This document provides objectives and guidance for developing critical reading and writing skills in English. It covers key concepts like critical thinking, genres, analyzing texts, and checking writing. Various writing assignments are described, including a perfect paragraph, website content, letters, manuals, reports, and essays. Guidelines are provided for structure, style, and language use for different text types. Paraphrasing, avoiding plagiarism, and overcoming writer's block are also addressed.

1. SKILLS AND
LANGUAGE
OBJECTIVES
Critical Reading andWriting in English
Robert Wilks, M.A.

2. Non-critical Reading
•Reading to understand the basic information being
presented
•who / what / where / when / why
•distinguish main ideas and details
•acquire new vocabulary

3. CriticalThinking
•Formulate questions
•Gather information
•Apply information
•Consider implications
•Explore other points of view

4. Genres
Recognize certain common text types by identifying
standard markers displayed in the text.
See the text type and marker example lists.

5. Critical Reading
• Think more deeply about the text:
• Questions about the author and the medium in which it is
published
• What is the purpose?
• Who is the intended audience?
• Is there background information that is essential to
understanding?
• Distinguish between fact and opinion.
• Identify the tone of the text.

6. Thinking critically about the news
• evaluate the source
• compare headline and text
• look at the date
• what are the claims?
• are the claims clear?
• are the claims provable?
• evaluate original sources cited in the text
• are they reputable? experts?
• do the sources support the claims?
• compare with other sources
• consult fact-checking sites if applicable

7. Tools for checking your writing
•Grammarly
•“Check Document” tool inWord
•“Spelling and Grammar” tool in Google Docs

8. The Mechanics ofWriting
• Sentence
• structure, recognizing complete / incomplete
• punctuation, capitalization
• complex sentences using dependent, independent clauses
• correct use of linkers
• Paragraph
• organization – topic sentence, supporting sentences
• Essay
• thesis sentence
• organization – introduction, body, conclusion

9. TheWriting Assignments

10. One Perfect Paragraph
• topic sentence / supporting sentences
• sentence structure
• punctuation
• spelling
• linkers

11. An “About” Section for aWebsite
• Include the most essential information about your selected business or organization.
• written for the general public
• concise, clear, up-to-date
• attractive
• Depending on the organization, it may include:
• history
• mission
• philosophy
• short description of products / services
• how to contact
• Language should be perfectly correct to make a good impression.

12. Formal Business Letter / Email
• appropriate format (several options)
• polite, concise, direct
• common key phrases – see “VocabWriting Business Letters” posted in Moodle
• common parts
• date
• address
• greeting
• body
• reason for writing
• key facts
• request for action
• closing
• Language should be perfectly correct to make a good impression.

13. Instruction Manual / Process Description
• Analyze your reader: their background, skill level, needs and use
• Title and introduction should make it clear what the process is and who it is written for.
• Steps of the process can be written in list or paragraph format, but always use complete
sentences.
• Verb form options:
• Imperative – “Deliver the reports…”
• PassiveVoice – “The reports are delivered…”
• PassiveVoice with Modals – “The reports should be delivered…”
• Verb structures can be mixed in the text.
• Be very explicit. Use complex noun phrases when necessary – for example, “continuous loop
lap/shoulder belt system”
• Sequential steps must be in the correct order, complete, and very easy to follow. It may be
helpful to use sequence markers such as first, next, then, finally, etc.
• Depending on the process, the manual may also include sections for parts, materials, conditions
and safety.

14. Internal Business Report
• Written for upper-level decision-makers in your business
• Standard Structure:
• Introduction – gives the scope of the situation; what is to be decided
• Methodology – tells where the data comes from
• Findings – presents the data in graphic form
• Discussion – describes the data in verbal form, using special language
• Recommendations – offers recommendations based on the data
• In the discussion section, you need to be able to use specialized language for
trends and graphs:
• verbs, adjectives, adverbs, tenses and prepositions appropriate for talking about how
numbers go up and down in a given period of time

15. Academic Essay: Compare and Contrast
• Key concepts before you start
• What things are you comparing?
• What are the points of comparison?
• Symmetry of the structure should be clear
• For example, given 2Things andThree Points, we can organize the body of an
essay in two ways:
• Thing 1 –Thing 2
OR
• Point 1 – Point 2 – Point 3
• The ideas must be effectively linked with an identifiable logic expressed through
appropriate connecting language.
• Avoid plagiarism: quote, paraphrase, cite

16. Some paraphrasing techniques
• synonyms
• word order
• explanations or descriptions
• opposites
• active / passive voice
• express the chronology in a different way
• express the cause / consequence relationship in a different way
The most important thing is to change the original as much as possible without
omitting important information or changing the meaning

17. The Process ofWriting an Essay
• Deciding on a topic: interests, knowledge, opinion, curiosity
• Scope of a topic: broad and narrow
• How to overcome writer’s block
• Academic purposes
• Thesis Sentences
• Topic Sentences