A Guide to Academic Writing: Chapter 7; Reading and Writing in the Humanities
One of the readings this week came from A Guide to Academic Writing. This chapter was about reading and writing in the humanities. Throughout the reading, I was able to learn the common elements of structure, language, and reference in the humanities and understand them on a deeper level.
Regardless of the type of writing, structure is something which is extremely important. One of the main elements of structure for writing in the humanities comes from the argument. Arguments are structured to be thesis-driven; meaning that they make an interpretive claim about a text and then support the claim with specific evidence from the text and sometimes material from other sources that support their interpretation. This is different from writing in the social and natural sciences, as they are driven by a hypothesis that is requires testing and provides for a different kind of structure. In addition to this element of structure, writing in the humanities includes structure elements that include titles, paragraphs, and transitions. For instance, authors create titles that reflect the value of artistic and creative use of language. Additionally, paragraphs are connected through transitional words and phrases that guide readers through the parts of an argument and help them understand how one paragraph connects to the other.
When it comes to language in the humanities, one that is creative or playful is often used. For instance, an author might use figurative language and rhetorical devices. Overall authors choose precise and sometimes artistic language that not only conveys information, but also engages in rhetorical activity of its own. Additionally, writing in the humanities favors the use of the active voice instead of the passive voice. This is because the active voice clearly states the subject of the sentence, the agent, as the person or thing doing the action. Lastly, authors use the technique of hedging to allow for other interpretations of and perspectives on texts.
References are used in the humanities to establish what the focus and stance of their own research will be. Furthermore, when work of other scholars is cited, the authors show how their research contributes to ongoing conversations about a subject. These references overall allow for strengthening of the argument and direct support of it because it is showing how another scholar had a similar idea. When citing this references, MLA or CMA format are usually used.
Towards the end of this chapter, there is a student sample paper in which these elements of structure, language, and references can be exemplified. For instance, the student provides a thesis, that is clearly stated and provides a preview that allows the reader to understand how her paper will develop. Along with this, transitions are used between the student’s paragraphs, which organize her ideas and connect all of her different ideas. Additionally, the student uses the active voice, which allows her to clarify who is doing what in her sentences. Lastly, when the student cites her source, she uses MLA format.
I also learned the common elements of structure, language, and reference in the human cities in a more understandable way. I learned that academic fields within the humanities have at their heart the creation and interpretation of texts. This helped me realize that disciplines emphasize critical thinking and understanding of texts to discover deeper meanings and insight about a human’s experience. Just like you hit on, structure is very important. Some structural elements include titles, a thesis, and paragraphs and transitions.
I also can relate to you learning how arguments in the humanities are generally “thesis driven” and by contrast, arguments in the social sciences and the natural sciences are usually driven by a hypothesis that must be tested in order to come to a conclusion, which encourages a different structure. From reading this in chapter 7, I understood that research in the natural sciences usually starts with a hypothesis.
References is also another key point that I Learned while reading this chapter because we used references when we did our annotated bibliographies and essays. Citations are very important because it lets us know where the information that bee gathers cane from. Furthermore, just like you said, references are used to allow for strengthening an argument or support it because it shows how another scholar had a similar idea.
In addition, when scholars in the humanities frequently cite their sources, they often quote the language from a primary source instead of summarizing or paraphrasing because the exact words or details included in the primary source might be important to the argument. Having resources to back up a argument is important when trying to persuade someone or get their point across, so I’m glad that you understood how important this was as well. Altogether, the student does a great job with her sample paper by using the elements of structure, language, and references and I also admired how well the student organized all of her different ideas.
All in. all, I’m glad that we both learned similar traits in this chapter because learning the elements that we need to know, while understanding how they work and how to use them is going to be very important for the both of us throughout our years in college!
Dear Molly,
I also read chapter 7 from Academic Writing, and was able to understand the structure, language, and reference more than I did before. The chapter was about writing and reading in the humanities.
As many teachers have mentioned to me, structure is a very important role in writing. One of the main examples of structure is the argument you have in your writing. In the reading I also found that arguments are meant to be thesis based. The thesis statement is making a claim and supporting your claim. When supporting your thesis you should have examples and resources to back yourself up. Although this happens in most writing I also read that the natural and social sciences are based on a hypothesis. A hypothesis is testing and performing an idea that was brought upon. Therefore these are examples: writing also needs titles, transitional words, and paragraphs like you mentioned. When these are added into writing the structure looks more detailed.
Also mentioned in AW was the language used. As you mentioned many writers will use figurative and rhetorical language. Writers believe this will keep the audience engaged. The language mostly used is active instead of passive. The active voice like you mentioned is your explanation of what exactly is happening with the subject.
Another example in writing is the references used as you mentioned and that I have read. References are used to explain what the writer is focusing and researching on. Many writers will get their information from other authors and want to be able to back up their point which is why we have references. References will allow the audience to get more information on what the subject was about. The humanities normally use MLA and CMA format.
After reading this chapter in AW I have realized that all of these examples should be used when writing in the humanities. I believe that structure, language, and references are all aspects of having a good written paper and for the audience to be able to read and understand correctly. The example that was done at the end of this chapter had all of these as you mentioned.
The best,
Lauryn
Dear Molly,
I also read Chapter 7 of A Guide to Academic Writing, which focuses on reading and writing in the humanities. I really enjoyed your overview of the chapter and how you effectively highlighted the key points. You did a great job of extracting the most important information and making it easy to digest for readers.
When I was reading the chapter, I found it particularly interesting how much emphasis the author places on the importance of structure in academic writing. The examples provided in the chapter were extremely helpful in clarifying how structure functions in the humanities, and I appreciated how they tied ideas to practical application. Your understanding of the material really came through in your writing, and it was both clear and engaging. You made complex concepts feel more accessible, which I think is a major strength of your summary.
You made some excellent points about how arguments are structured in humanities writing. I especially liked how you went into detail about the key terms, like “thesis-driven” arguments and “evidence,” which helped make the concepts more concrete. Your explanation made it easier to grasp the idea of how a writer presents a central claim and supports it with textual evidence. You explained the structure in a way that would appeal to a wider audience, which I thought was a great approach. Your insights made it easier to understand the nuances of academic writing in the humanities, and I appreciate the way you made it engaging.
I also appreciated the personal examples you included when discussing structure. They really helped to ground the abstract concepts in real-life application, making them more relatable. The examples gave the material a human touch, which made the review even more enjoyable to read. Your writing is not only informative but also approachable, and it made reading your summary a pleasant experience.
Thanks again for sharing your reflections on the chapter. I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts on academic writing in future readings and discussions!
Kind regards,
Syriana Price
You explained this chapter beautifully. In the humanities, a well-structured paper is crucial for communicating your arguments effectively. I’m glad you said, “Throughout the reading, I was able to learn the common elements of structure, language, and reference in the humanities and understand them on a deeper level.” When I was reading the article, I learned so much about how to improve my writing, and I’m glad we agree.
Out of all the things you told us to look for in this article, structure, language, and references. In my opinion, the structure of writing is important. Which is something I struggle with in my writing for this class. I can’t tell you how many times Ms.Dianna had commented on my writing for her class, saying, “Why is this one paragraph?” and when I tell you I do writing a whole essay in one paragraph, and it is crazy, I know. However, I learned from this structure presents the main argument or thesis, sets the context, and provides background information. Then, in the body paragraph, organize them into thematic or chronological sections, and each section needs to support the thesis with evidence and analysis. Finally, the conclusion and the main points summarize the main point and restate the thesis of the evidence provided.
My main points from the language portion were formal tone, analytical, precise vocabulary quotations, and paraphrasing. I don’t know why I never thought of using specific terms related to the field of study; my annotated bibliography would have been so much better. I am glad you put in your blog post “active voice instead of the passive voice” I never really knew how to do that until the beginning of this class and this article explained it well.
What I think could be lacking is the depth of analysis, sometimes papers in the humanities can lack depth if they don’t thoroughly engage with the sources or provide detailed analysis or the flows of the paper because they can lack coherence if the arguments don’t connect or if there is an abrupt transition between sections. Why I think they are lacking, I think it’s because these are a couple of things I struggle with and It looks like you’re good at them.