Unit 1: The Nature of Academic Texts

Lesson 1
Structure of Academic Texts

English for Academic and Professional Purposes

Senior High School Applied - Academic
What do building blocks
signify in writing?

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Learning ● Identify the structures of
Objectives paragraphs, essays, and
research papers.
At the end of the ● Construct short paragraphs and
lesson, you should be
able to do the essays.
following:

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Write a
scenario about
the photo.
Write only one
part:
introduction,
middle, or
ending.

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 Why should a reader know the
Essential essential parts of an academic
Question
text?

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How does knowing the parts of a
paragraph ensure better
comprehension of the text?

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 Structures of Paragraphs

Paragraphs are a collection of sentences that

deal mostly with one topic or idea at a time.

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 Structures of Paragraphs

Parts of a paragraph:
● Topic sentence
● Supporting sentences
● Concluding and/or transitional sentences

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 Structures of Paragraphs

Topic sentence: presents the main point of

the paragraph
Supporting sentences: support the main idea
of the paragraph

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 Structures of Paragraphs

Transitional sentences pave the way to the

next idea in the next paragraph.
Concluding sentences close out the main idea
by summing up the main idea.

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Remember

Patterns of Development of
Paragraphs
● Illustration
● Definition
● Classification
● Comparison and Contrast
● Process

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 Structures of Paragraphs
Example 1
Empathy is being able to understand and share
feelings and requires a connection between two
humans. Establishing that connection means
that people should put down their phones, face
each other and build rapport with one another.
Taking those steps can make a difference.

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 Structures of Paragraphs
Example 2
Modern-day heroes are not the ones seen in the
movies; these are just actors who pretend to be
larger-than-life characters. The true modern-day
heroes are the people who dedicate their lives to
serve others.

These people can be doctors, nurses, engineers,

teachers, and the police. They help others to make the
world a better place.
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 Structures of Paragraphs
Example 3
Online marketing is the effort to disseminate information
about a business or product using the Internet. This may be
considered as an effective strategy, as almost everyone uses
the Internet for interaction.

Engaging with potential consumers online may help the

business in profits, as the channels between parties have
more potential to continue, even after transactions.

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What are possible strategies
writers can use to develop
cohesive paragraphs?

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 Structure of a Three-Part Essay

A three-part essay is composed of three basic

parts:
1. Introduction
2. Body
3. Conclusion

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 Introduction

The introduction starts off the essay with ideas

that will be discussed in the body. The thesis
statement is usually found at the end of the
introduction, and it can act as a transitional
sentence for the body.

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 Introduction

● Introduces the topic

● Places the topic into context
● Provides background information
● Points out the aim of the text
● Describes how the aim will be fulfilled

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 Introduction

● Provides a thesis statement for the text

● Suggests what the findings are
● Explains why the topic could be considered
interesting
● Catches the readers’ interest

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 Body
The body is the main and most substantial part
of the entire essay which:

● Presents evidence to support the thesis

statement
● Can be broken down into parts

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 Body

The body should do the following:

● Present research and data
● Analyze data
● Discuss data thoroughly

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 Conclusion

● Restates the thesis statement

● Wraps up the essay
● Gives opportunity to evaluate the topic
● Should not present new material

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Remember

The conclusion should not have

the exact same thesis statement
as the one in the introduction. It
is best to reword it in the
conclusion.

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 Structuring the Three-Part Essay
Example 1
Benedicto Cabrera, also known more famously
as BenCab, is a Filipino painter. He was deemed
as a Filipino National Artist for painting in 2006,
and is considered as one of the best-selling
painters of his time. BenCab has a museum in
Baguio, a place that inspired many of his works.

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 Structuring the Three-Part Essay
The BenCab museum has many of Cabrera’s
artwork in addition to his personal collection of
the works of other Filipino artists. The museum
has exhibits that display the culture of the
Cordilleras. The many displays manifest
BenCab’s talents and his appreciation for local
art.

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 Structuring the Three-Part Essay
With the BenCab museum situated in the
Cordilleras, it has become a site that people
can visit and experience when they visit
Baguio. The opportunity to see BenCab's
collection and work can inspire others to
appreciate Filipino art.

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What strategies were used to
make the three-part essay
cohesive?

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 Structuring the Three-Part Essay
Example 2
Though almost everyone recognizes
dreamcatchers, few know the origin and its
significance in local culture. The dreamcatcher
is more than just a decorative piece. It is an
interesting object with an even more
interesting history.

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 Structuring the Three-Part Essay
The dreamcatcher originated from Native
North America, most specifically the Ojibwe.
There is no exact date of its invention, but it
became mainstream in the 1980s.
Traditionally, they were thought to be objects
of protection for babies and were hung over
their cradles.

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 Structuring the Three-Part Essay

As many people know today, it was often

believed that they could protect the dreams of
infants, as the spiderweb-like design would
"catch" the evil spirits and keep them stuck on
the dreamcatchers.

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 Structuring the Three-Part Essay

The dreamcatcher’s history and original

purpose are fascinating and give more value to
the object. The dreamcatcher is a decorative
piece for many people, but its origins make it
all the more impressive.

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How does knowing the structure
of essays help reading
comprehension?

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 Structuring the Three-Part Essay
Example 3
Everyone has an opportunity to be an app
developer, or one who develops apps for
smartphones. Though it may seem too “techie”
for some, the possibility for app development has
become endless. There is no need to go through it
alone, as many companies are willing to help
dreamers achieve their goals.
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 Structuring the Three-Part Essay
App development is a profitable business, as
manifested through the various companies willing
to help out those who are interested. In the
Philippines, the names Adroit Apps, Ltd. and
Arcanys are top companies that develop apps.
These kinds of companies have specific aims for
business but share the common goal of
developing apps for people.
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 Structuring the Three-Part Essay
If developing apps and serving people while
making money is one goal, it is best to get in
contact and apply to app development
companies. In this day and age, this kind of job
may be beneficial for all, and the process is an
essential learning experience for professional
development.

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How should research be
presented in academic writing?

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 Structuring IMRaD

● IMRaD stands for Introduction, Methods,

Results, and Discussion, with a Conclusion.
● IMRaD aims to discuss research topics,
explaining the topic and its intended
purpose.

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 Structuring IMRaD: Introduction

● Contains the context of the study and

addresses what the study will entail
● Can include the background of the study
rather than an introduction
● Should include the aim(s) of the study

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 Structuring IMRaD: Methods

The methods part includes the following:

● explanation of how aims and research
questions were fulfilled and answered
● methods used to collect data and ways to
analyze the said data
● the research design for the entire study

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 Structuring IMRaD: Results

● Objectively presents results from the data

collected and analyzed
● Presents data using charts, figures, and/or
tables

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 Structuring IMRaD: Discussion

● Reminds readers of the topic of the study

● Analyzes and discusses presented results
● Contains recommendations

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 Structuring IMRaD
Example 1
Listening to music may be a positive
experience for many junior high school
students while they study for major subjects.

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 Structuring IMRaD
Though there have not been many studies that
show a relationship between the two variables,
this particular study aimed to determine how
junior high school students feel while they
listen to particular genres of music while
studying for major exams.

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 Structuring IMRaD

The methods for the research consisted of

interviewing JHS students about their
experiences, opinions of music, and their study
habits. The researchers also utilized a
questionnaire given to 20 JHS students.

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 Structuring IMRaD
Results showed that JHS students felt that
listening to music, no matter the genre, was
helpful, and there are perceived effects that it
helped them do better on the tests
academically. Further studies may help confirm
a true relationship between listening to music
and better study habits.

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Why is it important to include
visual representations of data in
the results of the IMRaD?

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 Structuring IMRaD
Example 2
In the Philippines, there has been a noticeable
shift from the use of plastic shopping bags to
more environmentally-friendly bags. Eco-bags
are bags that can be reused and can include,
but are not limited to, canvas bags, paper bags,
bayong, and mesh-cloth bags.
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 Structuring IMRaD
In the study conducted, a survey of 138 college
students answered that because the province
of Cavite has encouraged the use of eco-bags,
a large number of the sample population
maximizes the utilization of eco-bags while
shopping.

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 Structuring IMRaD
Significant factors that influenced the
respondents include the implementation of the
laws and awareness of the harmfulness of
plastics to the environment.

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 Structuring IMRaD

Further studies should explore why other

factors, such as promotion of private
corporations in the Philippines, are not
significant in the utilization of eco-bags for
shopping.

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Why is the background of the
study an imperative part of the
introduction?

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 Structuring IMRaD
Example 3
Stereotyping in senior high school may be a
more common phenomenon nowadays than
ever, as students are clustered into different
strands. Students may have certain
perceptions and opinions about others who
are in the same and different strands.
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 Structuring IMRaD

This research aimed to find out the

experiences grade 12 students across all
academic strands had with stereotyping in
grade 11.

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 Structuring IMRaD
Three focus group discussions were conducted,
along with five in-depth interviews about the
grade 12 students’ own experiences about
stereotyping. The researchers were able to utilize
open and axial coding to extract prevalent themes.

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 Structuring IMRaD
It was found that STEM and ABM students
were branded as intellectual while HUMSS
students felt that they were branded as
carefree.

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 Structuring IMRaD

Further studies should be conducted to find

out the factors which influence students to use
stereotypes for the different strands and if this
type of stereotyping affects academic studies
and social situations in high school.

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 Compose a short paragraph
about one research topic you
Compose a might want to pursue this
paragraph academic year. In the paragraph,
rationalize the need to explore
the research area.

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 What technique did you utilize to compose
your paragraph?

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Question

Why is it recommended to use transitional

sentences in between paragraphs for the 3-part
essay?

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Question

Why should an introduction in IMRaD give a

background of the study?

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Question

What are the different ways to identify

cohesion in any kind of written text?

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 Wrap Up

Knowing the structure of an essay can

help a reader comprehend the text.

Paragraph development and the

three-part essay are broken into the
following parts: introduction, body, and
conclusion.
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 Wrap Up

The IMRaD structure is broken into the

following parts: Introduction, Methods,
Results, Discussion, and Conclusion.

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Wrap Up

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 Bibliography
“The IMRaD Format.” Search Write, December 19, 2017.
https://sokogskriv.no/en/writing/structure-and-argumentation/the-imrad-format/.

“The Structure of Academic Texts.” Lnu.se. Accessed February 25, 2020.

https://lnu.se/en/library/Writing-and-referencing/the-structure-of-academic-texts/.

“The Structure of Academic Texts .” Karolinska Institutet Universitetsbiblioteket. Accessed

February 25, 2020.
https://kib.ki.se/en/write-cite/academic-writing/structure-academic-texts.

“Traditional Academic Essays in Three Parts.” Penn State Abington. Accessed February 25, 2020.
https://abington.psu.edu/traditional-academic-essays-three-parts.

“Writing a Scientific Research Report (IMRaD).” The Writing Center. Accessed February 25, 2020.
https://writingcenter.gmu.edu/guides/writing-an-imrad-report.

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