. Which of the following should be considered in writing academic text?
A. Purpose
B. Audience
C. Genre conventions
D. All of the above

3
 II. True or False: Write the word TRUE if the statement is correct, FALSE if it
is not correct.
_________ 11. The use of contractions is allowed in academic writing.
_________ 12. All sources where you get ideas and information must be
acknowledged.
_________ 13. “Really pretty” is a formal statement.
_________ 14. Facts and figures are given precisely.
_________ 15. Evaluative words that are based on non-technical judgments and
feelings must be avoided.

What’s In

Writing is a skill that is developed over time. You learn different writing techniques as
you progress in studying. In elementary, you have learned how to write a story, a
friendly letter, an essay requiring you to explain something, and many more writing
activities. Each of those things that you wrote came with a writing style or format
taught by your English teachers. In letter writing for instance, you have to follow a
format. You must know the basic parts like the heading, salutation, body of a letter,
complementary clause and signature to be able to write a good one. The same is
true in literary writing. When you write a story, you need to have a plot. You may
either write chronologically or use flashback technique.
Academic writing is objective, unbiased, and focuses on supporting information with
reliable and credible data and evidence. Its purpose is to contribute to the body of
knowledge on a topic or field of study. You do not to use flowery words to entertain
your readers. Its purpose is to give reliable information and to contribute in an
existing body of knowledge.

What’s New
Activity 1 : Student or Expert?
There are two types of academic writing, which group do you belong?

Type Student Academic Writing Expert Academic Writing

Why? To assess learning To publish in a journal
Audience Teachers/ instructor Other experts in the field
Purpose Demonstrate learning Create new knowledge
To contribute to an existing
body of knowledge To

4
 inform
Activity 2: Looks Familiar!
Which of the following examples of academic writing are you familiar
with? Have you written one before?

List down the academic writing that you are familiar with.

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

What is It
Based from the types of academic writing given above, you already have a head start
on how an academic text look like.

Although each subject discipline has certain writing conventions, vocabulary and
types of writing format or style, there are some general characteristics of academic
writing that are relevant across all disciplines. Below are the features of academic
writing which are commonly observed.

Features of Academic Writing

Feature Concept

1. Accuracy Observe the two statements below.

Accurate: There are 7,641 islands in the Philippines.
Give the exact information.
Facts and figures are given Inaccurate: I think there are more or less 7,000
accurately and words are islands in the Philippines.

5
exactly or sharply defined
or stated.
2. Formality The following informal words should be avoided in
academic writing:
Academic writing is a. colloquial words and expressions (words used in
relatively formal. It does not daily conversation)
use informal words. Informal Formal
ask inquire
ask for request
book (verb) reserve
get receive
help assist
b.two-word verbs
ex. put off take off clean up
bring up turn on try on

c. abbreviated forms or contractions

Informal Formal
can’t cannot
aren’t are not
isn’t is not
wouldn’t would not
haven’t have not
3. Objectivity • Avoid the use of personal pronouns
Ex. I, we, you, he, her, it
This means that the • Avoid intense or emotional evaluative words
information you are giving that are based on non-technical judgement
or discussing in academic and feelings.
writing is unbiased, based Note: Personal pronouns are allowed if it is an opinion
on facts and evidence and essay.
is not influenced by your Ex. wow, amazing, really low
personal feelings. The • Avoid being subjective.
main emphasis should be Observe how the two sentences are stated:
on the information that you
want to give and the Objective: Learning is still feasible despite the pandemic.
arguments you want to With the development of technology, learning appears to
make, rather than you. give not only students but also teachers a chance to
perform better in learning.

Subjective: We are still able to study despite the

pandemic. With the help of technology, we are able to
perform better.

6
4. Precision Despite the fact that the words below are
synonymous, they have specific usage.
In academic writing you
need to be precise in your General term: Money

use of vocabulary and Specific terms: Cash Currency Capital

grammar usage. Funds

1. I need a capital to start my business.

2. The pandemic affected the currency exchange
rate.
3. Ivana Alawi gave cash to the needy.
4. The fund allocated for this project was taken
from the donations of the philanthropists.
5. Complexity  Words use in academic writing depends upon
the field of study.
Academic writing uses
Computer Advertising Business vocabulary
language or jargon vocabulary vocabulary
particular to the area of
study, audience, and Adware Billboard Substantial increase
addresses more Avatar Broadsheet Overall increase
complicated issues. Browser Hoarding Upturn began…
Cache Hype Strong surge in sales…
It means that ideas are
Ex. The substantial increase in sales of team A in 2020
stated in varied vocabulary
made them get to the top.
and more grammatical
complexity. substantial increase = very large/ considerable amount

6. Hedging Ex.
seem tend appear indicate
In academic writing, you suggest certainly definitely clearly probably
reduce or minimize risks by possibly perhaps conceivably prove
using devices that can
mitigate your claims that is
Observe the two statements below that use hedging.
why you need hedging or
Do they impress the same meaning?
the so-called cautious
language.
1. Weismann suggested that animals become
Cautious means being old because, if they did not, there could be no
successive replacement of individuals and hence no
careful of the terms you
evolution.
use to avoid confusing
2. Weismann proved that animals become old
information and impression
because, if they did not, there could be no
to your readers.
successive replacement of individuals and hence no
evolution.

7
 8. Organization / Structure Essays follow the same structure:

Academic writing is well introduction – body – conclusion

organized and logically
arranged. Research paper, business correspondence and
academic papers have different structures or formats.
Appropriate according to
genre conventions.

7. Responsibility  Avoid plagiarism. Do not copy the work of

Be able to provide
evidence and justification
for any claims you make.
It is your responsibility as
writer to cite your sources
of information. It is showing
your respect to others’
work and craftmanship.
others. When you adopt other peoples’ idea,
acknowledge them by citing their names and
works in your paper.
Observe that the author stated four names below.
The study of social capital as a health determinant is
a relatively new field (Derose and Varda 276). This
theoretical construct has been used to explore
everything from adherence in breast cancer
screening (Moudatsou et al. 399) to spending for
community-based health insurance (Zhang et al.
240).
Source: English 112 Online (wordpress.com)

What’s More

Activity : Match Me!

Match the feature of academic writing on the left to the ideas that correspond to their
meanings. Write the letter of your choice in your answer sheet.
1. Hedging A. Personal judgement is discouraged, thus ideas presented should be
based on facts and evidences.

2. Complexity B. Ideas are arranged logically and followed a writing format.

3. Formality C. Plagiarism must be avoided. We should acknowledge sources and

properly include them in the reference section.
4. Organization
D. Use non-conversational language.
5. Responsibility
D. Use cautious language to mitigate claims.
6. Accuracy

8
 D. Use accurate words to state ideas.

7. Objectivity G. Ideas are presented in longer sentences and varied 8. Precision

vocabulary.

H. Facts and figures are given accurately and words are exactly
or sharply defined or stated.

I. Avoid contractions and colloquial expressions.

What I Have Learned

Activity: In a nutshell

Supply the missing words to complete the thought on academic writing.

Academic writing is a style of writing that is 1. __________, 2. ____________
and 3. _________ on supporting information with 4. __________ and 5. __________
data and 6. _____________. Its purpose is to 7. ______________ to the body of
knowledge on a topic or field of study.

What I Can Do
Task: Formal or Informal
Match the informal vocabulary in the list below with the more appropriate formal options
underneath. Write the letter of the correct answer in your answer sheet.
1. bad point 6. till
2. draw 7. okey
3. kids 8. tell
4. a lot of 9. say sorry
5. besides 10. large

A. inform D. disadvantages G. furthermore J. until

B. substantial E. much/many H. apologize
C. acceptable F. children I. illustrate

9
 Post-Assessment
I. Multiple Choice: Select the best answer to each description by writing the letter of your
choice on your answer sheet.
1. It is a type of writing which is clear, concise, focused, structured and backed up by
evidence.
A. academic writing B. blogging C. essay D. literary writing

2. The target readers of an academic writing are ______.

A. parents, workers, teachers
B. students, out-of-school, parents
C. teachers, students, professionals
D. none of the above

3. The purposes of doing an academic writing are ____.

A. to entertain, and to inform
B. to defend, to challenge and to question
C. to guess, to give opinions and to make conclusions
D. to inform, to persuade and to argue a specific point
4. You use formal language when ____.
A. talking to a friend B. writing academic essays C. writing a text
message D. writing a comment on Facebook
5. Which of the following is NOT an example of academic writing?
A. historical research
B. personal recount
C. term paper
D. resume
6. The term, "bad points" may be improved using a more appropriate academic word
which is:
A. difficulties B. disadvantages C. negative side D. ugly side 7. The
term, "very tired" may be improved using a more appropriate academic
word which is:
A. exhausted B. sleepy C. feeble D. weak
8. Which of the following is NOT a feature of academic writing?
A. Accuracy B. Proximity C. Formality D. Complexity
9. Complexity is observed in academic writing, this means that writers should:
A. use simple words only
B. use subordinate clauses only
C. use technical terms depending upon the body of knowledge
D. present ideas in a very complex style and use highfalutin words
10. Which of the following should be considered in writing academic text?
A. purpose
B. audience
C. field of study
D. all of the above

10
 II. True or False: Write the word TRUE if the statement is correct, FALSE if it
is not correct.
_________ 11. The use of contractions is allowed in academic writing.
_________ 12. All sources where you get ideas and information must be
acknowledged.
_________ 13. “Really pretty” is a formal statement.
_________ 14. Facts and figures are given precisely.
_________ 15. Evaluative words that are based on non-technical judgements and

Additional Activity
Task: Evaluate Me!
Put a check mark on the feature that is observed by the writer and cross out the feature
which is not followed.
Criteria for Evaluating
Precision Complexity Formality Organization
Uses wide range of Uses a wide range Uses formal Sequences’
vocabulary to of grammatical language. information and
convey precise structures. Ideas Avoids contractions. ideas logically.
meaning. are stated in longer
sentences.
Accuracy Responsibility Hedging Objectivity
Uses accurate Acknowledge Uses cautious The main emphasis
words to state sources language. of the writer is on
arguments. the information and
arguments.

On Acceptability of Capital Punishment

The proponents of capital punishment often say that it was a natural part of human
society for thousands of years and only recently there appeared the idea that it is something
unacceptable, horrible and immoral. Well, the same goes for slavery and human sacrifices,
but nobody seems to be very eager to have them back.
The problem with the death penalty is not simply that of moral. It is the problem of law
and logic. The state people live in had been created for the sole purpose of protecting their
lives and property from any aggression, both inner and outer. The state has legal right to
apply force in order to solve disputes between people. In the case of capital punishment, it
considers it has right to decide whether this or that person deserves to live, thus, breaking
the very foundation of its own existence.
Killing a murderer will not resurrect the one who has been killed by him; but the
murderer may turn out to be innocent if some additional evidence appears. Such cases were
and undoubtedly are with many of those who have been executed or are on the death row
right now. One may say that such cases are rare, but even one such case that takes place
should be considered completely inadmissible.
Laws exist not for the convenience of officials, but for the citizens of the state; if the
government murders an innocent, it hasn’t right to rule over these people – because it is an

11
outright murder. The fact that it wasn’t committed by a particular person doesn’t make it any
less gruesome – on the contrary, the very fact that it is performed as a kind of mundane
work, makes it much, much worse than the most disgusting murder committed by an
individual.
The matter is, government is not an individual organism that has some kind of higher
understanding of our reality. No, it consists of separate people who try to work together; and
as it is often the case when people work in groups, they generally work less effectively than
individuals do, so, of course, there are mistakes, and even more than one can imagine. And
with the execution being an irreversible action, there is completely no logical reason for such
an action being based on insufficient data – and there is no data sufficient to legitimize
death.
Source: https://www.essay-writing-tips.com/samples/sample-of-persuasive-essay-on-law.html

Answer Key

.EB/ 10
.H 9
.A 8
.C 7 . TRUE 15
.J 6 . TRUE 14
.G 5 FALSE 13.
. E/B 4 TRUE
. 12
.F 3 .F 8 . FALSE 11
.I 2 .A 7 . D 10
.D 1 .H 6 .C 9
What I Can Do .C 5 .B 8
.B 4 .A 7
. I /D 3 .B 6
. contribute 7 G
. 2 .B 5
/ / / / . evidence 6 .E 1 .B 4
. credible 5 What’s More D
. 3
. reliable 4 .C 2
. focused 3 vary .A 1
/ x / / . unbiased 2 Answers may
. objective 1 Assessment Post
Additional Activity What I Have Learned What’s New What I know/

12
 REFERENCES

The New Darwinism: Social Capital and Survival of the Fittest in the Canadian Healthcare
System. October 3, 2014.English 112 Online.Accessed April 27, 2021.
https://english112online.wordpress.com/2014/10/08/example-of-an-a-research-
proposaland-annotated-bibliography/

Using academic language - Research & Learning Online (monash.edu)Retrived April 27, 2021.
https://www.monash.edu/rlo/research-writing-assignments/writing/features-of-
academicwriting/academic- language

“On Acceptability of Capital Punishment”. Essay Writing Tips website. Accessed April 27, 2021.
https://www.essay-writing-tips.com/samples/sample-of-persuasive-essay-on-law.html

Denby, James. “5 Reasons Multimedia Presentations Are a Classroom Must.” Common Sense
Education. Common Sense Education, November 18, 2020.
https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/5-reasons-multimedia-presentationsare-
a-classroom-must.

Educational Technology Guidance. Accessed January 20, 2021.

https://sleguidance.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/SETG/pages/105435383/
Types+of+Educatio nal+Multimedia+Resources#:~:text=Multimedia%20is%20a%20broad
%20term,sometimes %20video%20and%20other%20types.

For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education – Cordillera Administrative Region
Wangal, La Trinidad, Benguet 2601
Telephone no.: (074) 422-1318
Telefax: (074) 422-4074
Email Address: car@deped.gov.ph
Website: www.depedcar.ph