Academic and Non-Academic Texts
A student writes a laboratory report using formal language, citations, and objective evidence. What type of text is being written?
Academic Text
A passage explains the similarities and differences between online and face-to-face learning. Which text structure is used?
Compare and contrast
What do you call the facts, examples, and statistics that support an author's claim?
Evidence
What is the sentence that expresses the central argument of an essay?
Thesis statement
Which outlining system uses Roman numerals, capital letters, Arabic numerals, and lowercase letters?
Alphanumeric outline
A magazine article includes expert interviews and statistics but also uses humor and conversational language. Which characteristic makes it less academic?
Informal language
A writer first explains the causes of water pollution and then discusses its effects on marine life. Which text structure is being used?
Cause and effect
An author never states that the character is nervous but describes shaking hands and avoiding eye contact. What reading skill helps readers understand the character's emotion?
Inference
A student writes, "Social media is good." Which quality of a strong thesis statement is missing?
Specificity (or Focus)
Which type of outline uses complete sentences instead of words or phrases?
Sentence outline
Your class is assigned to research climate change. One classmate uses a peer-reviewed journal, while another uses an influencer's personal blog with no sources. Which source is more appropriate, and why?
The peer-reviewed journal because it is credible and evidence-based.
A passage begins by describing the problem of traffic congestion, discusses several possible solutions, and ends by recommending one. Which text structure best describes the passage?
Problem and solution
A research article argues that school uniforms improve discipline but presents only one student's opinion as proof. What should a critical reader question first?
The sufficiency and credibility of the evidence.
Which thesis statement is stronger?
A. Exercise is important.
B. Regular exercise improves mental health, strengthens the immune system, and reduces the risk of chronic diseases.
B.
A teacher asks students to quickly organize ideas for brainstorming before drafting an essay. Which type of outline is the most appropriate?
Topic outline
A newspaper editorial contains factual data, expert opinions, emotional language, and the writer's personal viewpoint. Should it be classified as academic or non-academic? Defend your answer.
Non-academic, because despite using evidence, its primary purpose is to persuade a general audience through opinion rather than present scholarly research.
An article starts by narrating events in order, then compares two proposed solutions before concluding with a recommendation. Which text structure is dominant, and how did you determine it?
Problem and solution, because the main purpose is to solve the identified issue, while comparison only supports the recommendation.
Two articles make opposite claims about artificial intelligence in education. Both provide evidence from reliable sources. As a critical reader, what should you do before deciding which claim to accept?
Compare the quality, relevance, and credibility of the evidence and evaluate the strength of each argument.
Read the thesis:
"Technology affects education."
Revise it mentally. What is the single most important improvement needed before writing the essay?
Make it more specific and arguable (e.g., identify the aspect of technology and the specific effect on education).
A student's outline looks like this:
I. Introduction
II. Body
A. First reason
1. Supporting detail
a. Example
The outline ends there without a conclusion. Besides the missing conclusion, what principle of outlining should the student check to ensure the outline is logically organized?
Coordination (ideas at the same level should have equal importance and proper parallel structure).