ACADEMIC WRITING

Organisation
Argumentation
Compare and Contrast
Cause and Effect
Classification

Organisation

Information in your academic writing is presented to your reader in a structured format. You follow certain patterns when writing your text to make it more reader friendly. The type of writing, nature of topic and the special purpose of your text (argumentative, problem/solution, compare/contrast, summarizing, etc.) will determine the organizational pattern you will follow. For example, in a problem/solution essay you will generally follow a 4-part pattern: describing the situation, identifying the problem, describing the solution, and evaluating the solution. Problem-solution essays tend to be more argumentative and evaluative. How you communicate your information and organize your writing will greatly influence both the reader’s interest and understanding of your text.

CHECK POINTS

- is the writing’s overall purpose and organization clear?
- is the text clearly organized?
- are the patterns followed suitable for the text type?
- does the writer take the audience into account with their writing?
- is the author’s purpose clearly stated?
- is there a clear presentation of the main idea?
- does the writer present his/her argument for the given audience effectively?