language objectives for writing an essay

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Writing objectively How and when to use an impersonal tone

For another look at the same content, check out the video on YouTube (also available on Youku ). There is a worksheet (with answers and teacher's notes) for this video.

Academic writing is generally impersonal and objective in tone. This section considers what objective writing is , how objective academic writing is , then presents several ways to make your writing more objective . There is also an academic article , to show authentic examples of objective language, and a checklist at the end, that you can use to check the objectivity of your own writing.

What is objective writing?

Objective writing places the emphasis on facts, information and arguments, and can be contrasted with subjective writing which relates to personal feelings and biases. Objective writing uses third person pronouns (it, he, she, they), in contrast to subjective writing which uses first person pronouns (I, we) or second person pronoun (you).

How objective is academic writing?

Although many academic writers believe that objectivity is an essential feature of academic writing, conventions are changing and how much this is true depends on the subject of study. An objective, impersonal tone remains essential in the natural sciences (chemistry, biology, physics), which deal with quantitative (i.e. numerical) methods and data. In such subjects, the research is written from the perspective of an impartial observer, who has no emotional connection to the research. Use of a more subjective tone is increasingly acceptable in areas such as naturalist research, business, management, literary studies, theology and philosophical writing, which tend to make greater use of qualitative rather than quantitative data. Reflective writing is increasingly used on university courses and is highly subjective in nature.

How to write objectively

There are many aspects of writing which contribute to an objective tone. The following are some of the main ones.

Use passive

Objective tone is most often connected with the use of passive, which removes the actor from the sentence. For example:

• The experiment was conducted.
• I conducted the experiment.
• The length of the string was measured using a ruler.
• I measured the length of the string with a ruler.

Most academic writers agree that passive should not be overused, and it is generally preferrable for writing to use the active instead, though this is not always possible if the tone is to remain impersonal without use of I or other pronouns. There is, however, a special group of verbs in English called ergative verbs , which are used in the active voice without the actor of the sentence. Examples are dissolve, increase, decrease, lower, and start . For example:

• The white powder dissolved in the liquid.
• I dissolved the white powder in the liquid.
• The white powder was dissolved in the liquid.
• The tax rate increased in 2010.
• We increased the tax rate in 2010.
• The tax rate was increased in 2010.
• The building work started six months ago.
• The workers started the building work six months ago.
• The building work was started six months ago.

Focus on the evidence

Another way to use active voice while remaining objective is to focus on the evidence, and make this the subject of the sentence. For example:

• The findings show...
• The data illustrate...
• The graph displays...
• The literature indicates...

Use evidence from sources

Evidence from sources is a common feature of objective academic writing. This generally uses the third person active. For example:

• Newbold (2021) shows that... He further demonstrates the relationship between...
• Greene and Atwood (2013) suggest that...

Use impersonal constructions

Impersonal constructions with It and There are common ways to write objectively. These structures are often used with hedges (to soften the information) and boosters (to strengthen it) . This kind of language allows the writer to show how strongly they feel about the information, without using emotive language, which should be avoided in academic writing.

• It is clear that... (booster)
• It appears that... (hedge)
• I believe that...
• There are three reasons for this.
• I have identified three reasons for this.
• There are several disadvantages of this approach.
• This is a terrible idea.

Personify the writing

Another way to write objectively is to personify the writing (essay, report, etc.) and make this the subject of the sentence.

• This essay considers the role of diesel emissions in global warming.
• I will discuss the role of diesel emissions in global warming.
• This report has shown that...
• I have shown that...

In short, objective writing means focusing on the information and evidence. While it remains a common feature of academic writing, especially in natural sciences, a subjective tone is increasingly acceptable in fields which make use of qualitative data, as well as in reflective writing. Objectivity in writing can be achieved by:

• using passive;
• focusing on the evidence ( The findings show... );
• referring to sources ( Newbold (2021) shows... );
• using impersonal constructions with It and There ;
• using hedges and boosters to show strength of feeling, rather than emotive language;
• personifying the writing ( This report shows... ).

Bailey, S. (2000). Academic Writing. Abingdon: RoutledgeFalmer

Bennett, K. (2009) 'English academic style manuals: A survey', Journal of English for Academic Purposes , 8 (2009) 43-54.

Cottrell, S. (2013). The Study Skills Handbook (4th ed.) , Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan.

Hinkel, E. (2004). Teaching Academic ESL Writing: Practical Techniques in Vocabulary and Grammar . Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc Publishers.

Hyland, K. (2006) English for Academic Purposes: An advanced resource book . Abingdon: Routledge.

Jordan, R. R. (1997) English for academic purposes: A guide and resource book for teachers . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Example article

Below is an authentic academic article. It has been abbreviated by using the abstract and extracts from the article; however, the language is unchanged from the original. Click on the different areas (in the shaded boxes) to highlight the different objective features.

Title: Obesity bias and stigma, attitudes and beliefs among entry-level physiotherapy students in the Republic of Ireland: a cross sectional study. Source: : https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031940621000353

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Below is a checklist for using objectivity in academic writing. Use it to check your writing, or as a peer to help. Note: you do not need to use all the ways given here.

Next section

Read more about writing critically in the next section.

• Critical writing

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Go back to the previous section about using complex grammar .

• Complex grammar

Author: Sheldon Smith    ‖    Last modified: 05 February 2024.

Sheldon Smith is the founder and editor of EAPFoundation.com. He has been teaching English for Academic Purposes since 2004. Find out more about him in the about section and connect with him on Twitter , Facebook and LinkedIn .

Compare & contrast essays examine the similarities of two or more objects, and the differences.

Cause & effect essays consider the reasons (or causes) for something, then discuss the results (or effects).

Discussion essays require you to examine both sides of a situation and to conclude by saying which side you favour.

Problem-solution essays are a sub-type of SPSE essays (Situation, Problem, Solution, Evaluation).

Transition signals are useful in achieving good cohesion and coherence in your writing.

Reporting verbs are used to link your in-text citations to the information cited.

4 Chapter 4: Writing and Teaching to Language Objectives

• All teachers are language teachers.
• Language and content strengths and needs provide a foundation for creating learning objectives.
• Content objectives support facts, ideas, and processes.
• Language objectives support the development of language related to content and process.
• Objectives must be directly addressed by lesson activities.

As you read the scenarios below, think about how your classroom context might be like those of the teachers depicted. Reflect on how you might address the situations these teachers face.

STOP AND DO

Before reading the chapter, discuss with your classmates why the students and the teachers in the scenarios may be having problems. What information or understandings can provide solutions for the teachers?

Both teachers in the chapter-opening scenarios recognize that their students need language help. Like many teachers, however, they have misunderstandings about how language learning occurs, a lack of knowledge about how to integrate content and language, and no notion of why they should. Teachers can help students access the academic content of the class; however, if language is a barrier to access, then they must also consider ways to help learners access the language they need. Contrary to Ms. Alvarez’s belief in the scenario, students do not “absorb” language without scaffolding and focused attention, just like they need for learning content (Crawford & Krashen, 2007). A specific focus on central skills and concepts is critical to learning both language and content. This specific focus on language is important in all classrooms, whether content is presented in an elementary classroom in a thematic unit or in a secondary classroom as a discrete subject. This focus is important because, as we outlined in Chapter 1, each content area has jargon, technical vocabulary, and genre that is specific to that content area. Because ELL and other language teachers may not be well versed in the vocabulary and discourses of all the content areas, regular classroom teachers are probably best suited to teach these types of language with the support of language educators. In essence, all teachers are language teachers to some extent, even if they teach the language of only one content area, as they often do at the secondary level. Chapter 3 focused on understanding students’ needs, backgrounds, and interests. Although content standards and goals for specific grade levels are often prescribed in statewide curricula, the objectives and activities that help learners reach those goals can and should be based on what teachers discover about their students. This chapter focuses on integrating social and academic language needs into content lessons so that all students can access the academic content. An important aspect of teaching language across content areas and themes is understanding how to develop appropriate and relevant language objectives as part of lessons. The development of language objectives and activities that support the objectives is the main emphasis of this chapter.

Understanding Objectives

Different texts call learning objectives by different terms, but it is the idea behind them that is important rather than the exact label. In this text, objectives are statements of attainable, quantifiable lesson outcomes that guide the activities and assessment of the lesson. Objectives differ from goals and standards , which can also be called “learning targets” and are very general statements of learning outcomes. Objectives are also different from activities or tasks , which explain what the students will do to reach the objectives and goals. Objectives typically follow a general format, as outlined in the formula below:

“Students will be able to” + concrete, measurable outcome + content to be learned

The three parts of this formula are equally important. First, “students will be able to”—often abbreviated SWBAT—indicates that what follows in the objective are criteria against which a student’s performance can be evaluated after the lesson. Note that starting an objective with the words “Students will” is not the same as SWBAT because “Students will” indicates what activities the students will do rather than the outcomes that they are expected to achieve from participating in the activity. Second, the concrete, measurable outcome presents the criterion that the evaluation will focus on. The chart in Figure 4.1 presents a list of possible action verbs that can be used to state the measurable outcome. Finally, the third part of the objective states the exact content to be learned and sometimes also includes to what degree it should be mastered (100% accuracy, 9 out of 10 times, etc.).

Figure 4.1 Measurable verbs. Source: Adapted from Action Verbs for Learning Objectives © 2004 Education Oasis™ http://www.educationoasis.com

Content objectives

Most mainstream teachers are accustomed to writing content objectives. Content objectives support the development of facts, ideas, and processes. For example, in a unit about the Civil War, one of the content objectives might be:

• SWBAT name three of five central causes of the Civil War in writing.

Others might include

• SWBAT list the major battles of the Civil War.
• SWBAT recite the first section of the Gettysburg Address.

Which objectives the teacher chooses may depend on the dictates of standards, grade-level requirements, and curricula. Whatever criteria are used for choosing them, those objectives should be developed based on what students already know and need to know and provide a strong guide for the development of the rest of the lesson.

Look at the standards and other content requirements for teaching in your current or future area(s). Write one or more content objectives that might be appropriate for the students that you plan to or do teach. Refer to Figure 4.1 for action verbs. Then review others’ objectives and see what questions you still have about content objectives. [1]

Language objectives

Constructing Language Objectives

The first step in creating language objectives is to determine social and academic language needs based on content objectives. Language needs can fall into these five general categories (adapted from Echevarria, Vogt, & Short, 2016):

• Vocabulary : Including concept words and other words specific to the content, for example, words that end in -ine , insect body parts, parts of a map, precipitation, condensation, and evaporation.
• Language functions : What students can do with language, for example, define, describe, compare, explain, summarize, ask for information, interrupt, invite, read for main idea, listen and give an opinion, edit, elicit elements of a genre.
• Grammar : How the language is put together (its structure), for example, verb tenses, sentence structure, punctuation, question formation, prepositional phrases.
• Discourse : Ways students use language, for example, in genres such as autobiographies, plays, persuasive writing, newspaper articles, proofs, research reports, speeches, folktales from around the world.
• Language learning strategies : A systematic plan to learn language, for example, determining patterns, previewing texts, taking notes.

For example, the chart in Figure 4.3 shows some of the language in these categories that students might need in order to meet the stated content objective in a lesson on the Civil War.

Figure 4.3 Determining language needs.

STOP AND THINK

Can you think of more examples of the five kinds of language listed previously? Can you think of other types of language that students might need in order to meet the content objective in Figure 4.3? Depending on the teacher’s understandings of her students’ language needs and on what she sees as the most important language elements to emphasize, she might choose one or more of the following language objectives for this lesson:

• SWBAT spell the following vocabulary correctly: economy, secession, federal, abolition .
• SWBAT listen carefully for main ideas from a reading on the Civil War .
• SWBAT use past tense verbs to write complete sentences .

Figure 4.5 Sample objective development process.

Look at Figure 4.5. For each objective, underline the concrete, measurable outcome and circle the content to be learned. Check your answers with a partner. Every content objective does not necessarily require a language objective, and some lessons do not have language objectives at all because all students can access the content with skills and vocabulary that they already possess. However, it is important to examine possible language barriers to content in every lesson and to address them if needed. In summary, the important features of language objectives include the following:

• They derive from the content to be taught.
• They consider the strengths and needs of students.
• They present measurable, achievable outcomes.

First, review the objective(s) you wrote for the Stop and Do about content objectives above. List all of the potential language that students might need in order to access the information and achieve the objective(s). Then choose the most important language, without which students could not possibly access the content, and write one or more language objectives that address this language need.

Teaching to the Language Objectives

Creating language objectives is a good start for addressing the social and academic language needs of students, particularly ELLs, but equally important is that lesson tasks address the objectives. This chapter presents some guidelines for making sure that students meet the language objectives. Chapters 7–11 present specific ideas for teaching to language objectives in a variety of disciplines. Guideline 1: Integrate language and content Just as tasks that address content objectives are integrated into the whole lesson rather than being addressed one by one, language objectives should also be integrated into the lesson and not taught in isolation from it. For example, these objectives were chosen for the Civil War lesson:

• Content: SWBAT state three of five central causes of the Civil War in writing.
• Language: SWBAT use reading strategies to uncover main ideas from a reading on the Civil War.

The teacher could teach about the central causes of the Civil War, separately teach how to identify main ideas, and then hope that the students will apply their knowledge to their Civil War task. This process, however, is problematic in several ways. First, it indicates to students that language is separate from content when it is actually derived directly from the content. In other words, teaching the language objective without content removes much of the context for the language. Second, it breaks up the lesson into chunks, each of which constitutes a separate preparation for the teacher. This is neither an efficient use of the teacher’s and students’ time nor an effective way to teach language. [2] As noted in Chapter 1, some authors believe that all language is contextualized to some extent, but treating language separately from content takes away the specific context that gives the language meaning, making the language more difficult to understand and use. A better choice is for the teacher to integrate the content and language. So, for example, while the students are looking for the causes of the Civil War in their textbooks, the teacher can ask them how they figure out what the causes are, and the students can make a list of strategies to find main ideas. They can practice together by finding the first cause of the Civil War and explaining to each other how they found it. This choice makes the lesson more efficient (by teaching the two objectives at the same time) and effective (helping students see how language and content are related and moving them toward reaching both objectives). Guideline 2: Use pedagogically sound techniques In the past, language was typically taught through drill and practice, exercises with few context clues, and mechanical worksheets. Research has found that these techniques are effective for very few students in very limited contexts. Effective language instruction, in addition to being integrated into content instruction, should meet the following basic criteria:

• It is authentic . This means that it comes from contexts that students actually work in and that it is not stilted or discrete just for grammar study. It is language that students need for a real purpose.
• Language is taught both explicitly and implicitly . Students are both directly exposed and indirectly exposed so they can use strategies to figure out some meaning on their own.
• It is multimodal . Students are exposed to language through different modes such as graphics, reading, and listening, and they can respond in text, drawing, and voice.
• It is relevant . Not all students in a class need all of the language instruction. The teacher can choose to whom the lesson is aimed (small groups, individual students, the whole class) to make it relevant.
• It is based on interaction . Collaboration and cooperation help learners test their assumptions about language.

Guideline 3: Break down the language Each language objective can actually imply a variety of smaller topics. For example, for students to learn past tense, they have to understand what it means in a time sense and also that there are regular and irregular past tense verbs (e.g., those with -ed added, those with alternative changes), different spellings (e.g., go/went), and different pronunciations (e.g., sometimes the -ed ending is pronounced “ed” and sometimes it is pronounced “t”). As with any content, the instructional approach can go whole to part or part to whole or both ways, depending on how students learn best. For example, the teacher might have students read a passage and ask how we know when the events happened (whole) and then review the various aspects of past tense (parts). Or the teacher and students can point out the different aspects of past tense verbs in a required reading first and then work toward a more general understanding of how it helps us know when events occurred. Either way, the parts of past tense should be examined in light of their use in class content. [3] Figure 4.6 summarizes these three basic guidelines for language instruction. Additional guidelines are presented throughout this book.

Figure 4.6 Basic guidelines for helping students meet language objectives.

After reading the chapter, what would you tell the teachers in the chapter-opening scenarios to help them with their concerns?

Every teacher is a language teacher, at least in part, because the language of the content areas requires students to learn social and academic language in order to access the content. Teachers can use their content objectives, which support facts, ideas, and processes, to determine language objectives, which support the development of language related to content and process. Then, by following principles of good pedagogy, teachers can integrate the language and content in lesson activities. Following this process helps make learning more efficient and effective and ensures that all students have a chance to succeed. As crucial as this is, the next chapter shows that there are additional important components of lesson design that teachers can master in order to help all students achieve.

For Reflection

• You as a language teacher . How are you, or will you be, a language teacher? Think about the ways you and your students use or will be required to use language in your classroom. What do these uses mean for your teaching?
• Choosing modes . Think about a lesson you have observed or taught. How can you include more modes so that students are exposed to language in a variety of ways?
• Meeting the standards . Choose one of the content standards from your current or future grade level or content area. Develop one or more content objectives and then create language objectives for the same standard.
• Break down language . Choose a grammar point, language function, or discourse. Using any resources that you need to, list all the aspects of your choice and describe how you might use steps to teach your choice to your current or future students.

Crawford, J., & Krashen, S. (2007). English learners in American classrooms: 101 questions, 101 answers . New York: Scholastic. Echevarria, J., Vogt, M., & Short, D. (2016). Making content comprehensible for English learners . Boston, MA: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.

• Find state and national standards by content area on the Education World website at http://www.educationworld.com/standards/index.shtml . ↵
• To decontextualize means to consider something alone or take something away from its context. ↵
• In addition to the techniques and strategies described in this text, others can be found in many excellent guides. See, for example, Herrell and Jordan’s (2016) Fifty Strategies for Teaching English Language Learners (5th edition) and Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model (5th edition) by Echevarria, Vogt, and Short (2016). ↵

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Writing ELA Objectives

This page will teach you all about writing ELA objectives.

See content and language objectives at the bottom of the page..

ASK YOURSELF:   What do you want your students to learn as a result of the lesson?

• IEP Goal Bank comes in handy to write objectives, too!  
• Education Oasis ~ Stems
• See also writing Content and Language Objectives on my RETELL page .
• Also, check out Hundreds of Free Lesson Plans !

Writing ELA Objectives in 3 easy steps:  create a stem, add a verb, and determine the outcome.

Step 1:  CREATE A STEM

• After completing the lesson, the students (we) will be able to. . .
• After this unit, the students (we) will. . .
• By completing the activities, the students (we) will. . .
• During this lesson, the students (we) will. . .

Make the stems kid-friendly!  🙂

Step 2:  ADD A VERB

• After completing the lesson, the students (we) will be able to predict . . .
• After this unit, the students (we) will distinguish . . .
• By completing the activities, the students (we) will construct . . .
• During this lesson, the students (we) will defend . . .

Step 3:  DETERMINE ACTUAL PRODUCT, PROCESS, OUTCOME

OBJECTIVE SAMPLES   ~ notice how the objectives become more challenging as we move through Bloom’s Taxonomy. Try to teach towards the upper end of Bloom’s Taxonomy. 

The student will. . .

KNOWLEDGE:  

• Draw scenes from chapter_______. Under each scene, describe what is happening. 
• Use a story map to show the events in chapter ________.
• Draw a cartoon strip of the chapter’s beginning, middle, and end.
• List the story’s main events.
• Make a timeline of events.
• Make a facts chart.
• List the pieces of information you remember.
• Make an acrostic.
• Recite a poem.
• Make a chart showing. . . 

COMPREHENSION: 

• Draw a picture that summarizes the chapter. Then, write a sentence that tells about the picture. 
• Summarize the chapter in your own words in one paragraph.
• Summarize the chapter in your own words in two paragraphs.
• Cut out or draw pictures to show an event in the story.
• Illustrate the main idea.
• Make a cartoon strip showing the sequence of events.
• Write and perform a play based on the story.
• Make a coloring book based on the story.
• Retell the story.
• Paint a picture of your favorite part. 
• Prepare a flow chart of the sequence of events.
• Write a summary.

APPLICATION:  

• Be a new character to the story. Tell the story’s ending would change.
• With a partner, change the ending of the story. One person will be a new character, and the other be a character from the book.
• In a group, act out the ending of the story.
• Construct a model to demonstrate how something works.
• Make a diorama to illustrate an important event.
• Compose a book about. . . 
• Make a scrapbook about. . . 
• Make a paper-mache map showing information about. . . 
• Make a puzzle game using ideas from the book.
• Make a clay model of. . . 
• Paint a mural of . . . 
• Design a market strategy for a product.
• Design an ethnic costume.

ANALYSIS:  

• Take an event in the text. Make a text-to-world connection.
• Take an event from the story and make a text-to-text connection.
• Take an event from the story and make a text-to-self connection.
• Design a questionnaire to gather information.
• Make a flow chart to show critical stages.
• Write a commercial for the book.
• Review the illustrations in terms of form, color, and texture.
• Construct a graph to illustrate selected information.
• Construct a jigsaw puzzle.
• Analyze a family tree showing relationships.
• Write a biography about a person being studied.

SYNTHESIS:  

• Design a list of 10 solutions to help a character solve a problem.
• Write a dialogue between you and one of the characters in the book. Then, help the character solve a problem.
• Meet with a partner and role-play how to solve one of the character’s problems.
• Invent a machine to do specific tasks from the text.
• Design a building.
• Create a new product, name it, and plan a marketing campaign.
• Write about your feelings concerning. . . 
• Write a tv show, a puppet show, pantomime, or sing about. . . 
• Design a book or magazine cover about. . . 
• Devise a way to. . . 
• Create a language code. . . 
• Compose a rhythm or put new words in a melody.

EVALUATE:  

• Choose a character and fill out a T chart. Then, express your opinion of the character using 3 pieces of evidence from the book. 
• Choose a character and fill out a T chart to express your opinion of the character. Then, come up with one good detail and discuss it with a partner. 
• Choose a character from the book. Express your opinion of this character using 5 pieces of evidence from the book in T chart form. Use the T chart, and then write a paragraph. 
• Prepare a list of criteria to judge the book. Indicate priority and ratings.
• Conduct a debate about an area of special interest.
• Make a booklet about 5 qualities a character in the book possesses.
• Form a panel to discuss a topic. Discuss criteria.
• Write a letter to_____ advising changes needed.
• Prepare arguments to present your view about. . . 

MORE OBJECTIVE SAMPLES…

More objectives…, reading comprehension.

• The student will use prereading strategies to predict what the story is about on a post-it note. The student will explain whether their prediction was confirmed at the end of class, with supporting details from the text.
• During the lesson, the student will generate a list of questions about the story as they read.
• After completing the lesson, the student will be able to make generalizations and draw conclusions about the events in the story by citing three examples.
• After reading the text, the student will be able to answer questions about the story’s meaning.
• At the end of the lesson, the student will be able to summarize the passages.
• By completing the activities, the student will be able to discuss interpretations of the story.
• After reading the text, the student will cite passages to support questions and ideas.
• The student will use context to figure out word meanings and write these meanings on the post-it notes.
• During this lesson, the student will read with a purpose and take notes to monitor comprehension.
• During this lesson, the student will practice various reading strategies and explain how two strategies were used.
• By the end of this unit, the students will apply critical reading strategies to identify main ideas in short passages with 70% mastery.

Critical Thinking

• During this lesson, the student will generate ideas with a clear focus in response to questions.
• By the end of this lesson, the student will support ideas with relevant evidence.
• The students will respond to other students’ ideas, questions, and arguments.
• During this lesson, the students will question other students’ perspectives in a debate.
• By the end of this lesson, the students will present ideas logically and persuasively in writing.

Listening and Speaking

• During this lesson, the student will demonstrate comprehension of stories as they are read aloud by participating in every pupil response activity.
• By the end of this lesson, the students will listen actively and carefully to others and retell others’ opinions and ideas.
• During this lesson, the students will respond to other students’ questions while actively participating in a group discussion.

Writing Content and Language Objectives

A Great Resource!

*** PDF of Content and Language Objective Verbs ***

Great examples and step-by-step directions!

Copyright 09/12/2012

Edited on 03/07/2024

Adapted from Education Oasis Curriculum Resources.

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OASIS: Writing Center

Scholarly voice: objectivity.

Try to present your argument in as objective a way as possible. Avoid judgmental and emotive language, as this often reveals that you are presenting an opinion rather than evidence or a logical argument. Note, however, that whether a phrase or word is judgmental or emotive often depends on the context. It is best to avoid phrases like "it is right , " "I believe," or "I feel . " Often these types of statements lead the writer into bias , a mistake that academic writing avoids. Remember to back up your arguments with sources and facts in order to give you credibility and a more objective tone.

For example, take a look at this sentence:

I feel that childhood obesity is unhealthy, and children’s eating habits are not right.

Note the use of "I" and the judgmental phrase "not right." Try to think of a way to portray the same information without inserting yourself or your opinion. For example, instead of saying I feel, ask yourself, "Is this a fact?" If it is a fact, write it as a statement:

Childhood obesity is unhealthy.

With this statement, you are stating a fact and removing yourself to maintain your authorial distance. Also, rather than saying their eating habits are not right (after all, who is to judge what is right and wrong in eating?), you can use statistics and valid sources to back up your ideas:

Two major causes of childhood obesity are poor nutrition and uneducated food choices (Fredricks, 2010).

Here you are giving information rather than giving a judgment. See APA 7, Chapter 5 for more guidelines for reducing bias.

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2 Overall Learning Objectives

By reading and completing activities in this resource you will be able to:.

• Identify and use different language basics – parts of speech, grammatical and sentence structures
• Demonstrate note-taking skills
• Apply paraphrasing, quoting, summarising, and referencing techniques
• Understand the importance of academic integrity
• Understand and apply annotated reading techniques
• Synthesize and integrate source material
• Write and complete an oral presentation
• Understand the process of academic writing for more than one purpose
• Determine the type of academic writing you might be asked to complete
• Review approaches to developing and structuring ideas
• Develop a thesis statement with a single assertion or dual perspectives
• Concept Mapping
• Drafting paragraphs
• Searching for academic sources for quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing
• Integrating sources / evidence, and applying the evidence using reasoning
• Overcoming obstacles to academic writing
• Challenging your preconceived assumptions and biases to write objectively
• Apply strategies for writing cohesive academic essays – including the introduction, body paragraph structure, and a conclusion
• Use key questions for revising and editing

There are activities for you to do throughout this resource. Each activity will have this banner above it:

Academic Writing Skills Copyright © 2021 by Patricia Williamson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Objectives for Writing an Essay

An essay does more than inform or persuade a reader. The process of writing an essay teaches a student how to research a topic and organize her thoughts into an introduction, a body and a conclusion. Essay writing objectives apply to expository and persuasive essays on a variety of topics.

Thesis Development

Every essay should clearly state a thesis -- the main idea of the essay. A mere overview of a topic that does not take a stand one way or the other is not a thesis. The main idea of the essay should be obvious to the reader.

Organizational Patterns

The student's essay should be well organized and should not stray from his main topic. The essay should start by introducing the reader to the main points that the writer will cover in the essay. It should use transitions from general to specific to present the information. The essay should end with a conclusion that sums up the main points and restates the thesis.

Content Details

The student should provide detailed information about her thesis, supported by reputable, authoritative research references. The student should make her strongest points first, including just one main point in each paragraph. She should anticipate and rebut her opponent's arguments against the thesis and discuss plausible alternatives to the thesis.

Style Points

The student should use a consistent, academic voice. His essay should conform to assigned style guidelines and should be free of misspellings and grammatical errors. The writer should cite all references in proper format, and each reference must support the material for which he cited it.

Marilyn Lindblad practices law on the west coast of the United States. She has been a freelance writer since 2007. Her work has appeared on various websites. Lindblad received her Juris Doctor from Lewis and Clark Law School.

Language Objectives for Lesson Plan Design that Supports Multilingual Learners – WIDA 2020 Standards, Part 2

Teachers, most of us are already in the habit of writing content objectives for our lessons and units. But have you considered implementing language objectives, for lesson plan design that addresses the needs of your multilingual learners? 

You’ve likely heard about the importance of equity. You are aware that we should strive to provide all students with equal access to the full range of educational experiences. Providing equitable instruction in the classroom means knowing learners and finding ways to ensure they have the access they are legally entitled to. 

But what does this mean- in a practical sense- for teachers who have multilingual learners? Well, if you’ve spent any amount of time in the classroom with students learning English as an additional language, you know they face unique challenges. At times, they have difficulty accessing grade-level instruction given in English. They may struggle to comprehend lessons and content. They want to learn, but aren’t able to engage in learning activities. Perhaps they lack the vocabulary to communicate using academic English. This can lead to discouragement, frustration, and loss of motivation for students. If students are on the receiving end of instruction that hasn’t been crafted to be equitable, we cannot anticipate optimal learning outcomes.

However, there’s a simple and impactful step you can take toward greater equity. We can help students access grade-level content AND promote English learning at the same time! Let’s talk about adding in language objectives, for lesson plan preparation that will lead to more open doors for English learners!

This three-part blog series will supplement the training already available through WIDA. I encourage you to take part in the essential training offered by WIDA, and/or your state. The WIDA 2020 standards components referenced and some images shown in this series are shared from and credited to WIDA’s website.

This is blog two in a three-part series introducing the WIDA 2020 ELD Standards as a resource for K-6 educators. Find the first blog here . 

What are Language Objectives, and Where Do the WIDA Standards Fit In? 

Language objectives are specific goals selected to support proficiency in academic English for content learning purposes. The more common trend or expectation in the past was that the ESL teacher/English Learner specialist would be “responsible” for all language growth for English learners. General education teachers were only responsible for teaching the standards and covering the content. 

However, what research shows us is that the best context for academic English acquisition is created when it’s embedded in content-area instruction. When our multilingual learners have opportunities to explore language experiences in a supportive gen. ed. setting, two things happen. Students are motivated to participate actively in essential learning activities. They also get to build English skills throughout the instructional day, applying them to learning. 

When teachers are mindful of how academic language is utilized purposefully as part of the learning process, they can intentionally set goals, explicitly teach, and coach all learners in essential skills. 

By presenting even a single language objective for a lesson, teachers provide clarity and direction in how academic language will be meaningfully applied.

Examples of Language Objectives 

Each state has adopted a set of English language development standards. To learn more, check with your ESL/EL specialist, district office, or state department. 

This blog will outline how to use the WIDA ELD Standards Framework as a tool for writing language objectives. 

Some examples straight from the WIDA standards are:

• [Kindergarteners in Language Arts will] interpret informational texts by asking and answering questions about descriptions of familiar attributes and characteristics.
• [Third graders in Math will] construct arguments that justify conclusion steps and strategies in simple patterns through causal connectors (because, so, that means) to present a case to others.
• [Fifth graders in Social Studies will] construct an explanation introducing events, through prepositional phrases of time and place, to contextualize. 

What I love about the WIDA language standards is how strongly they connect content and language. Once you understand the components, organization, and navigation of the standards, creating language objectives is a simple process. 

Aligning Content and Language Objectives: Using the WIDA Standards as a Guide

Finding content and language objectives that are a “good match” for your lesson or unit begins with understanding:

• your content standard/objective for the lesson/unit
• the key performance or assessment task
• reflection on the purpose for which students will be engaging in listening, speaking, reading, or writing in your lesson (this could be to: narrative, inform, explain, or argue– see blog #1 in the series for more on this)

Once you can say, “My students will be [ listening, speaking, reading, or writing ] for the purpose of [ narrating events, informing by sharing facts, explaining how/why, or arguing to support an opinion],” you’re ready to open the standards! Note: The WIDA ELD Standards are free and printable here as a K-12 resource, or by grade level clusters.

Step 1: Locate the page of the standards that aligns with your instruction.

The pages of the WIDA standards that you’ll use the most when planning instruction contain: 

• grade level
• subject area
• key language use (explained in blog series Part 1 )
• language expectations (including 2 main parts: functions and features)

Flip to the page you need, based on the first three elements above. These should align with the lesson, learning activities and primary language purpose. 

Step 2: Select a language function that is most relevant to student communication within the key learning activities.

You’ll find the language functions in a colored text box at the top of each page. Think of the language functions as a menu listing possible ways students might use academic language in that particular context. For example, if you’re looking at the Kindergarten–Science–Explain page, the language functions listed show you the ways your students might need to use language to communicate how or why something happens in Science. Obviously, these functions could apply to many types of lessons and learning activities. So your job is to choose the language function that is the “best fit” for your purposes. 

To choose a language function, I recommend that you ask yourself these guiding questions:

• What is the language modality that my students will be engaging in most in the key task(s) I have planned? Envision the learning activity taking place. For success in the task(s), what will students need the most? Communication through: listening, speaking, reading, or writing ?  
• Is this language mode interpretive (listening, reading) or expressive (speaking, writing)?
• Looking at the interpretive or expressive language functions (whichever applies best–they are listed in the colored box in two distinct columns)… Which language function comes closest to describing how my students will be using language in the key task(s)? 

For example, let’s say my third graders in Social Studies will be reading a passage about how the invention of television changed life for Americans. I’d like for them to show they understand cause and effect by responding to questions about the text. I know the language mode used the most here will be reading (interpretive) to understand how/why (key language use of explain ). Looking at the WIDA standards that apply, I might choose:

Multilingual learners will interpret social studies explanations by analyzing source [text] for causes/effects. 

Step 3: Further define your language objective by including a language feature .

WIDA developed language features to provide educators will related, specific English language skills that may be beneficial to students when engaging in each language function. The standards writers have already done the grunt work for us! They have considered all the language forms, vocabulary, and grammar that will predictably put to use in each type of task. 

Just below the language functions text box is a bulleted list containing the language features. You will see colored subheadings. These represent each of the expressive language functions. (Note: Headings for the interpretive language functions are not shown. This is because the language features are primarily observable and practiced through expressive language.)

Locate the heading that matches the language function you’ve selected already, and then check out the language features that pertain. 

Multiple factors can be considered as you choose a language feature to focus on in your instruction:

• Your students’ current English proficiency levels
• The skills that have or have not yet been mastered by your students or taught to your class
• The input and recommendations of a colleague who also teachers/knows your student(s)
• The impact that having this language skill will have on success in the learning task
• Which language feature you would like to include explicit teaching/modeling of within the lesson

With these elements selected and steps complete, all you need to do is string together the parts of your language objective ( language expectation , in WIDA terms). You may want to create a version in student-friendly language, as well, which you can share with students. Then proceed with curating opportunities for students to develop the language skills in context through:

• explicit teaching in mini-lessons or small group lessons
• teacher modeling
• supported/scaffolded practice activities
• collaborative learning activities

Lesson Planning Examples: Writing Aligned Content and Language Objectives

I’ll share a couple of examples of how you might write content and language objectives for lesson plans that are accessible for multilingual learners. 

First Grade Math

I want my students to show they can solve a subtraction word problem with the amount of change unknown in the equation. They will use manipulatives to demonstrate the subtraction. Then I want them to show their reasoning with a sentence like: I know that _____are taken away because when I take ___ away, ___ are left. They will be sharing facts or observations, so the key language use is inform . 

They will use speaking (expressive language) to do this. On the WIDA standards page, the best-fit language function seems to be: Multilingual learners will construct mathematical informational texts [or speech] that compare/contrast entities. (They will compare the number shown before and after the subtraction takes place.) Students will do this through this language feature : causal connectors (because, so) to link ideas and provide reasoning. 

The entire language expectation/objective will then be :

Multilingual learners will construct mathematical informational texts [or speech] that compare/contrast entities, through causal connectors (because, so) to link ideas and provide reasoning.

Student-friendly language :

I can share how I know the amount taken away when subtracting. I will use this sentence to explain: I know that _____ is the number taken away, because I need to take ____ away in order to leave _______.

My instruction might include :

• Sentence frames taught/modeled/practiced/displayed
• Small group instruction
• Teacher modeling of this specific language use 
• Important vocabulary or phrases explicitly taught 
• Student practice in supportive peer partnerships or groups

Fourth Grade Language Arts

I want my students to complete a graphic organizer as they prepare to describe a character from a fiction book, in detail. The graphic organizer will include the character’s thoughts, actions, words, challenges faced, etc. Students will be including evidence from the text. The key language use is narrate , since the text read/interpreted is fiction and based on a series of events. 

For the language function , I will place the focus on the interpretive/reading skill. The main cognitive work will take place in analyzing and locating information within the narrative. (Although writing is involved in completing the graphic organizer, they will use it primarily as a means to make their interpretive understanding visible.)

So my language function might be :

Multilingual learners will interpret language arts narratives by analyzing how character attributes and actions develop across event sequences. 

Because my selected language function is interpretive here, there are no associated language features provided in the WIDA Standards. I may, however, choose to include the scaffold of the graphic organizer in my student-friendly language objective:

I can analyze a character’s attributes and actions throughout a narrative, using a graphic organizer to share my ideas and evidence in the text.   

Ready to Write Objectives for Lesson Plan Design that Supports All Learners!

There you have it, a complete run-down of how you can use the WIDA 2020 Standards to write content and language objectives for your instruction. I hope you found this helpful, and I encourage you to try this with an upcoming lesson! Keep in mind that once your objectives are on the board, the actions and decisions that follow are so important. Always remember to consider how your students may need to be supported in reaching established language goals. With your guidance, they will be using academic language like pros!

Need a Simplified or Alternate Approach to Writing Language Objectives?

If this all sounds like a bit much for right now, I’ve also created a content and language objectives template for teachers. My goal is to make the process as simple and easy as possible! You can get your own copy for free here .

For Additional Support:

WIDA Standards Implementation Resource Bundle (lots of helpful templates!)

• Check out the other blogs in this series! Part 1 and Part 3 !
• Explore the online learning options available through WIDA
• Follow The All-Access Classroom on Instagram and Facebook for more tips and strategies for supporting multilingual learners!
• Join my email list to stay connected to content that is released

Check out these posts as well:

How to Write Objectives for Lesson Plans with Embedded Language Support – The All-Access Classroom

Language Objectives: The Key to Effective Content Area Instruction for English Learners -Colorin Colorado

Using Content and Language Objectives to Help All Students in Their Learning – Achieve the Core

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4.14: Descriptive Essays

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Learning Objectives

• Describe techniques for writing effective descriptive essays or effective passages with description

Description

Description is a rhetorical mode you’ll want in your toolbox because it places your reader in the scene you’re describing. You’ll likely relate this tool to fiction, because the best novels use description to capture our imagination. But description can be important in a personal narrative, a compare and contrast essay, and even a research paper.

Take a look at the detailed imagery in this example from Between the World and Me , by Ta-Nehisi Coates.

It was always right in front of me. The fear was there in the extravagant boys of my neighborhood, in their large rings and medallions, their big puffy coats and full-length fur-collared leathers, which was their armor against their world. . . . I think back on those boys now and all I see is fear, and all I see is them girding themselves against the ghosts of the bad old days when the Mississippi mob gathered ’round their grandfathers so that the branches of the black body might be torched, then cut away. (14)

Coates does so much work in this description of the young men in his neighborhood. Their coats and rings are not literally armor, but the descriptive language allows us to see these things as their armor against a fear driven by a history of lynching. In just a few carefully chosen descriptive words and images, Coates makes an emotional appeal for a different way of seeing these “extravagant boys.” He takes us both to the streets of Baltimore where these boys walk and to the “bad old days” of Mississippi where African-Americans could be lynched with impunity. Clearly, Coates’s use of language transports his reader with compelling, sensory language.

The following passage, for example, could be used in a petition to give the Jemaa el-Fnaa, a marketplace in Marrakesh, protected UNESCO status:

Vivid description can help your audience make an emotional connection to your subject, which is where the true power of the written word lies.

Like many rhetorical strategies for writing essays, description rarely stands alone. So you will be called upon to use your descriptive writing skills in many different kinds of essays.

You can’t compare two items unless you describe them. You can’t illustrate abstract concepts or make them vivid and detailed without concrete description.

We have five senses: touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound. So, what does it look like, feel like, smell like, or taste like to be hot?

• “The sweat mixed with its salt stung my eyes, and it dripped from my forehead and slid down my brow.”

In concrete “show, not tell” description, leaves are not “soft” but “velvet”; sirens are not “loud” as much as they “start my Labrador to howling and vibrate the glass panes in my front door.”

Show, Don’t Tell

Russian short story author and physician Anton Chekhov succinctly demonstrates how to show rather than tell in the following quote:

Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on the broken glass.

The following illustrates a progressive improvement in description:

• My friend is big.
• My friend Jamie weighs 320 pounds and is 5’10”.
• Since he would never let me risk danger on my own, Jamie scrunched his 5’10’’ frame and all 320 pounds through the narrow cave entrance and into the black tunnel behind me.

Descriptions when using abstract words or concepts are even more important when using concrete objects. For example, your instructor crooks her arm and cups her right hand, stating, “Pretend I am holding a grapefruit. Describe it.” You and your classmates shout out words: “yellow,” “juicy,” “softball-sized,” “pink and pulpy,” and so on. She then cups the left hand and says, “Pretend I am holding love. Describe it.” What would you say? And how do you qualify love and make it distinct? Yes, love is “patient” and “kind,” “sexy” and “luscious,” but these are still abstract words that can have differing meanings to different people. Does love “warm me like a cup of hot chocolate by a fire”? Does it “get up first on a cold morning to make coffee”?

Description is about creating pictures; words are your paint.

Sample Descriptive Essay

Here you’ll see a traditional or typical sample descriptive essay from a beginning writing class. In this assignment, the student was asked to write an essay describing an important day, such as a first date, and to follow MLA guidelines in the essay.

Contributors and Attributions

• Modification, adaptation, and original content. Authored by : Audrey Fisch for Lumen Learning. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Description Essay. Provided by : Boundless. Located at : courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-writing/chapter/types-of-rhetorical-modes/. License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Descriptive Essay. Provided by : Excelsior College Online Writing Lab. Located at : https://owl.excelsior.edu/rhetorical-styles/descriptive-essay/ . License : CC BY: Attribution
• The Chronicles of Narnia book series. Authored by : MorningbirdPhoto. Provided by : Pixabay. Located at : pixabay.com/photos/books-reading-series-narnia-1141911/. License : Other . License Terms : pixabay.com/service/terms/#license

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These resources, developed by the New York State Education Department, provide standard-level scaffolding suggestions for English Language Learners (ELLs) to help them meet grade-level demands. Each resource contains scaffolds at multiple levels of language acquisition and describes the linguistic demands of the standards to help ELA teachers as well as ESL/bilingual teachers scaffold content for their English learning students.

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22 How Do You Identify the Writer’s Tone?

A writer can use an objective or a subjective tone.  A subjective tone is often a clue that the writer is being one-sided or biased. A subjective tone is most often found in personal essays, autobiographies, and editorial sections of newspaper outlets where journalist express their personal opinion about a topic or a news event. An objective tone is often a clue that the writer is being unbiased. This tone is most often found in textbooks, researched scholarly journals or articles, and news reports. The personal opinion of the writer is not included.

Subjective Writing:

• An analysis of the facts or an event
• Based on personal experience of the writer
• Thoughts, feelings, judgments
• Connotative language/ Loaded words
• One-sided; biased
• Main purpose; to persuade

Objective Writing:

• Facts, definitions, events only
• No expression of personal experience of the writer
• No evidence of judgments
• Straightforward tone
• Unbiased; both sides presented
• Main purpose: to inform

Much of what you read will have a combination of objective and subjective language. A writer can still be biased while taking an objective tone.  As you use your synthesizing and analyzing skills to critically think, you will become more and more accustomed to recognizing whether an author is biased, unbiased, or somewhere in between.

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Objective Writing

6 July 2023

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The purpose of higher learning is to communicate ideas effectively through writing. Basically, teachers expect learners to present accurate findings, concerning a specific matter. In this case, students use verifiable evidence. Also, the method is unique because it allows one to gather, calculate, or evaluate information. In turn, objective writing enables people to present irrefutable facts, apply critical thinking styles, maintain a neutral tone, and use formal and explicit language.

Presenting Facts

Objective writing is a factual process that enhances knowledge. For instance, learners gather facts that support the selected topic. In this case, one must support arguments with evidence from credible sources . Besides, students address both sides of an opinion. Then, being objective makes essays appear professional and reliable. In turn, people avoid making judgments. Also, they remain fair in their work. Thus, empirical writing allows individuals to present accurate information that addresses existing knowledge gaps.

Critical Thinking in Objective Writing

Objective writing is unique because it enhances critical thinking. For instance, learners evaluate, calculate, and verify the information. In this case, students must gather relevant details and determine their significance to the subject. Besides, people must ensure that the audience attains a deeper understanding of the topic. Therefore, learners must appraise information to achieve the desired goals during factual writing.

Maintaining a Neutral Tone

Objective writing is essential because it allows students to use a neutral tone. For instance, one should not use opinionated, biased, or exclusive language. Basically, learners must submit unbiased information to an audience. Instead, scholars allow readers to determine their opinions. However, imbalanced information does not persuade people to accept a narrow way of thinking. In this case, the approach helps writers to present relevant facts about a subject. Thus, scholars should learn factual writing since the method allows them to be less judgmental.

Following a Formal Style in Objective Writing

Objective writing is an essential skill because it helps learners to follow formal style. Basically, academic papers must use the official language. In this case, students avoid personal pronouns. Also, the extensive use of the third person enhances the clarity of an assignment. Then, empirical writing helps scholars to avoid intensifiers that exaggerate their arguments. For example, people should avoid words, like “very” and “really,” since they make information vague. Finally, scholarly papers require the proper use of punctuation marks. In turn, successful learners proofread their works to ensure that they use commas and full stops effectively. Besides, the approach prevents all forms of miscommunication. Therefore, writers should follow the rules of factual writing because it trains them to maintain a formal tone in their papers.  

Expressing Ideas

Objective writing allows students to express ideas explicitly. For example, learners develop precise sentences to express their thoughts. In this case, they make their work comprehensible. Besides, the approach helps essays to stand out. Therefore, people should learn objective writing because it allows them to communicate clearly.

Summing Up on Objective Writing

In conclusion, objective writing requires people to cover irrefutable facts. Basically, the process is unique because it enables learners to develop critical thinking skills when completing assignments. Also, scholars should learn to empirical writing because they gain the ability to follow a neutral tone. In turn, they learn to write by using a formal and specific style. Thus, objective writing improves the quality of academic papers.

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