Academic Genres
Instructors compose this to outline how a subject will be taught in a course
What is a syllabus?
This term describes different forms of writing people do.
What is genre?
When an author is presenting only one side of a story, they are said to be taking the role of this courtroom member.
Who is a lawyer (or attorney)?
This describes when a verb is doing its work -- the past, present, or future.
What is tense?
Informational brochures about a degree major and the jobs one can have with it are usually targeted toward this group of people.
Who are college students?
Students often have to write this to summarize an experiment.
What is a laboratory report?
Whenever someone speaks or writes, they are responding to this type of situation.
What is a rhetorical situation?
When an individual considers all of the evidence before coming to a conclusion, they are performing as this member of a courtroom.
Who is a juror?
This type of sentence occurs when two or more independent clauses (also known as complete sentences) are connected improperly. Example: I love to write papers I would write one every day if I had the time.
What is a run-on sentence?
Thank you notes are often sent to these people after a gift is received.
Who is a gift-giver?
Students of criminal justice might learn to write this genre if they plan to become a crime scene detective.
What is an incident report (or criminalistics report)?
A writer or speaker must always consider this when composing. If they get it wrong, their message may not be understood.
Who is the audience? (Reader/Listener is fine, as well.)
In order to understand any decision, a reader needs to understand the situation that led up to it. Therefor an author needs to provide this early in their work.
What is analysis?
This type of punctuation mark separates major sentence elements. It be used between two closely related independent clauses, provided they are not already joined by a coordinating conjunction.
What is a semicolon?
Police officers and detectives complete evidence reports after reviewing a scene of a crime. These reports are used by these people.
Who are lawyers, law enforcement members, judges and juries. (Any of these are appropriate.)
When applying for a professional position, most employers expect to receive this genre attached to a cover letter.
What is a resume or CV?
We say someone is offering us this when they present an idea without any clear evidence to support it.
What is an opinion?
This aspect of the Target Model involves exploring the gray areas of a situation, because situations are rarely black and white.
What is complication?
This marks a slight break between different parts of a sentence. Used properly, it makes the meaning of sentences clear by grouping and separating words, phrases, and clauses.
What is a comma?
Cover letters are written by job seekers to communicate why they are interested in a position and why they are qualified for it. These are addressed to...
Who are hiring committees, human resources, potential employers? (Any are acceptable.)
Most college students have to write at least one of these before graduating. It should include a clear purpose and draw on scholarship from academic databases.
What is a research paper?
This type of idea is testable with evidence, logic, and reasoning.
What is a thought?
Because most thoughts require thinking through all of the possible options and outcomes, this aspect of the Target Model takes up most of a paper's space.
What is evaluation?
This is a shortened version of the written and spoken forms of a word, syllable, or word group, created by omission of internal letters and sounds. We avoid these in academic writing.
What is a contraction?
Academic researchers and scholars often write and publish articles on original research. These articles are targeted toward...
Who are their peers in the field/other scholars?