The rhetorical structure of analytical writing: a developmental approach

Abstract

Analytical writing is an academic genre that combines features of expository and argumentative discourse. Although the ability to write analytically is crucial to succeed at school and beyond, the pathway to master this type of writing mode has rarely been explored. We analyzed the writings of 226 native-speakers of Iberian Spanish from elementary school, high school and university levels, each of whom wrote two texts in Spanish. Three types of rhetorical moves were identified based on the communicative goals of analytical writing: expository, argumentative, and assertive. The findings show a developmental improvement in rhetorical structure and a transition from assertion-based texts, where writers focus on their own standpoint as the pivot of the text, to exposition-based texts, where presentation and discussion of data and of evidence become more dominant.

Midadolescents’ Language Learning at School: Toward More Just and Scientifically Rigorous Practices in Research and Education

“…In their crosslinguistic cross‐sectional study of oral and written discourse development, Berman and Nir‐Sagiv (2007) document that, whereas proficiency in narrative discourse production is displayed by around age 10, proficiency in analytical discourses constitutes a later developmental accomplishment. Analytical writing development continues into the university years, with developing writers moving gradually from texts focused on defending their own opinions to texts that display evidence‐based stepwise argumentation (Vilar & Tolchinsky, 2022).…”

Fleshing out your text: How elaboration and contextualization moves differentially predict writing quality

“…In the final stage, the essay contains both 'peripheral' elements (intro and conclusion) and a fully elaborated argumentation involving a claim, argumentative support, as well as a counter-claim. Vilar and Tolchinsky (2022) examine the development of analytical writing going from elementary school through high school to university level, using a three-fold move classification: expository, assertive (bare claims) and argumentative (claim pus support). They show that the two older groups outscore the youngest group in structures combining expository and argumentative elements.…”