ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES
Academic Writing
It has a specific purpose, which is to inform, to argue a
specific point, and to persuade.
Academic Text
It was written by professionals in a given field, abide by
the set of rules and practices in writing.
Structures of Informational Text
1. Definition Text - explains the nature of something.
2. Description Text - gives concrete details about
appearance, characteristics, and actions.
3. Recount of a Sequence Text - is a chronological
narration of a historical period, a sequential
description of a process or a procedure.
4. Cause-Effect Text - presents reasons why a
situation is obtained. Though logically, causes
come before the result, in academic writing, it is the
effect that is usually presented first, perhaps to
achieve a more dramatic effect.
5. Problem-Solution Text - starts off with a negative
situation (a problem) and ends with a positive
situation (a solution).
6. Comparison and Contrast Text - similarities and
differences are presented.
7. Enumeration - is a listing, as in a list of parts, of
characteristics, and of examples.
8. Classification Text - presents groupings, types,
classes, categories, and sub-categories that
constitute a concept, presented in hierarchical
order.
9. Thesis Evidence - Primarily to serve the purpose of
arguing a point/position or interpretation.
Jargons
It refers to the language of a certain profession or
occupation. It determines to which discipline a text
belongs.
1. Teacherese – language of teachers; terms used in
the field pf education (e.g. curriculum)
2. Telegraphese – language used in
communication, specifically in texting (e.g.
shortened terms: lowbatt, txtmsg, sms)
3. Computerese – language of computer specialists;
terms used in information technology (e.g.
cybercrime, CPU, motherboard)
4. Motherese – language of mothers; terms used in
parenting (e.g. potty training, breastfeeding)
5. Commercialese – language of business,
commerce and industry (e.g. capital, revenue)
6. Technicalese – language used in the field of
science and technology (e.g. kinetic energy,
acceleration, hydrostatics)
7. Medicalese – language used in the field of
medicine (e.g. scoliosis, hematology)
8. Journalese – language used in the field of
journalism (e.g. banner, headline, editor)
9. Legalese – language used in the field of law (e.g.
jus soli, bona fide, habeas corpus)
Main Idea
Main Idea is the main point of an informational text.
Summary
A summary is a short or abbreviated version of a longer
text.
Paraphrase
A paraphrase is a restatement and a restructuring of ideas
for the purpose of clarifying the meaning of a text.
Outlining
An outline shows the framework of a text through
division and subdivision of ideas.
Basic Principles and Rules of Outlining
1. Principle of Division- you cannot claim to have
divided something and have only one part, so since
outlining is based on division, every part of an outline
that has subtopics should have at least two parts or
subsections.

Rules in Summarizing and Paraphrasing Sample I

1. Do not add your own and someone else’s idea I. Types of Mass Media
II. Significance of Mass Media
A. Print
onto it. A. Information Dissemination
B. Broadcast
2. If you must copy a phrase, you must enclose it 1. Radio
B. Opinion Formation
with quotation marks. C. Social Cohesion
2. Television
3. Cite resources. (Socialization)
C. Digital Media
D. Entertainment Fare
4. Know the function of each text. Also, the purpose. 1. Internet
2. Computers

Original Text Paraphrased Text

Research tells us that a
child’s aptitude for
linguistic skills comes at
a much earlier age than
his or her aptitude for
computational skills. But
in classrooms, an equal
amount of time, at every
grade, is given to both.
An experiment in
Michigan had 50 schools
that did not teach
arithmetic at all in the
first four grades, to give
more time to language
and other subjects, but
only in Grade 5-7. At the
end of that period, they
took the standard
arithmetic tests in all the
other schools were
taking, and fared equally
well. Did the other
schools waste 40 minutes
a day teaching arithmetic
for four years?
- Victor Ordonez, Speech
on the occasion of being
conferred an honorary
degree by DLSU (Jan. 26,
2009)
Dr. Victor Ordonez, in
his speech delivered on
January 26, 2009,
mentioned an experiment
involving 50 students in
Michigan where
arithmetic was taken by
the students starting only
from Grade 5. After
Grade 7, these students
took the standard test in
arithmetic since Grade 1,
confirming research that
had earlier established
that children’s “aptitude
for computational skills”
develops much later than
their “aptitude for
linguistic skills”. One
wonders then if those
students who had been
taking arithmetic since
Grade 1 wasted 40
minutes daily for four
years.
2. Principle of Classification - similar ideas should go
together. This implies that there should no
overlapping of topics and subtopics in an outline.
I. Nature of texting
A. Texting as a “hybrid construct”
B. As suspension of grammar and punctuation
rules
II. Usage of texting in the Philippines
3. Principle of Coordination - ideas of equal rank and
value are coordinating, therefore, they belong to the
same level of the outline.
Wrong:
I. Mass media are important in modern life. (sentence)
II. Forms of mass media (phrase)
Right:
I. Importance of mass media in modern life (phrase)
II. Forms of mass media (phrase)
4. Principle of Subordination - There are big ideas and
small ideas; small ideas should fall under the
appropriate big ideas.
I. Definition of mass media
II. Types of mass media
A. Broadcast media
B. Print media
Two other things you have to remember:
1. If you’re outlining an article, you cannot add to the
ideas of the original. Important ideas of the article
should be in the outline.
2. Copied headings should be enclosed in quotes,
otherwise you commit plagiarism.
Types of Outline
1. Sentence outline - heading of each level is one
sentence
Example:
I. There are two types of sports fan.
a. The first types is the spectator.
b. The second type is the analyst.
II. Sports fans express their involvement in the game in
several ways.
2. Topic outline - heading of each level is a phrase
Example:
I. Two types of sports fan
a. The spectator
b. The analyst
II. Ways sports fans express their involvement in the game
Outline Format
A. Main ideas are labelled with Roman Numerals
B. Supporting ideas developing the main idea are
labelled with capital letters
C. Details developing the supporting ideas are labelled
with Arabic numbers.
D. Minor details developing the details are labelled with
small letters.
FACTS AND OPINIONS
FACTS are verifiable statements.
meaning something can be done to determine whether
the information they present is true or false
The two ways of testing an information whether it is
true or false are Direct and Indirect Experience.
OPINIONS are expressions of a person’s feelings,
attitudes, or beliefs that are neither true nor false.
CRITICAL WRITING
Critical Writing is evaluative writing.
Critical Reading is the application of critical thinking to
the things that we read.
Critical Writing
is the product of critical thinking and critical reading.
A judgment presented in written form.
Two Types of Critical Writing
1. Critique - are papers that asses or evaluate the
merits of a piece of work.
2. Reaction Papers - are papers that present a
writer’s evaluation of the work, as well as his or
her experiences and feelings in relation to the
work being evaluated.
When creating a reaction paper, a writer may add his
own opinion; but it must be taken note that an opinion
must be supported with facts.
Example:
OPINION:
The story is confusing as there are many gaps in the
narrative.
SUPPORTING FACTS:
• The audience is not told about how the problem
was resolved in the end,
• The motive for the crime was not explained.
• One character that had been killed inexplicably
came back to life in the middle.
CITING SOURCES
It is a way to give credit to other researchers and
acknowledging their ideas.
Necessary Elements:
• Author’s name(s)
• Titles of books, articles, and journals
• Date of publication
• Page numbers
• Volume and issue number (for articles)
Types of Citation
1. In-text Citation – citation found inside the text
where a borrowed idea is mentioned.
2. References – separate citation used to allow the
reader to track down the sources by way of
footnotes, a bibliography or reference list.
Formats of Citation
1. Modern Language Association (MLA)
Langer, R. “New Methods of Drug Delivery.”
Science. 249.4976 (1990): 1527-1533
2. American Chemical Society (ACS)
Langer, R. New Methods of Drug Delivery.
Science 1990, 249, 1527-1533
 3. IEEE Style Persuasive Text
R. Langer, “New Methods of Drug Delivery,” It is the type of text that requires you to investigate
Science, vol. 249, pp. 1527-1533, Sep. 28, 1990. a topic, form your own opinions, generate evidence
4. American Psychological Association (APA) in support of those opinions, and convince the
Langer, R. (1990). New Methods of Drug reader that you are making a valid point.
Delivery. Science, 249 (4976), 1527-1533.
!!! FORMAT:
CRITICAL APPROACHES American Psychological Association (APA)
IN WRITING A CRITIC PAPER Author. (Year of Publication) Title of the Book.
Criticism is an abstract, intellectual exercise. It is an Publishing House. Pages.
exchange of informed opinion about a subject for Tagay, L. et. al. (2014) Journeying through Literature
review. It is considered to be a discourse. and Language with English and American Literary
Texts. Don Bosco Press, Inc. 120-125
1. Formalist Criticism – claims that literary works
contain intrinsic properties and treats each work
as a distinct work of art.
2. Biographical Criticism – asserts that a work of
art is done by a person understanding his/her
life.
3. Historical Criticism – involves understanding
of the subject using an analysis of social,
cultural and intellectual context surrounding the
work of art.
4. Gender Criticism – examines how sexual
identity influences the creation and reception of
the subject.
5. Feminist Criticism – focuses on how literature
presents women as subjects of socio-political,
psychological, and economic oppression. It
examines how the images of men and women
reflect or reject the social forces that have
historically kept the sexes from achieving the
total equality.
6. Reader-Response Criticism – is concerned
with the reviewer’s reaction as an audience of a
work.
7. Marxist Criticism – is concerned with the
differences between economic classes and
implications of a capitalist system, such as the
continuing conflicts between working class and
the elite.
8. Psychological Criticism – focuses on human
being’s unconscious mind, regrets, fears, hidden
desire, sexuality and repression.
9. Sociological Criticism – considers the cultural,
economic, and political context in which the
subject is created; explores the relationship
between the subject and the creator.