SEAN DE GUZMAN EASP

QUARTER 1: REVIEWER

ACADEMIC TEXT / ACADEMIC LANGUAGE

academic text - is a written language that provides information, which contain ideas and concepts that
are related to the particular discipline.

NATURE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF AN ACADEMIC TEXT

Structure - introduction, body, and conclusion.
- formal and logical.
- a clear structure and a logical flow are imperative to a cohesive text.
Tone - the attitude conveyed in a piece of writing.
- describe the argument accurately without loaded or biased language.
Language - It is important to use unambiguous language. (unambiguous - no double meaning)
- Formal language and the third person point-of-view should be used.]
- Technical language appropriate to area of study may also 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.
- defense against allegations of plagiarism.
Complexity - addresses complex issues that require higher-order thinking skills to comprehend.
Evidence-based Arguments - 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.
- establishing, proving, or disproving solutions to the questions posed for the topic.

FEATURES OF ACADEMIC TEXT

Complex - lexically more varied vocabulary.
- Written texts are shorter and the language has more grammatical complexity.
Formal - Should avoid colloquial words and expressions.
Precise - Facts are given accurately and precisely.
Objective - has fewer words that emphasize on the information you want to give and the arguments you
want to make.
- mostly use nouns (adjectives), rather than verbs (adverbs).
Explicit - make it clear to the reader how the various parts of the text are related.
Accurate - use vocabulary accurately.
- Most subjects have words with narrow specific meanings.
Hedging - it is prudent to be cautious in one's statements so as to distinguish between facts and claims.
- expresses certainty or uncertainty.
Responsible - must be able to provide evidence and justification for any claims you make.
Organized - It flows easily from one section to the next in a logical fashion.
Plan - It usually takes place after research and evaluation, according to specific purpose and plan.

PURPOSES IN WRITING ACADEMIC TEXT FACTORS TO CONSIDER IN WRITING ACADEMIC TEXT

 Academic Language - is the language needed by students to do the work in schools
- Students who master academic language are more likely to be successful in
academic and professional settings.
Social Language - is the set of vocabulary that allows us to communicate with others in the context of
regular daily conversations.

CHARACTERISTICS OF ACADEMIC LANGUAGE

Formal - It should not sound conversational or casual.
Objective - This means it is unbiased.
- It should be based on facts and evidence and are not influenced by personal feelings.
Impersonal - avoiding the personal pronouns ‘I’ and ‘we’.

TYPES OF TEXT STRUCTURE

Text structures - refers to how the information within a written text is organized.
3 Part Essay Structure (IBC) - This is the basis of all formal writing.
Introduction - states the issue or topic, reason or purpose, and structure.
Body Paragraph - elaboration or explanation of the topic.
Conclusion - summary of the ideas presented in the paper and explains briefly how these ideas
are connected to one another.
IMRad Text Structure - This is commonly used in writing scientific articles or reports.
Introduction - states the status of a current phenomenon.
Methods - explains the process on an author reach the results of his/her study or investigation.
Results and Discussion - explains the findings of the study or investigation.

TYPES OF TEXT STRUCTURE

Description - features a detailed description of something to give the reader a mental picture.
Cause and Effect - presents the casual relationship between a specific event.
Comparison/ Contrast - examines the similarities and differences between two or more subjects.
Order/ Sequence - gives readers a chronological of events or a list of steps in a procedure.
Problem-Solution - sets up a problem, explain the solution, and then discuss the effects of the solution.

WHY IS TEXT STRUCTURE IMPORTANT?

SUMMARIZING TECHNIQUES

Summarizing - is a skill that you need to possess as learners of academic writing.

- how we take larger sections of text and reduce them to their bare essentials.
- is synthesizing important ideas in a piece of writing.
- General idea in brief form (Webster's).

BASIC RULES IN SUMMARIZING

Erase things that don't matter
Erase things that repeat
Trade general terms for specific names
Use your own words to write the summary.

THINGS TO BE CONSIDERED IN SUMMARIZING

Clarify your purpose before you read.
Read the text and understand the meaning.
Select and underline or circle the key ideas.
Write all the key ideas and phrases you identified.
Identify the connections of these key ideas and phrases using a concept maps.
List your ideas in sentences into a paragraph.
Combine the sentences into a paragraph.
Ensure that you do not copy a single sentence from the original text.
Refrain from adding comments about the text.
Edit the draft of your summary.
Compare your output with the original text to ensure the accuracy.
Record the details of the original source (author’s name/s, date of publication, title, publisher, place of
publishing, and URL [if online]).

TIPS IN SUMMARIZING
Re-read the text to be summarized repeatedly.
Identify the main idea of the text.
Put yourself in the situation of the reader.
Use appropriate transitional devices.
Limit your summary to a few sentences.
Proofread your work.

TECHNIQUES IN SUMMARIZING
Somebody Wanted But So - The strategy helps student generalize, recognize cause and effect
relationships, and find main ideas.
SAAC Method - helpful in summarizing any kind of text.

5 W's, 1 H - relies on six crucial questions: who, what, when, where, why, and how.

First Then Finally - helps students summarize events in chronological order.

Give Me the Gist - giving a gist of a story.

- give only the summary -- not retelling of every detail.
 THESIS STATEMENT

thesis statement - is a sentence used in an essay that serves as the guide for the essay and directly
answers the question or task asked of you.
- must have a main point, main idea or central message.
- is simply a factual statement nor is not just a topic sentence.
- the controlling idea that you will develop in your paper.
- can be usually found at the end of an introduction.
- can be one sentence.

ELEMENTS OF A THESIS STATEMENT

Topic - the topic of your paper.
Argument/Claim - depends on the type of paper you are writing.
- Argumentative - express opinion
- Research - explain the purpose.
Evidence - The support for your argument/claim.

FIVE WAYS HOW A THESIS STATEMENT CAN BE WRITTEN

Inductive - particular to general.
- specific details are presented at the first part of the text and conclusions or generalizations
are placed at the end of the text.
Deductive - general to specific.
- conclusions are presented first before presenting the support ideas or the specific details.
Deductive-Inductive - starts from a general statement, proceeds in discussing specific details in the
middle of the text and ends with a recapitulation of the generalized statement at the
end.
- this repeated general statement becomes an “intensifier” of the idea presented at
the beginning of the text.
Inductive-Deductive - this pattern starts from specific, presents a generalized statement or conclusion at
the middle and proceeds in discussing additional information or support details
towards the end.
Hinted/ Implied - does NOT directly present a generalized statement or conclusion.
- the writer leaves it to the audience to conclude and make generalized statements about
the ideas presented in the text.

OUTLINING

outline - is a design to follow when writing a structure, a discourse, or an article.

- It arranges a material in a logical way into main ideas, supporting ideas, and supporting details.
outlining - is the process of organizing one’s ideas in a logical way. In writing, it helps the writer what to
include and not to include.

The main idea or topic is the main topic of the outline.

All main topics are indicated by Roman Numeral.
Subtopics are noted by letters and supporting details are indicated by Arabic Numerals.
Can be a sentence outline or topic outline.
Sentence Outline - is written in full sentence.
Topic Outline - is in words or phrases.
TWO COMMON OUTLINE PATTERNS
Introduction-Body-Conclusion or the IBC format

Introduction-Methodology-Results-Discussion or the IMRD format (usually used in research)

GENERAL PRINCIPLES IN OUTLINING

Parallelism - Nouns should be made parallel with nouns, verbs with verbs; This will enable the reader to
recognize similarity and function.
Example:
Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth.

Coordination - Items of equal significance in the same category or label.

Headings = using Roman Numerals

Subheadings = Arabic Letters
I. Definition of Communication
II. Functions of Communication
III. Forms of Communication
A. Oral
B. Written

Subordination - Writer should distinguish major and minor components of the outline.
Division - Basic rule is to have two or more parts and this division should be based on rank/level/category.
Example:
I. Preparing for a Test
A. Review the lessons
B. Take down notes
C. Sleep early
D. Have a good breakfast
II. Taking the Test
A. Concentrate
B. Read the questions
C. Answer the test
GENERAL RULES WHEN WRITING AN OUTLINE

1. Follow this format:

MAIN TOPICS = ROMAN NUMERALS (I, II, III)
Sub – topics = CAPITAL LETTERS (A,B,C)
Details under capital letters = Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3)
Details under Arabic numbers are shown by small letters (a, b, c)
Details under small letters = ((1), (2), (3))
Details under Arabic numbers in parentheses (a) (b)
2. First letter must be capitalized.
3. Any point must have at least two (2) sub points
4. Use either the sentence or phrase (topic/words) for each point.
5. Be consistent.

CRITICAL WRITING APPROACHES

Critical Approaches - different perspectives we consider when looking at a piece of literature.

APPROACHES IN CRITICAL WRITING

Reader-Response criticism - asserts that a great deal of meaning in a text lies with how the reader
responds to it.
- how it affects our perception of meaning in a text.
Formalist Criticism - focuses on the text as an independent entity.
Psychological/ Psychoanalytic criticism - views a text as a revelation of its author's mind and personality.
- based on the work of Sigmund Freud.
Biographical Criticism - refers to how the author has a direct influence over the writing.
Sociological Criticism - social contexts must be considered when analyzing a text.
- focuses on the values of a society and how those views are reflected in a text.
- emphasizes the economic, political, and cultural issues within literary texts.
Feminist Criticism - concerned with the role, position, and influence of women in a literary text.
Marxist Criticism - emphasizes economic and social conditions.
- based on the political theory of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.
- understanding the role of power, politics, and money in literary texts.
Historical Criticism - Argues that every literary work is a product of its time and its world.
Structuralism - How human behavior is determined by social, cultural, and psychological structures.