Academic Writing Manual: What Modes Of Discourse Are There?

What is an academic writing manual?

An academic writing manual teaches students how to write different types of papers for their classes or courses.  A teacher or college professor will provide a student with an academic writing manual to instruct the students on how to write papers for their particular class.  The academic writing manual gives the student guidance on the style, format, and way the professor would like the papers to be written in their class.

What is contained in an academic writing manual?

• It discusses the purpose of the course and the writing style that the professor or teacher likes for the class papers.
• The manual discusses why it is important for students to write research papers in the class.
• The manual gives the format and style that the papers should be written in for the class or course.
• The manual discusses the grading system that will be used for papers in the class or course.
• The academic writing manual shows the student how to conduct research for the papers in the class.

What is the main purpose of an academic writing manual?

• An academic writing manual will teach a student how to write papers per the professor’s instructions and specifications.
• An academic writing manual will teach a student how to write a certain form of papers like a dissertation or narrative essay.
• An academic writing manual provides step-by-step instructions on how to write certain forms of papers.
• An academic writing manual is a tool and guide that a student can use to get assistance with writing their papers.
• An academic writing manual makes it easier for a student to write a paper and receive a good grade on the paper.

What are the modes of discourse for academic writing manuals?

There are four types of writing modes of discourse for academic writing manuals.

• The first mode: The narrative essay that tells a personal story from the writer’s perspective.  The story can be a biography, fairy tale, history, news report, or autobiography.
• The second mode: The exposition paper is written to educate and let the reader know about certain topics.  Types of writing in this mode are: analysis, division, classification, and definition.
• The third mode: The descriptive paper is written to let the reader know about certain topics based on our five natural senses.  Types of writing in this mode are: poems, short stories, and compare and contrast papers.
• The fourth mode: The argumentative paper is written to try and persuade a reader to a certain point of view or perspective.  Types of writing in this mode are: Thesis paper, Dissertation, and Persuasive Essay.