Moves and Linguistic Analysis of Introductions of First-Year University Students’ Composition: The Case of Selected Students from the University of Cape Coast

Abstract

This study uses Swales’s Revised version of the create-a-research- space move analysis model and Wiredu’s concepts of structural types of sentences to identify the Moves and linguistic structures used by freshmen and women to realise communicative purposes in their introductory essays. The qualitative research design was used. A total of 150 end-of-semester examination scripts written in 2021 were purposively sampled from a pool of 5000 examination scripts at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. The selection of the scripts was put into three main groups: business, medicine and general. The purpose of the groupings was to aid in making a comparative analysis. Three key findings were made. First, it was found that freshmen and women use 3 Moves in developing their introductory essays. All three groups use 3 Moves in realising their communicative purposes. Few of the medical groups use 4 Moves whereas few of the business groups use 1 Move. The second major finding which showed interest in how the Moves are sequenced also indicates a 3-Move sequence in all three groups. This was followed by a two- Move sequence. The least Move sequence was a 4-Move sequence used by the medical group. The last key finding is in relation to the structural types of sentences. The study found that freshmen and women have kin interest in the use of complex sentences and simple sentences in their introductory essays regardless of the type of group. The study has both pedagogical and theoretical implications for course tutors and future research.

Keywords

• freshmen and women
• communicative skills
• moves
• introductory essays
• structural types of sentences