Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
National Capital Region
DIVISION OF CITY SCHOOLS – MANILA
Manila Education Center Arroceros Forest Park
Antonio J. Villegas St. Ermita, Manila

ENGLISH FOR
ACADEMIC AND
PROFESSIONAL
PURPOSES
Quarter 1-Week 2 -Module 2
Lesson 2: Structure of an Academic Text

Most Essential Learning Competency:

Use knowledge of text structure to glean the
information he/she needs. (CS_EN11/12A-EAPP-Ia-

0
HOW TO USE THIS MODULE
Before you start answering the module, I want you to set aside other tasks
that will distract you while enjoying the lessons. Read the simple instructions
below to successfully enjoy the objectives of this kit. Have fun!
1. Follow carefully all the contents and instructions indicated in every
page of this module.
2. Write on your notebook or any writing pad the concepts about the
lessons. Writing enhances learning, which is important to develop
and keep in mind.
3. Perform all the provided activities in the module.
4. Let your facilitator/guardian assess your answers.
5. Analyze conceptually the posttest and apply what you have learned.
6. Enjoy studying!

PARTS OF THE MODULE

• Expectations - These are what you will be able to know after
completing the lessons in the module.
• Pre-Test - This will measure your prior knowledge and the concepts
to be mastered throughout the lesson.
• Looking Back - This section will measure what learnings and skills
that you understand from the previous lesson.
• Brief Introduction- This section will give you an overview of the
lesson.
• Activities - These are activities designed to develop critical thinking
and other competencies. This can be done with or without a partner
depending on the nature of the activity.
• Remember - This section summarizes the concepts and applications
of the lessons.
• Checking Your Understanding - It will verify how you learned from
the lesson.
• Post-Test - This will measure how much you have learned from the
entire module

1
Lesson
STRUCTURE OF AN
2 ACADEMIC TEXT

EXPECTATIONS
In this module, you will have to use knowledge of text structure to
glean the information you need.

Specifically, this module will help you to:

• identify the common structures of an academic text; and
• apply knowledge of text structure in gathering information
through critical reading of academic text.

Let us start your journey in learning more about Structure of Academic Text. I am sure
you are ready and excited to answer the Pretest. Smile and cheer up!

PRETEST
Directions: Identify what is being asked or described in each item. Write the
letter of the correct answer in the space provided before the number.

______ 1. Academic texts are generally structured with _______.

A. Formality C. Citation and references
B. Clear and good structure D. All of the above
______ 2. Which of the following is NOT a common structure of an
academic text?
A. Order C. Cause and Effect
B. Summary D. Comparison and Contrast
______ 3. A large unit of a written language wherein ideas are put together
in a structure that requires them to make one central idea is
_______.
A. Text C. Discourse
B. Essay D. Paragraph
______ 4. Which of the following is TRUE about text structures?
A. It is synonymous to text features.
B. It can be used within longer texts.
C. It refers to the organizational patterns in the text.
D. It is used in the development of ideas located only in the
body.
______ 5. Ideas in the body can be organized and developed by one or
combination of the following EXCEPT _______.
A. Anecdote C. Cause and Effect

2
 B. Description D. Comparison and Contrast

Great! You finished answering the questions. You may request your facilitator to check your
work. Congratulations and keep on learning!

LOOKING BACK TO YOUR LESSON

Directions. Using your knowledge on parts of a composition, label the
numbered parts of a paragraph and essay by choosing the correct answers
from the word pool below. Write them in the given organizers.
topic sentence concluding sentence thesis statement
supporting details lead body major points background
minor details thesis restatement concluding statement

4
Hamburger PARAGRAPH

1
5

ESSAY structure
6
2
7

8
3
9

Source:

BRIEF INTRODUCTION
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?sort=relevance&search=hamburger+cartoon&tit
le=Special:Search&profile=advanced&fulltext=1&advancedSearch-
current=%7B%7D&ns0=1&ns6=1&ns12=1&ns14=1&ns100=1&ns106=1#/media/File:Hambur 10
ger_Cartoon.png

BRIEF INTRODUCTION
A text or composition can be classified into academic and non-
academic. In this module, we will focus on academic text.

Academic texts can be articles, conference papers, reviews and

theses/dissertations. How are academic texts typically formed? In general,
academic texts are organized with the following characteristics: (1) has
clearly structured introduction-body-conclusion, (2) is formal, (3) includes
information from credible sources which are properly cited, and (4) includes
a list of references. (Barrot & Sipacio, 2016).

Have you read a thesis or an article? Did you notice how the text was
written? If you notice, thesis, article or other academic text has predetermined
structure. Recognizing the structure will help you understand the text better
since it shows how the ideas are organized and presented in the text. If you
are writer, you would want to make your composition easy to read and make
your content easy to find, right? Otherwise, no reader will get across your
ideas in your text. Therefore, academic texts usually follow an established

3
structure which refers to the internal organization of a text. It is called Text
Structure.

Text structure is one of the two

categories of how a text can be organized.
The other category is Text Features. Text
Structures refer to the organizational
patterns of a text. Generally, it is
composed of text types, parts, transition
words and phrases, patterns of
organization, sentences, and paragraphs. Source: https://keystoliteracy.com/blog/teaching-text-structures/

The common parts of a text pertain to the I-B-C (Introduction, Body

and Conclusion) structure. Each part consists of sub-components that
could help readers identify the main ideas (stated or implied) and supporting
details using patterns of organization. There are five common patterns of
organization used in a text which are as follow: (1) Description, (2)
Order/Sequence, (3) Comparison/Contrast, (4) Cause and Effect, and (5)
Problem and Solution. Some texts also use the Argument in developing
their ideas which begins with a claim followed by the reasons for the claim
then supported by pieces of evidence. It can include a counter-claim or
refutation. (Gonzales, 2014)

Another component of a text structure is the use of transition words

or phrases. These transition words or phrases are used to show
relationships among ideas. They are found all throughout the text parts and
patterns of organization. Transition words or phrases make the connecting
of one idea to another idea or one part to another part of a text formal, clear
and organized.
The following show how transition words or phrases are used for
specific pattern of organizanization of ideas.
(Sources: National Education Association, 2019 and University of Tennessee
Center for Literacy Studies, 2019)
A.Order/ Sequence: Texts that follow this structure tell the order in
which steps in a process or series of events occur.
Transitions next, first, last, second, another, then, additionally,
next, finally, before, preceding and others
Example First, read the manual of the device. Second, turn on
the device. Then, set the location, time and date.

B.Comparison/Contrast: Texts that follow this structure tell about

the differences and similarities of two or more objects, places,
events or ideas by grouping their traits for comparison.
Transitions However, unlike, like, by contrast, yet, in
comparison, although, whereas, similar to, different
from, as opposed to, instead of, as well as.
Example Unlike quantitative research, qualitative research uses
descriptive data.

4
 C.Description/List: This structure resembles an outline. Each
section opens with its main idea, then elaborates on it, sometimes
dividing the elaboration into subsections.
Transitions For example, for instance, specifically, in particular, in
addition, to illustrate, such as, most important,
another.
Example Filipinos are very appreciative of arts such as plays,
paintings, music, and literature.

D.Cause and Effect: In texts that follow this structure, the reader is told the
result of an event or occurrence and the reasons it happened.
Transitions Consequently, therefore, as a result, thereby, leads to,
because of, in order to, for these reasons, thus, if-then, may
be due to.
Example Everyone followed health protocols. As a result, the
pandemic was gradually eradicated.

E.Problem-Solution: This presents a problem and several possible

solutions. The author may also describe the pros and cons of each
solution.
Transitions The problem is, the difficulty is, it is possible to, if-then,
one challenge is, therefore.
Example The problem that we are facing is the lack of self-discipline
of the society.

The last components of text structures mentioned above are sentences and
paragraphs. In writing effective sentences or paragraphs, a graphic organizer is a
great help. A graphic organizer is a visual presentation with various shapes and
connecting marks that is used to show the organization and relationship of ideas
and parts in a text. It serves as the backbone in writing a formal and effective
academic text.
Reading an academic text is challenging; more so, if we are asked to identify
text structures. Therefore, this module tells us that using graphic organizers helps
us identify the structures of an academic text and understand the whole text. Some
charts are shown below.

Great! You are now ready for our activities. You can perform the following activities
through collaborating with a partner. You can first answer the activities individually then just
communicate the results after.

5
 ACTIVITIES
Activity 1
Directions: You are trapped in the text autopsy room to solve the mystery of
a failed yet promising research project. Unlock the four-digit code by
correctly identifying the indicated structures of the text from the given
options .
Expression of empathy towards others is natural to people. 1
According to new research published by the American Psychological
Association, empathy is an expression of understanding others’ feelings.
It is described as inspiring. However, there are times that people choose WHICH
to break
to avoid outit.
doing from the
It is room and
because revive the
empathy project.tremendous mental
requires STRUCTURES ARE
effort. People avoid empathizing with others unless they have the EVIDENT HERE?
strengths and capabilities to do it. 1 – DESCRIPTION,
SEQUENCE

According to Dr. Daryl Cameron, the lead researcher, people 2 – CAUSE-EFFECT,

CONTRAST
generally assume that they are expected to provide charitable responses 3 – DESCRIPTION,
like donating. As a result, they try to avoid it. He said, “"But we found CAUSE-EFFECT
that people primarily just don't want to make the mental effort to feel
empathy toward others, even when it involves feeling positive emotions."
This study was published online in the Journal of Experimental
Psychology. The results were conducted through 11 experiments with 2
more than 1,200 participants and an “Empathy Selection Task”.

The researchers employed two decks of cards. The task in the IDEA In BOLD?
first deck was to describe the physical appearance of the person on the A - MAIN IDEA
card. On the other hand, the task in the second deck was to emphatize B - SUPPORTING
with the person in the photo. The participants were free to choose which DETAIL
deck they would do. There were additional experiments also which
included photos of persons expressing joy. The researchers found that
the participants consistently chose the first deck which did not require
empathy or expression of emotions. According to Cameron, “We saw a
strong preference to avoid empathy even when someone else was 3
expressing joy,". This only showed that participants on average chose
the first deck over the second deck. There were no monetary or emotion
Can ARGUMENT
solicitation required from the participants but they did not want to exert structure be the
mental effort for empathy towards the persons in the photos. OVERALL
STRUCTURE of
To support the findings, the researchers made follow-up this text?
interview with the participants. Most of them explained that expressing R –YES
empathy was mentally draining. It required much time, effort and S - NO
emotion from them. Also, they felt bad about themselves. Therefore,
describing a person in the photo by his or her physical appearance was
easier than expressing empathy.

Cameron said, "If we can shift people's motivations toward 4

engaging in empathy, then that could be good news for society as a
whole.”. In other words, there could still be hope in encouraging people
to feel empathy for others. In another two experiments conducted, the Which is most likely
results showed that people who chose empathy deck viewed empathy as the title of the text?
less cognitive effort. Likewise, they viewed themselves good at it. 2- A Study of Empathy
Cameron added, "It could encourage people to reach out to groups who 4- Encouraging Empathy
among People
need help, such as immigrants, refugees and the victims of natural
disasters.” Being able to empathize could be a great opportunity to 5 - Empathy is Hard Work:
The Cognitive Costs
spread hope and joy especially during challenging times.
6
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190422090847.htm
 CODE:

Item 1 2 3 4

Processing Questions:
1. If your answer for Item 4 is YES, Justify your answer. If NO, what should
be the correct text structure? Explain your answer.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. Why is your answer the most probable title of the article? Provide textual
evidence to support your answer.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Activity 2

Code: ___ ___ ___ ___ Suppose that… The codes for digits 1 and 4
1 2 3 4 point to the order of letters in the Roman
alphabet. What letter does digit 1 point to? …

Directions: Identify the four-letter word code which is relevant to the main
idea of the article. Revive and improve the project by writing your own article
with the same main idea. Use the Problem-Solution structure in discussing
the main idea/thesis. Relate the decoded word to the main idea and to your
present context. Do not forget to observe the structure and characteristics of
an academic text in the course of writing. This task is graded according to
compliance to structure (10 points), mechanics (5 points), focus and details
(5 points), use of citations (5points) and organization of ideas (5points). Use
the given answer sheet for your composition.

REMEMBER
• How is Academic Text characterized? It is formal, has clearly
structured introduction-body-conclusion, includes information from
credible sources which are properly cited, and includes a list of
references.
• What are the Common Structures of Academic Texts? They are
Description, Sequence/Order, Comparison/Contrast, Cause and Effect,
and Problem-Solution.
• Why is it important to know? Using your knowledge of text structure
will aid you in easy reading and increased comprehension, as long as it is

7
 coupled with critical reading and use of appropriate techniques for idea
organization (e.g. maps, graphic organizers, outlines, annotation, etc.). If
you can recognize the text structure, you will be able to read more
strategically since you know the predictable information to be laid out in
each structure as you read. Knowing how to write a text through
identifying its structures while you read will also help you understand
the text better and remember its essential information even after reading
(National Institute for Literacy, 2007 as cited in Gonzales, 2014).
Remember to Read like a writer, and write like a reader, as they say.

CHECKING YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Directions: Organize the ideas that you wrote in the article from Activity 2
by creating an appropriate graphic organizer for the text structure you used.
This is graded according to organization (10points), summarization
(10points), mechanics (10points) and design (5points). Use the answer sheet
provided.

POST TEST
Directions: Identify what is being asked or described in each item. Write the
letter of the correct answer on the space provided before the number.
______ 1. This is one of the signal terms in a cause-effect structure.
A. Then C. Whereas
B. Thus D. Following
______ 2. Which is NOT a benefit of knowing the text structure?
A. Easy Reading C. Extensive Reading
B. Increased ComprehensionD. Development of Critical
Thinking
______ 3. Which is NOT a technique in idea organization?
A. Outline C. Final Draft
B. Annotation D. Graphic Organizer
______ 4. Which is TRUE about text structures?
A. They are similar to text features.
B. They can be recognized with the help of signal words.
C. They only develop critical reading and not critical thinking
skills.
D. They are classified into sequence, description, conclusion
and argument.
______ 5. Which can be used to organize ideas in a comparison-contrast
structure?
A. B. C. D.

8
 REFLECTIVE LEARNING SHEET

Name: ____________________________________________ Grade & Section: ____________

Structure of an Academic Text

REFLECTIVE LEARNING SHEET No. 2

Directions: Reflect on what you have learned after taking up this lesson by
completing the chart below.

I thought…
What were your thoughts or
ideas about structure of
academic text prior to the
discussion of this lesson?

I learned

What new or additional ideas did

you learn after taking up this
lesson?

9
REFERENCES
American Psychological Association. "Empathy often avoided because of mental
effort: People don't want to feel empathy unless they think they are good at
it, study finds." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 22 April 2019. Retrieved from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190422090847.htm

Barott, J. & Sipacio, P.J. (2016). Communicative today. English for academic and
professional purposes for senior high school. Quezon City, Philippines: C&E
Publishing, Inc.
Gonzales, J. (2014). When we all teach text structures, everyone wins. Retrieved
from https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/text-structures/

National Education Association. (2019). Retrieved from

http://www.nea.org/tools/using-text- structure.html

Sedita, Joan (2020). Teaching Text Structures. Retrieved from

https://keystoliteracy.com/blog/teaching-text-structures/

University of Tennessee Center for Literacy Studies. (2012). Retrieved from

https://x78251kcpll2l2t9e46kf96a-wpengine.netdna-
ssl.com/wpcontent/uploads/2014/11/common_info_text_structures.pdf

Wikimedia Commons. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?sort=relevance&search=ham
burger+cartoon&title=Special:Search&profile=advanced&fulltext=1&advance
dSearch-
current=%7B%7D&ns0=1&ns6=1&ns12=1&ns14=1&ns100=1&ns106=1#/m
edia/File:Hamburger_Cartoon.png
Rubrics retrived from:
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/printouts/Essay%20Rubric.pdf

10
 Acknowledgements
Writers: Irish Mellie U. Nomorosa, TIII
Editor: Ross Marie Ann B. Gomez, MT II
Reviewers: Vicente M. Victorio Jr., Education Program Supervisor
Management Team: Maria Magdalena M. Lim, CESO V, Schools Division
Superintendent-Manila
Aida H. Rondilla, CID Chief
Lucky S. Carpio, Division EPS in Charge of LRMS and
Division ADM Coordinator

KEY ANSWERS

5. C 4. A 3. C 2. B 1. D

PRE-TEST

5. B 4. B 3. C 2. C 1. B

POST TEST

11
12