Academic and non-academic writing differ in format, purpose, and tone. Academic writing is formal, objective, and relies on research and evidence to inform an educated audience. It includes introductions, discussions of topics, and conclusions. Non-academic writing is more personal, emotional, and subjective in nature for a general audience and can include journal entries, memoirs, or letters. Both types of writing serve different purposes, with academic writing aiming to educate and non-academic writing seeking to entertain or persuade.

1. Academic and Non-Academic
Writing
Suhail Ahmed Solangi

2. Academic and Non-Academic
Writing
Academic and non-academic writing usually differ in
format, purpose, and tone.

3. Academic Writing
Academic writing is typically considered a formal mode of
writing intended for an educated audience. As such, it is
generally written in a third person or objective voice, and
tends to depend on heavily on research, factual
experimentation and evidence, and the opinions of other
educated scholars and researchers, rather than on the opinions
of the author.

4. Academic Writing
Cont…
This type of writing include essays, themes, research studies,
and similar structured pieces. Academic writing includes an
introduction, an overview of the topics discussed within the
writing piece, and a conclusion which wraps up any final
thoughts.

5. Purpose of Academic Writing
The purpose of writing is usually to inform the reader,
providing non-biased facts and backing up claims with
evidence. In the field of literature, an academic may write an
essay based on a theory, but shows how the theory can be
proven with evidence from the literature.

6. Examples of Academic Writing
• Books and book reports
• Translations
• Essays
• Research papers and Research
Articles
• Conference paper
• Academic journal
• Dissertation and Thesis - These
are written to obtaining an
advanced degree at a college or
university.
• Abstract - This is a short
summary of a long document.
• Explication - This is a work which
explains part of a particular work.

7. Characteristics of Academic Writing
 Planning - There is a certain amount of planning before you start writing the paper;
so, it will be analytical and organized.
 Outline - A proper outline is a must for academic writing. An outline will not only
help you formulate your thoughts, but will sometimes make you aware of
certain relationships between topics. It will help you determine the
pertinent information to be included in your paper.
 Tone - A formal tone is used. You do not use slang words, jargon, abbreviations, or
many clichés.
 Language - The language in your paper needs to be clear and words need to be
chosen for their precision. A thesaurus is a good tool to help you pick just
the right words to explain the issues.
 Point-of-view - The point of view in the third person, as the focus of academic
writing is to educate on the facts, not support an opinion.
 Approach - Deductive reasoning is a big part of academic writing as your readers
have to follow the path that brought you to your conclusion.

8. Academic Writing Structure
• Introduction
• Several Questions
• A quote from a famous work or person
• Some interesting facts or information
• A definition of an important term related to the work
• Body
• Conclusion
• References

9. Non-Academic Writing
Non-academic writing may be considered that writing
which is personal, emotional, impressionistic, or subjective in
nature. Such writing is often found in personal journal
entries, reader response writing, memoirs, any kind of
autobiographical writing, and letters, e-mails, and text
messages.

10. Non-Academic Writing
Cont…
Non-academic writing is any other mode of writing that is not
directly intended for an academic or scholarly audience. Non-
academic writing can be more informal in tone, and may even
rely more heavily on emotional appeal or the opinions of the
author.

11. Purpose of Non-Academic Writing
• The purpose of non-academic writing may be to entertain its audience
or to persuade the reader.
• Non-academic writing is written for a lay audience, to appeal to
people who are not experts in the field in question.

12. Examples of Non-Academic Writing
• Personal Opinions
• Letters to editors
• Memos
• Magazine
• fiction or non-fiction
• writing for newspapers,
• Digital media.

13. For further study:
• Enotes
• College Writing Skills with Readings by John Langhan