ACADEMIC WRITING

Purposive Communication
Ms. Jaze M. Marco
§ Learn the standard components of academic papers
§ Use formal and objective language.
§ Employ appropriate tone and style for the academic discipline.
§ Understand and adhere to ethical standards in academic writing.
ACADEMIC WRITING
§ linear
§ to inform rather than entertain
§ standard written form of the language
§ set of rules and practices
§ appropriate and formal
CHARACTERISTICS
§ complex
§ formal
§ precise
§ explicit
 Written language is relatively more
complex than spoken language. Written
language has longer words, it is
lexically more dense and it has more
varied vocabulary.
 Spoken
Whenever I'd visited there before,
I'd ended up feeling that it would
be futile if I tried to do
anything more.
The cities in Switzerland had once
been peaceful, but they changed
when people became violent.
Because the technology has
improved its less risky than it
used to be when you install them
at the same time, and it doesn't
cost so much either.
The people in the colony rejoiced
when it was promised that things
Written
Every previous visit had left me
with a sense of the futility of
further action on my part.
Violence changed the face of once
peaceful Swiss cities.
Improvements in technology have
reduced the risks and high costs
associated with simultaneous
installation.
Opinion in the colony greeted the
promised change with enthusiasm.
 Academic writing is relatively
formal. In general, this means that
one should avoid colloquial words and
expressions.
 In general this means in an essay that
you should avoid:

§ colloquial words and expressions: ""stuff", "a

lot of", "thing", "sort of"
§ abbreviated forms: "can't", "doesn't",
"shouldn't"
§ two word verbs: "put off", "bring up"
§ sub-headings, numbering and bullet-points in
formal essays - but use them in reports.
§ asking questions.
 In academic writing, facts and
figures are given precisely.
EXAMPLES:

Chemists had attempted to synthesize quinine for the

previous hundred years but all they had achieved was to discover
the extreme complexity of the problem.

The volatile oily liquid beta-chloro-beta-ethyl sulphide was

first synthesized in 1854, and in 1887 it was reported to produce
blisters if it touched the skin. It was called mustard gas and was
used at Ypres in 19I7, when it caused many thousands of casualties.

It is approximately eight inches in length and runs from the

urinary bladder, through the prostate gland, under the front of
the pelvis, and, passing through the corpus spongiosum, it ends at
the tip of the glans penis in an opening called the urethral
In general, avoid words like "I", "me", "myself".

A reader will normally assume that any idea not referenced is

your own. It is therefore unnecessary to make this explicit.

§ Don't write:" In my opinion, this a very interesting study."

§ Write: "This is a very interesting study.“

Avoid "you" to refer to the reader or people.

§ Don't write: "You can easily forget how different life was 50
years ago."
§ Write: "It is easy to forget how difficult life was 50 years
ago.”
 Academic writing is explicit about
the relationships in the text.
Furthermore, it is the responsibility of
the writer in English to make it clear
to the reader how the various parts of
the text are related. These connections
can be made explicit by the use of
different signalling words.
1. Time/order
§ at first, eventually, finally, first, firstly, in the end,
in the first place, in the second place, lastly, later,
next, second, secondly, to begin with

2. Comparison/similar ideas
§ in comparison, in the same way, similarly

3. Contrast/opposite ideas
§ but, despite, in spite of, even so, however, in contrast,
in spite of this, nevertheless, on the contrary, on the
other hand, still, whereas, yet
4. Cause and effect
§ accordingly, as a consequence, as a result, because,
because of this, consequently, for this reason, hence,
in consequence, in order to, owing to this, since, so,
so that, therefore, thus

5. Examples
§ for example, for instance, such as, thus, as follows

6. Generalization
§ as a rule, for the most part, generally, in general,
7. Stating the obvious
§ after all, as one might expect, clearly, it goes without
saying, naturally, obviously, of course, surely

8. Attitude
§ admittedly, certainly, fortunately, luckily, oddly enough,
strangely enough, undoubtedly, unfortunately

9. Summary/conclusion
§ finally, in brief, in conclusion, in short, overall, so,
then, to conclude, to sum up
10. Explanation/equivalence
§ in other words, namely, or rather, that is to say, this
means, to be more precise, to put it another way

11. Addition
§ apart from this, as well as, besides, furthermore, in
addition, moreover, nor, not only...but also, too, what is
more

12. Condition
§ in that case, then
13. Support
§ actually, as a matter of fact, in fact, indeed

14. Contradiction
§ actually, as a matter of fact, in fact

15. Emphasis
§ chiefly, especially, in detail, in particular, mainly,
notably, particularly
 If you know the source of the
ideas you are presenting,
acknowledge it.
§ Do THIS in academic writing
McGreil (1977: 363-408) has shown that though Dubliners find
the English more acceptable than the Northern Irish, Dubliners
still seek a solution to the Northern problem within an all-
Ireland state.

§ DO NOT
Although Dubliners find the English more acceptable than the
Northern Irish, Dubliners still seek a solution to the Northern
problem within an all-Ireland state.

§ DO NOT
Researchers have shown that though Dubliners find the English
more acceptable than the Northern Irish, Dubliners still seek a
 In any kind of academic writing you
do, it is necessary to make decisions
about your stance on a particular
subject, or the strength of the claims
you are making. Different subjects
prefer to do this in different ways.
1. Introductory verbs
§ e.g. seem, tend, look like, appear to be, think,
believe, doubt, be sure, indicate, suggest
2.Certain lexical verbs
§ e.g. believe, assume, suggest
3.Certain modal verbs
§ e.g. will, must, would, may, might, could
4.Adverbs of frequency
§ e.g. often, sometimes, usually
5.Modal adverbs
§ e.g. certainly, definitely, clearly, probably, possibly,
perhaps, conceivably
6.Modal adjectives
§ e.g. certain, definite, clear, probable, possible
7.Modal nouns
§ e.g. assumption, possibility, probability
8.That clauses
§ e.g. “It could be the case that…” “It might be
suggested that…” “There is every hope that…”
9. To-clause + adjective
§ e.g. “It may be possible to obtain…” “It is important
to develop…” “It is useful to study…”
Compare the following:

A. Nowadays the urinary symptoms seem to be of a lesser order.

Nowadays the urinary symptoms are of a lesser order.
B. There are certainly cases where this would seem to have been the only
possible method of transmission.
There are cases where this would have been the only possible method of
transmission.
COMMON WRITING
ERRORS IN ACADEMIC
ENGLISH
don‘t
don‘t do not
go up

take
away
go up increase

take
remove
away
 beating
around
the bush

far cry
from
 beating
around indirect
the bush

far cry
from different
 for
real

wrap
up
 for in
real reality

wrap
conclude
up
 You can
see from
the
graph…
 You can The
see from graph
the shows
graph…
that…
 is not
effective

is not
positive
 is not is
effective ineffective

is not is
positive negative
When all
is said
and
done…
When all
is said In
and conclusion…
done…
! MLA/A
PA
 a bit,
a lot,
kind of,
sort of
 a bit,
a lot, considerable
kind of,
sort of
 big
difference
 big major
difference distinction
I think…
 According
I think…
to…
 too
strong
 too
justification
strong