Academic writingLesson 1 of 3 in the course Profile: Telling a Rich and Compelling Story

Writing a Focused Profile: Angles, Research, Structure, and Description

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

A profile is a nonfiction article or essay that helps readers understand something essential about a subject. Writers develop that insight by combining research with storytelling and description. This lesson introduces the profile genre, ways to research and focus a profile, and the structural and descriptive choices that help bring a subject to life.

All flashcards

What is a profile?
A nonfiction article or essay that focuses on a particular trait, behavior, or feature to reveal something essential about a subject.
What is an angle?
The specific aspect of a subject that a profile explores. It gives the piece focus and helps the writer decide which details and evidence to include.
How do background and context differ?
Background includes biographical information and the subject’s history. Context is the surrounding situation or circumstances. Both help readers understand the subject’s significance.
What is thick description?
Description that combines sensory perceptions, such as sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch, to create a vivid image for readers.
What is the difference between narrative and reporting?
Narrative uses storytelling to present events and moments. Reporting conveys researched facts and addresses who, what, when, where, why, and how. A profile can combine both.

Quiz questions

  1. What is the main purpose of a profile?Answer: Reveal an essential aspect through a focused selection of traits or events.
  2. What may interviews contribute to a profile?Answer: Quotations, memories, and perspectives from the subject or others.
  3. A writer organizes a profile of a public building by guiding readers from its entrance through its rooms. Which structure is being used?Answer: Spatial structure.
  4. What should guide a profile writer’s choice of tone?Answer: The subject, evidence, purpose, and intended audience.
  5. A writer finds repeated behaviors and recurring comments while researching a subject. How can these patterns help?Answer: They can suggest an angle and help the writer select relevant evidence.

Based on Writing Guide with Handbook by Michelle Bachelor Robinson, Maria Jerskey, featuring Toby Fulwiler (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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