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HOCs and LOCs

Prioritizing Writing Tasks

Higher-Order Concerns

The concept Higher-Order Concerns (HOCs) designates the most important elements of academic writing such as development, clarity, focus, and cohesion. Writers should first address these aspects before concentrating on other issues.  

Lower-Order Concerns

The concept Lower-Order Concerns (LOCs) denotes elements of academic writing such as spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure. Often, these issues should be addressed after HOCs.