1# EAPP: WRITING ACADEMIC TEXT better express your ideas.

Then comes editing, which focuses on smaller

changes like grammar, mechanics, spelling, punctuation, and formatting.
THE WRITING PROCESS
= changes are made based on the feedback.
1. Pre-writing - The prewriting stage starts well before you write. Reading = Once you have gathered some feedback, you revise your essay according
an assignment’s guidelines, discussing your topic with a friend, or to that feedback. Revising focuses on making larger changes to your essay
actively reading an article you’ll analyze are all forms of prewriting. to make sure you are expressing your ideas as clearly as possible. Next you
begin editing. Editing is like revising, because you are changing your work
= ideas are gathered and organized from the original draft, but you are focused on small scale changes, like
= begins long before you put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard, as the case grammar, mechanics, spelling, punctuation, and formatting.
may be). When you read an assignment’s guidelines or rubric and try to
determine what your purpose is, you are prewriting. When you talk to a friend 5. Submitting - The final step of the writing process is submitting your
about the topic you are considering writing about, you are prewriting. When work. Whether for grading or publication, this is when you share your final
you partake in an active reading of an article that you will be analyzing, you piece with the world.
are prewriting.
= essay is turned in to be graded
2. Drafting - After prewriting comes the drafting stage, where you start = This is when you submit your final paper for grading (or publication, in the
turning your plans into writing. The goal is to get your ideas down on example of a novelist) and share your ideas with the rest of the world.
paper. The draft doesn't have to be perfect, but it should reflect your best
effort. DEVELOPING YOUR THESIS STATEMENT

= ideas are put on paper ● Thesis Statement - is the central claim or position that you will develop
= This is when you begin implementing all the plans that you’ve made in the in your paper.
prewriting stage. The goal of the drafting stage is to get the ideas out of your - It controls the direction of your essay and informs readers about its
head and onto your paper. A draft does not have to be perfect, but it should focus. A strong thesis usually includes an element of uncertainty, risk,
be written to the best of your abilities. or challenge (Ramage, Bean, and Johnson 2006:34).
- It is the central idea of an essay, around which all other ideas revolve.
3. Workshop - After drafting, the next step is workshopping your draft. You It is not just the most important idea. it also controls the essay by
share it with peers, your instructor, or the Writing Center for feedback determining what you should or should not include in your work. In
one sentence, it reveals and summarizes the argument you tend to
= feedback is received from instructor and writing center develop and defend.
= you share your work with peers, your instructor, and/or the Writing Center
to get feedback. What is the reader’s opinion of your work? What do they TOPIC SENTENCE VS THESIS STATEMENT
think is working? What is not working? What suggestions might they have for
improving your work? Topic Sentence - It is the main idea of a paragraph. It is usually found in the
first and last sentence of a paragraph.
4. Revise and Edit - After gathering feedback, you revise your essay to Thesis Statement - It is the central idea of the whole paper.
improve clarity and content. Revising involves making major changes to
HOW ARE THESIS STATEMENTS WRITTEN?
- Identify the details based on the parts of a Thesis Statements before - Avoid saying obvious and undebatable facts about your topic.
writing it completely.
- Put all the details together in one sentence or two sentences by the use of AVOID PLAGIARISM
MODELS OF THESIS STATEMENT WRITING. - Before writing, make sure your assumptions about the topic are
supported by evidence.
PARTS OF A THESIS STATEMENT - This involves checking if there are enough resources, like books,
articles, and journals, on your subject.
● Topic - it is the subject of the text. - Ample materials indicate the topic's importance and allow you to add
● Position - your stand on the topic. something new to existing research.
● Reason - explanation and justification of your stand or position about the
topic. Plagiarism could be any of the following:
● Concession (optional) - an opposing viewpoint about the topic. - deliberate copying of somebody else's work and claiming that work to
be his/her own
MODELS OF THESIS STATEMENT WRITING - using somebody else's work or ideas without proper acknowledgement
or citation
● Basic thesis statement (topic + position) - copying the text without paraphrasing it.
- Parents should regulate the amount of time their children spend on
mobile gaming. Paraphrasing - is a way to avoid plagiarism by expressing the key ideas of a
● Basic thesis statement with concession text in your own words. Typically,paraphrased material is shorter than the
- Even though mobile gaming can be educational, parents should original but more detailed than a summary.
regulate the amount of time their children spend on mobile gaming.
● Basic thesis statement with concession and reason To paraphrase effectively, first fully understand the text, then rewrite it
- Even though mobile gaming can be educational, parents should without looking at the original. Referring to the text while writing can lead to
regulate the amount of time their children spend on mobile gaming, copying its structure, which still counts as plagiarism
because it inhibits social interaction, it shortens children’s attention
span, and it’s not always intellectually stimulating. ORGANIZING YOUR PAPER

THINGS TO AVOID WHEN WRITING A THESIS STATEMENT As a writer your next task is to support your thesis statement with sufficient
evidence, data and examples. Some people think that this is where the "real"
● Making overly opinionated stands writing begins because this is where you will support your thesis statement
- For example, instead of saying, “Mobile games make children dumb, ” and expound on it as well.
you can say, “Mobile games might decrease children’s focus that may As a writer your aim is to organize your ideas in a logical order. Organizing
cause poor academic performance.” your ideas means finding the connections of one point to another and
establishing a link from one idea to another. The challenge for you as the
● Avoid making announcements writer is to be able to "weave back and forth between generalizations and
- Avoid making announcement statements in your paper like, “In this specifics"(Ramage, Bean and Johnson 2006:40).
paper, I will discuss the reasons why parents should regulate....
Some writers start organizing their draft by making an outline. Outlining is
● Avoid stating facts only an effective way of ensuing the logical flow of your ideas. You may opt to use
the standard outline complete with roman numerals and indentions or you UNDERSTANDING THE PURPOSE OF REACTION PAPER
may use list, diagrams and maps. Reaction or response papers are assigned so that after reading a text, you
will think carefully about what you feel or think about the text.
Introduction - for academic essay provides a background of your topic, poses
a question regarding the topic, explains how the question is problematic and When you write a response paper, you need to evaluate the text’s strengths
significant, and gives the writher's thesis statement. and weaknesses, along with if and how well the text accomplishes its
objective.
Body of your Essay - This is where the bulk of the essay is found and where
you develop an answer or propose a solution to the thesis statement that you A REACTION PAPER IS NOT JUST A PAPER WHERE YOU EXPRESS YOUR
have given in the introduction. You can outline your main points before OPINION.
writing the body of the essay. In the body, you have to support your main
points and include the other details that would support your thesis These papers require a close reading of the text that goes beyond the
statement. surface meaning.
Conclusion - your conclusion should bring together the points made in your
paper and emphasize your final point. The conclusion may also leave a YOU MUST RESPOND TO IMPLIED IDEAS, AND ELABORATE, EVALUATE, AND
thought - provoking idea that you wish your audience to consider. Do not just ANALYZE THE AUTHOR’S PURPOSE AND MAIN POINTS.
summarize your main points; make sure that you synthesize your main points
and emphasize your thesis statement. Remember not to open a new topic in In many cases, you can use the first-person “I” while writing reaction papers.
the conclusion.
WRITING A REACTION:
#2: WRITING REACTION AND REVIEW PAPER Write down your initial reactions to the text:

SUBJECTS FOR A REACTION PAPER, CRITIQUE, & REVIEW 1. After you read through the first time, write down your initial reactions.
2. Do the same thing on any subsequent readings.
1. Scholarly Works - academic books, researches, and articles. 3. Try completing some of the following sentences after you read: I think
2. Works of Art - literary texts, exhibits, plays, film, performance art, dance, that…, I see that…, I feel that…, It seems that…, or In my opinion…
even sports.
3. Designs - buildings, furniture, fashion design. ANNOTATING THE TEXT
4. Graphic Designs - posters, billboards, commercials, and other digital ● As you read through the text again, annotate it.
media. ● Annotating in the margins of the text allows you to easily locate
quotations, plot lines, character development, or reactions to the text.
Reaction Paper - aka response paper, is a type of written assignment where
you are asked to critically engage with a piece of literature, a film, a lecture, QUESTIONS AS YOU READ
an event, or any other type of content. As you read the text, you have to start questioning the text. This is where your
evaluation of the material and your reaction begins. Some questions to
- it requires the writer to analyze a text, then develop commentary related to consider include:
it. It is a popular academic assignment because it requires thoughtful
reading, research, and writing. ● What issues or problems does the author address?
● What is the author’s main point?
 ● What points or assumptions does the author make, and how does she I. Introduction - Title or Name of the Subject, Author or Creator, Date
back that up? Made, and other basic information about the subject.
● What are the strengths and weaknesses? II. Body (has 2 sections)
● Where are the problems with the arguments?
● How do the texts relate? (if multiple texts) A. Summary - explains what the subject is. Is it a scholarly work? A
● How do these ideas connect to the overall ideas of the class? work of Art? What is its purpose? What does it contain? What can
be seen from it?
FREEWRITE B. Evaluation - presents your judgement of the subject. How well is
● Start by free writing your reactions and evaluations of the author’s the subject made? How do you feel about it? What are its good
ideas. and bad points? Is the work significant?
● Try to put it into words what you think the author is trying to do and May use Critical Approaches - formalism, feminism, marxism,
whether you agree or disagree. and reader-response
● Ask yourself why and explain why you think these things. Free writing is
a great way to start getting your ideas on paper and getting past that III. Conclusion - tells your Overall impression of the work. Includes final
initial writer’s block. Try to put it into words what you think the author is judgment on the subject’s value, significance, worth, or future
trying to do and whether you agree or disagree. improvements.

Review paper - expressing your opinion about an event, book, restaurant, art #3: CRITICAL APPROACHES
exhibit, performance, movie, or latest trends is called a review paper.
Critique paper - a genre of academic writing that briefly summarizes and
- it is important to be concise in your review, but not too concise that you evaluates a concept or work.
miss the important aspects of the book, event, place, or phenomenon that
you are evaluating. You are also expected to be unbiased in your evaluation. - Usually this is written in very formal, objective and complex manner.
You can do things by providing your honest appraisal of it, combining your
opinion with accurate facts. In addition, Reviews involve arguments, so you CRITIQUES CAN BE USED TO EVALUATE:
are expected to state your claim in the thesis statement.
1. Creative Works - novels, exhibits, films, shows, images, poetry;
Book review - you may quote actual passages from the book that you can 2. Researchers - monographs, journal articles, systematic reviews, theories;
either agree or disagree with. You can explain the passage further in relation 3. Media - news reports, feature articles.
to the book’s literal or symbolic meaning. Furthermore, you can explain your
reasons for persuading or dissuading your readers to read it. Critical approaches - refer to analytical perspectives and methodologies
used to examine and evaluate various aspects of literature, culture, society,
Movie review - you might wish to discuss the movie in terms of its subject and other forms of human expression.
matter, musical scoring or actors. You may include your criticism against any
aspect of the movie- and to balance your criticism, you might wish to include - These approaches aim to uncover underlying power dynamics, ideological
your sincere compliments about an aspect of the movie that you found truly assumptions, social structures, and hidden meanings that might not be
praiseworthy. immediately apparent on the surface. Critical approaches often challenge
dominant narratives and encourage a deeper understanding of complex
COMMON FORMAT issues.
 - This approach assumes that an author’s personal experiences, beliefs,
TYPES OF CRITICAL APPROACHES and historical context influence their writing style, themes, characters,
and overall creative expression.
● Formalist Approach - aka formalism, is a critical methodology that
emphasizes the formal elements of a work of art, such as literature, ● Reader-Response Approach - reader-response theorists share two
without necessarily considering its social, historical or cultural context. beliefs:
- Text’s form 1. That the role of the reader cannot be omitted from our
- Formalism focuses on the inherent text structure, text style, tone of the understanding of literature.
text, techniques, figures of speech used, and imagery to understand its 2. That rader do not passively consume the meaning presented to
meaning and impact on the reader or viewer. This approach gained them by an objective literary text; rather they actively make the
prominence in literary studies and other artistic disciplines during the meaning they find in literature’’ (Tyson 154)
early 20th century.
- The author is no longer relevant once the work is published; “the death
● Historical Approach - this approach recognizes that the social and of the author.”
cultural environments have tremendous effect on events and situations. - Reader
- When you use this approach, you should consider the time, social
milieu, political climate and socio-political context in relation to the ● Marxist Approach - relates literary text to the society, to the history and
event or phenomenon that you are writing about. cultural and political systems in which it is created.
- This approach requires that you consider the work relation to the - In a Marxist approach to literature, we have the following factors which
period during which it was written. Further, this approach argues that need to be discussed:
the work is influenced by everything around it, including the way the
event or phenomenon is perceived by people in society. 1. There is a class history and class struggle in a literary text.
- history 2. Struggle is there means there is a domination and oppression. And
in that, someone has to win and someone has to defeat. It belongs
● Gender-Feminist Approach - is a perspective within feminism that to a particular society and culture.
focuses on analyzing and challenging societal structures, norms and 3. There are influential factors like political motives behind the
power dynamics related to gender. It emerged as a response to production of a text. (the text is for whom? And why?)
traditional feminist thought, which initially primarily focused on issues of
women’s rights and equality in relation to men.
- The gender feminist approach broadens the scope of feminist analysis
by considering how gender intersects with other social categories such
as race, class, sexuality, and more.
- Females, women

● Biographical Approach - is a method of critical approach and analysis

that focuses on studying an author’s life, experiences, and background in
order to gain insights into their works.