Purposeful Writing in the Disciplines and for Professions

Purposeful Writing in the Disciplines and for Professions

Prepared by: Ms. Ellainne Mae Joy Jumalon

Learning Competencies

Explain how one’s purpose is a crucial consideration in academic and professional writing. (EN11/12RWS-IVdg-11)

April Fools' Day

Read the article and answer the following questions

Open Ended

What is the main idea of the sample writing?

Open Ended

What is the purpose of the sample writing?

Open Ended

Why is the writer telling the reader this information?

Open Ended

What can you do with this knowledge?

Open Ended

Is it an example of academic writing or professional writing? Explain.

Purposes for Writing

Multiple Choice

A story about a family trying to stick together and survive through the Great Depression in the Midwest in the 1930s

• Inform

• Entertain

• Persuade

Multiple Choice

A section in a history book describing the conditions and causes of the Great Depression in the Midwest in the 1930s

• Inform

• Explain

• Entertain

• Persuade

Multiple Choice

An instructional booklet describing how to operate a smart phone

• Inform

• Persuade

• Entertain

Multiple Choice

An article where the author argues that an iPhone is better than an Android phone

• Inform

• Explain

• Persuade

Multiple Choice

A poem about why the iPhone is the greatest consumer electronic device ever made

• Inform

• Explain

• Entertain

Multiple Choice

The story of a young athlete who takes steroids and his life and future fall apart

• Inform

• Explain

• Entertain

Multiple Choice

A medical report describing the effects of steroids on the human body

• Inform

• Explain

• Entertain

Multiple Choice

A speech written by a professional athlete listing the negative effects of steroids and urging young athletes to not use steroids

• Inform

• Persuade

• Entertain

Multiple Choice

A booklet containing the school rules and the consequences for violating those rules

• Inform

• Explain

• Entertain

Multiple Choice

A story written about a young boy who moves to a new school and is bullied, but he gains selfconfidence by joining a sports team and learns to stand up for himself.

• Inform

• Explain

• Entertain

To inform

The purpose for writing to inform is to share facts and other information. Informational texts such as reports make statements that are supported by facts and truthful evidence.

TO EXPLAIN 

The purpose for writing to explain is to tell what, how, and why about a topic. An example is to explain in writing how to do or make something.

TO NARRATE

The purpose of writing to narrate is to tell a story. The story can be made up or truthful. Most forms of narrative writing have a beginning, middle, and end. Examples are fictional stories and personal narratives.

TO PERSUADE 

Writing that has a purpose to persuade states an opinion or goal and supports it with reasons and supporting details in order to get the audience to agree, take action, or both. At Grade 6, the emphasis shifts to argument. Over the years, as their writing grows more sophisticated, students may find that their purpose for writing is a hybrid of two or more purposes. An example would be literary nonfiction that includes elements of storytelling although it may be written primarily to inform and explain. Another example would be historical fiction that tells a story but relates events accurately in order to inform the reader as well. 

Open Ended

is there a difference between academic writing and professional writing? If Yes, what is the difference of these two?

ACADEMIC WRITING VS. PROFESSIONAL WRITING

One of the biggest differences is that academic writing is done mostly to showcase your research and expertise in a specific area or topic of interest, while professional writing is often done to influence or convince someone of something

DIFFERENT PEOPLE ARE LISTENING

Your audience is typically different in both of these situations. Academic writing is done for academia: professors, fellow students, researchers, and industry experts such as scientists or historians. Professional writing is targeted to colleagues, businesspeople, managers, and sometimes clients.

TONE OF VOICE CAN CHANGE

Professional documents can be written in a different tone than academic works because you have a little more wiggle room to present your ideas. For example, most academic papers are written in third person narrative, while professional writing can sometimes be written in first person depending on the specific situation or context

ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICE

Your academic paper will often be written for someone who has more time on their hands to go through and read your arguments. Therefore, your sentences can be longer and use passive voice for these documents. However, for most professional documents, your audience likely has many other reports or papers to read and will skim through for the main points. This means that your sentences should be shorter, more to the point, and in the active voice.

Multiple Choice

A handbook teaching people how to negotiate

• Inform

• Entertain

• Persuade

THANK YOU

Multiple Choice

A public service announcement telling kids to stay in school

• Inform

• Entertain

• Persuade

Multiple Choice

A menu for a local pizzeria listing the sizes and prices of pizzas and available toppings

• Inform

• Entertain

• Persuade

Multiple Choice

A song about pizza by popular music artist, Miss Directed

• Inform

• Entertain

• Persuade

Multiple Choice

The track listing to Miss Directed’s album, I Want Pizza, which shows the order, length, and producer of each song

• Inform

• Entertain

• Persuade

Multiple Choice

A radio commercial script calling Miss Directed’s new album, “The soundtrack of our lives.”

• Inform

• Entertain

• Persuade

Multiple Choice

A pie graph showing how many pies were sold in each flavor during November last year

• Inform

• Entertain

• Persuade

Multiple Choice

A children’s book about a cherry pie and an apple pie that overcome their differences to become good friends

• Inform

• Entertain

• Persuade

Multiple Choice

A bookmark by the American Dairy Association listing 10 reasons to drink milk

• Inform

• Entertain

• Persuade

Multiple Choice

A Sunday comic strip that tackles serious issues like immigration and health care

• Inform

• Entertain

• Persuade

Open Ended

What is the purpose of the sample writing?