READING AND WRITING REVIEWER

• Academic Writing

  A type of writing produced by students in an academic setting, done mostly to showcase research or expertise in a specific area or topic of interest
• Common examples of academic writing

  • Academic essays
  • Book reviews
  • Literature reviews
  • Research reports
  • Project proposals
  • Position papers
  • Reaction papers
• General tips in writing academic text

  1. Follow the basics in the writing process

  2. Be clear with the assignment or prompt

  3. Analyze the context of writing

  4. Have a clear purpose and audience in mind

  5. Make your thesis evident

  6. Stay focused on your topic; eliminate unnecessary details

  7. Read some academic texts that use a rhetorical pattern that is similar to the one you are writing

  8. Make sure you use sufficient cohesive devices. However, be careful not to overuse transitional devices

  9. Avoid wordiness and redundancies

  10. Use brainstorming strategies (listing, free writing) to overcome writer's block

  11. Edit and proofread your work
• Use quotations sparingly. Paraphrase information as much as possible
• Avoid using an imperative tone
• Avoid excessive font effects such as too much boldface, underlines, and italics
• Be consistent with the type of English you use
• Plan wisely. Allot ample time in preparing your writing assignment
• Professional Writing


  Written communication in a professional context, primarily used in business and technical fields, aiming to inform and persuade readers
• Examples of professional writing

  • Business reports
  • Correspondence
  • Technical reports
• Professional writing uses


  Business English and a more personal tone
• General tips in writing professional texts

  1. Follow the basics of the writing process

  2. Be clear about your purpose and target reader

  3. Consider the context of writing the document

  4. Organize your ideas using cohesive devices

  5. Avoid wordiness and redundancies; be direct to the point

  6. Be objective and factual with your message

  7. Use brainstorming strategies

  8. Edit, edit, edit, eliminate all grammatical and typographical errors
• Study the format used by your organization and incorporate it in your writing
• Avoid excessive font effects
• Context


  The situation where professional writing is performed, including the people involved, their relationship, time, place, and possible interferences
• Message


  The content of the document, including the main topic and supporting details like facts, statistics, testimonies, and observations
• Language


  The channel used to convey the message, which can be visual, textual, formal, informal, verbal, or nonverbal
• Purpose


  The reason or motive for communicating, which helps determine the desired reactions from the target audience
• Audience


  The receiver of the message, which can be primary (direct receiver) or secondary (indirect receiver)
• Product


  The output that is intended to be produced after considering all the other components
• The writing process


  1. Prewriting (planning stage)

  2. Drafting (writing the first draft)

  3. Revising (editing and proofreading)

  4. Writing the final draft

  5. Publishing the manuscript
• Effective communication is determined by a variety of possible purposes. One's purpose for writing greatly affects the writing task
• Communication entails honesty
• Knowing the steps in writing helps build one's confidence
• Evaluative statement


  A way of giving a better explanation to show the strengths and weaknesses of something through writing, presenting a value judgement based on a set of criteria
• How to formulate an evaluative statement

  1. Formulate assertions about the content and properties of the text

  2. Formulate a meaningful counterclaim in response to a claim made in the text
• Strengths to look for in a text


  • Helpfulness of the text to people
  • Quality of the information cited
  • Conciseness
  • Grammatical and mechanical correctness
• Weaknesses to look for in a text

  • Unsupported claims
  • Doubtful sources
  • Logical fallacies
  • Incomplete information
  • Grammatical and mechanical errors
• Assertion


  An opinion or claim that needs to be substantiated with proof
• Claim


  A statement made by the author in a text that needs to be verified
• Controversy


  A situation where people express disagreement, dissent, dislike, or disgust towards the ideas in a text
• Controversial claims that go unchecked or unverified can damage people's reputation, make others believe in false information, and lessen the writer's credibility
• Causes of controversy in a text


  • Claims that go against popular beliefs
  • Claims that attack or criticize others
  • Claims that introduce something not accepted in culture
  • Claims that do not include proof or evidence
• Textual evidence


  Information (facts, details, quotes) from a fiction or nonfiction text that is used to support an inference, claim, opinion, or answer
• Textual evidence must be near the claim, logically related, and from credible sources based on facts
• Text evidence is necessary to support discussions about a text, double-check the accuracy of answers, and make answers valid and reliable
• Steps to cite textual evidence

  1. State your idea about the text / Rephrase the question

  2. Cite the textual evidence that led you to that idea; give supporting evidence from the text

  3. Explain how the evidence supports your idea
• Phrases to show evidence from the text


  • From the reading, I know that...
  • According to the text...
  • Based on what I read...
  • The author stated that...
  • On page ___ it said...
  • For instance...
  • An example from the text is...
  • Because...
• Identify the main idea or thesis statement of the text.
• Underline or highlight important information as you go along.