Academic Writing

Define: use an extended definition, which is especially helpful if the concept you are explaining involves difficult or unfamiliar vocabulary.

Classify and Divide: Describe how your concept fits into a specific category, the way it can be broken down into smaller parts, and as such, more easily described.

Compare and Contrast – How your is your concept is similar or different from other concepts/ideas with which the reader may be familiar.

Narrate a Process: step-by-step explanations of how the process works or is used in practice.

Illustrate: make use of examples, anecdotes, and details that assist in understanding the concept.

Reporting Causes or Effects: describe how one event leads to another, as well as the way the concepts are related to each other.