ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL FEATURES OF ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL

WRITING STYLE AND THE WRITING

RHETORICAL SITUATION 1. Formality
PURPOSE AND TYPES OF ACADEMIC AND Register refers to the degree of
PROFESSIONAL WRITING formality of language use, while tone
FEATURES OF ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL
Most common reasons for writing: pertains to the writer’s attitude or
WRITING
treatment of the subject matter. The
 To report findings from research 2. Objectivity
register and tone used in academic
endeavors In academic writing, the writer
writing are expected to be formal and
 To discuss a concept to a greater professional. This means that the avoids expressing personal opinions
populace about the subject matter and resorts
written output adheres to the set
 To formulate a solution to a standards acceptable in the academic to facts in presenting evidences.
problem and professional community.
 To evaluate programs and 3. Structure
 Avoid contractions – a
personnel Any type of academic and
contraction is a common feature
professional writing generally follows
of spoken language but avoided in
Types of Written Report: an organized structure and format,
formal writing. (example: can’t)
1. Essay – a shorter piece of which guides the readers in
 Avoid figurative language – understanding the text. Most essays,
research with the topic chosen by formal writing adheres to direct
students for example, are divided into
and clear expression and avoids introduction, body, and conclusion in
2. Paper – a piece of academic
creating multiple meanings that presenting the information.
writing that aims to explain a can confuse readers.
concept in a specific discipline
 Observe rules in writing numbers 4. Hedging
3. Thesis/Dissertation – a lengthy
and acronyms – spell out numbers Practicing caution in the use of
piece of writing normally done by
less than one hundred and provide language is important in academic and
a student often for a higher
what the acronym stands for in professional writing to distinguish
degree, on a topic chosen by the
the first mentioning of it. between facts and claims. Hedging, a
students and approved by the
instructor  Avoid slang and colloquial technique used by writers by sorting
4. Memorandum – an inter-office expressions – these are typically to tentative language, is often
document distributed to inform used in casual spoken employed in argumentative essays to
employees, request data, give conversation but may appear weak show a high level of credibility on the
responses, confirm decisions, and inappropriate in formal part of the writer.
and provide directions writing.
5. Report – an official workplace  Consider the type, purpose, and
document that presents and reader of the written output in
analyzes data to provide choosing the appropriate point of
information and recommendations view
 THE RHETORICAL SITUATIONS IN WRITING 2. STRATEGIC READING: READING FOR MEANING
Understanding the circumstances Strategic reading is an effective
in which you write is an important step way of understanding a text by employing
toward a purposeful writing process. strategies to understand content and GETTING THE MAIN IDEA OF A PASSAGE
This means that as you prepare to structure better, which will result in Aside from knowing the structure of
write, you examine several factors reading proficiency. a text, another valuable reading
that will affect what, why, and how you strategy you can use to maximize
3. STRATEGIC READERS: SUCCESSFUL READERS
write. Adapting your writing to learning is getting the main idea of a
Studies show that strategic readers
various elements such as the purpose, have a higher rate not only in reading passage. The main idea of a text refers
audience, and topic will give you a but also in learning because they have an to the most important concept the
better direction as you go through the awareness of the cognitive process writer wishes to impart to the readers,
writing process. involved in reading. Brown and Briggs which is also called the thesis
list four characteristics of strategic statement.
1. Purpose readers:  It is expressed as a complete
 They set a purpose for reading
 To inform sentence, not a phrase, topic,
 They employ reading strategies title, or question.
 To educate appropriate to a specific text
 To persuade  It expresses an opinion,
 They check their understanding of
the text attitude, or view regarding a
2. Audience – the audience is a primary  They show positive attitude toward topic.
consideration because they are the reading  It is not a statement of fact or
ones you are directly communicating METHODS OF PARAGRAPH DEVELOPMENT an announcement.
with. Understanding and adapting to  It is not too broad nor too
your audience can fulfill your purpose 1. Definition – demonstration and specific
for writing. connotation The thesis statement is usually
2. Illustration – presenting examples expressed as the first or last sentence
3. Topic – an important element in the 3. Description – using of vivid details of the first paragraph which provides
rhetorical situation since the entire 4. Process Analysis – analyzing and an overview of what the passage is all
output revolves around it. presenting the steps in an orderly about.
READING AND RESEARCHING ACROSS sequence Another kind of main idea is
5. Comparison and Contrast – referred to as the topic sentence. The
DISCIPLINES
similarities and differences topic sentence is usually expressed as
1. READING ACROSS DISCIPLINES: LEARNING
FROM THE CONTENT AREAS 6. Cause and Effect – analyzes why the first sentence of every paragraph—
The reading skills acquired in your something happened the unifying thought that is expounded
early years have become essential tools 7. Classification – clustering on in the paragraph by using supporting
in gaining relevant information from objects, people, or events based on details.
other specialized fields. You may have
their similarities and
already realized that reading is central
to learning the content areas. characteristics.
  3. APPEAL TO IGNORANCE – something is
PLAGIARISM The Self-Stealer
Copying from his/her own concluded to be true just because it is
I. NATURE OF PALGIARISM previous work without acknowledging not proven false or vice versa
Plagiarism is an intellectual fraud himself. 4. SLIPPERY SLOPE – a series of
and an act of academic dishonesty and superficial and unaccepted consequences
student should avoid it all cost because (The source is improperly cited): is drawn
of the following reasons: 5. COMPLEX QUESTION – two or more points
 The forgotten Footnote
 Stealing other people’s ideas can Not disclosing the proper are rolled into one and the reader is
result in expulsive or loss of copyright details of URL of a web expected to accept or reject both
academic degree. source mislead other researchers 6. APPEAL TO FORCE
 Academic dishonesty undermines the who could be reading your paper. 7. APPEAL TO PITY
hard work one has to put in previous 8. APPEAL TO CONSEQUENCES – unpleasant
 The Too-Perfect Paraphrase
works. consequences of believing something are
Fails to put quotation mark to
 Plagiarism is easily detected now pointed to show that the belief is false
mark ideas or phrases lifted word
with the aid of software or 9. BANDWAGON – an argument is considered
for word from the source.
applications to be valid because it is what the
 The Resourceful Citer majority thinks
 Intellectual fraud can be The writer cites all sources, 10. ATTACKING THE PERSON
punishable by the law due to paraphrases, and summarizes all 11. APPEAL TO AUTHORITY – quotes an
Intellectual Property Rights. ideas but the output contains expert who is not qualified for subject
almost no original idea. 12. ANONYMOUS AUTHORITY
II. TYPES OF PLAGIARISM
13. FALSE ANALOGY – assuming that two
(Where the source are not cited): III. WAYS TO AVOID PLAGIARISM concepts that are similar in some ways
 The Ghost Writer 1. Acknowledge Sources are also similar in other ways
The one who plagiarize makes 2. Know Various Citation Styles: 14. ACCIDENT – general rule is applied
the writer nonexistent by failing o APA (American Psychological even though it should be an exemption
to give due credit to his/her work. Association) 15. POST HOC - since A happened before B,
Writer submits another person’s o MLA (Modern Language A causes B
entire work, very batim (word for Association) 16. WRONG DIRECTION – cause and effect is
word), without acknowledging the o Chicago Manual of Style reversed
source. 3. Develop effective Study Habits 17. COMPLEX CAUSE – explanation for an
 The Potluck Paper 4. Use notetaking Strategies event is reduced to one despite many
The paper contains a collage o Direct Quoting 18. IRRELEVANT CONCLUSION – concluding
of ideas taken from various source o Paraphrasing something else instead of proving a thing
with very minimal or insignificant o Summarizing 19. STRAW MAN – position of the
changes in the wording and sentence o Outlining opposition is twisted so that easier to
structure.
 The poor Disguise LOGICAL FALLACIES refute
20. AFFIRMING THE CONSEQUENT – A is true
Plagiarism occurs when the 1. FALSE DILEMMA – occurs when an arguer if B is true, the if B is true, A is true
writer has retained the major presents his/her argument as one of only 21. DENYING THE ANTECEDENT – A is true if
content of a single source and only two options despite the presence of B is true; then if A is false, B is false
slightly changed some key words and multiple possibilities 22. INCONSISTENCY – contradicting ideas
phrases 2. HASTY GENERALIZATION