ACADEMIC

WRITING
What is 'academic writing’?
Academic writing is a particular style of writing that is characteristic of
academic institutions. In other words, it is the style that is used by
undergraduates, graduates and lecturers when they explore particular
academic questions in essays, dissertations, PhD theses and academic
papers. Although it shares many similarities with other styles of writing, it
also has its own characteristic features.
A well-written academic essay will exhibit the following
characteristics. It will:
•put forward a coherent argument
•support that argument with evidence
•show the writer’s knowledge of the subject
•show evidence of reading
•reflect independent thinking
•contain quotations
•contain references and a bibliography
•adopt a formal style
•be logical and analytical
•be clearly structured.
 Speaking
We learn to speak as very young children.
Speech is often full of false starts and
hesitations.
Speech is often full of repetition.
It often contains grammatical errors.
We usually don't speak in sentences.
Speech contains a great deal of unstated but
mutually understood information.
Speaking involves facial expression, hand
movements and body 'language' that carries a
great deal of information to the listener.
Generally we are speaking to a known audience.
The response to speech can sometimes be
immediate.
Once something is said, it may be difficult or
even impossible to take it back.
Writing
The process of learning to write fluently takes
many years and lags behind our progress in
speaking.
There are no hesitations or false starts in writing.
Writing is generally not repetitive.
Writing should be grammatically accurate.
We generally have to write in grammatically
accurate sentences.
Everything should be stated more clearly in
writing as there are no other clues to meaning.
The reader has no access to these aids to
communication.
We are often writing for an unknown audience.
Any response by the reader to the writer cannot
be immediate.
Writing can be drafted and re-drafted and
changed many times before it is acceptable to
the writer.
 What is a sentence?
What, in practical terms, is a sentence?
A written sentence should have certain characteristics:
a capital letter at the beginning
a full-stop at the end
a subject (who or what the sentence is about)
a verb (that tells you what's happening)
finally, it should express 'a single thought'
There are a few other helpful points to remember about a sentence:
a sentence can be long or short
it can be very simple or very complex
a sentence can be broken up with commas, semi-colons, colons or dashes
Have a look at the examples below. Are they sentences? If so, what type of sentences?
This bill is now due for payment.
Do you support experiments on animals?
Do not go beyond this point. What a great victory!
One is a statement,
one is a question;
one is an instruction (or command) and
one is an exclamation.

Can we be sure that a collection of words is actually a sentence?

Are these sentences?
Did the secretary tell you?
What a noise they were making!
And close the door when you go out!
But he never heard the reply.
Academic vocabulary
In academic writing it’s very important to say exactly what you mean, in a suitable
style – and choosing the right type of vocabulary is an important place to start. The
words you're using should not be too informal, vague or emotive.

Words NOT to use in academic writing

In academic writing, we tend not to use:

informal words like 'big' or 'good'

many phrasal verbs, like 'give up' or 'put off' – these are too informal
some vague words with too many possible meanings, like 'thing' or 'get'
'emotive' words, which express personal feelings, like 'fantastic' or 'terrible'
Find the odd one out
4 Questions

Each group of words and phrases here has ONE item that is NOT used in
academic writing – find the odd one out

Which word is the odd one out?

A possible
B receive
C stuff

Which word or phrase is the odd one out?

A and
B as we all know
C also
Which word is the odd one out?
A understand
B heavy
C beautiful
Which word or phrase is the odd one out?
A come up with
B however
C large
Which words are unsuitable?
By 2030, Indonesia is likely to become one of the world's biggest
economies.' Which word is unsuitable?
A biggest
B likely
C economies
'The increased incidence of inflammatory bowel disease was maybe due to
dysfunctional Th1 regulation.' Which word is unsuitable?
A increased
B maybe
C dysfunctional

'A collaborative global campaign of vaccination effectively got rid of smallpox

by 1980.' Which word or phrase is unsuitable?
A vaccination
B got rid of
C smallpox
Sweet flavorings, and in particular cocoa syrup, were used to hide the disgusting taste
of drugs such as quinine.' Which word or phrase is unsuitable?
A disgusting
B such as
C particular

'Polling suggested that US farmers were in favour of the changes to NAFTA, although
groups representing the farming industry were kind of reluctant.' Which word or
phrase is unsuitable?
A suggested
B kind of
C representing
Review

Written assignments fall into a number of different categories – an essay, report,

literature review or something else.

Different types of assignments have different structures.

An essay usually has an introduction, a body with an argument, a conclusion, and
references.
Basic paragraph structure
Good paragraphs usually follow a particular structure:
•Topic sentence
•Supporting sentence 1
•Supporting sentence 2
•Supporting sentence 3
•More supporting sentences (as required)
•Concluding sentence(s)
Study this example of a paragraph
Topic sentence

My hometown is famous for several amazing natural features. First, it is noted for the S
Wheaton River, which is wide and beautiful. On either side of the river, which is 175 U
P
feet wide, are many willow trees which have long branches that can move gracefully P
in the wind. In the autumn, the leaves of these trees fall and cover the river banks. O
Second, on the other side of the town is Wheaten Hill, which is very steep. Even R
T
though it is steep, climbing this hill is not dangerous because there are some firm I
rocks along the sides that can be used as stairs. There are no trees around this hill, so it N
stands clearly against the sky and can be seen from many miles away. The third G

amazing feature is the Big Old Tree. This tree stands two hundred feet tall and is
probably about six hundred years old. These three landmarks are truly amazing and
make my town a famous place. Concluding sentence
Topic sentence

A good paragraph often starts with a topic sentence, which summarises the main idea
of the paragraph. The topic sentence sometimes includes 'signposting' words and
phrases to show how it is connected to the paragraphs before it in the text. Some
examples of these are: 'As a result of this...', 'Another reason...' and 'However,...'
Activity 1. Read the paragraphs below and answer the questions
Parents should read to their young children every day. First of all, reading to young children
is important because it is an excellent way to bond with them. In addition, young children
whose parents read to them have better language skills when they start schooling. Parents
should spend time talking about the stories and pictures. They should also explain the
meanings of new words. Most importantly, these children often develop a love for reading
as they grow older. There are only a few of the reasons that parents should not think reading
to young children is a waste of time.
(Extracted from Ready to write 2 by Blanchard and Root, 2010)
1. What is the topic sentence?
_______________________________________________________________

2. How many supporting sentences are there in the paragraph?

________________________________________________________________

3. What is the concluding sentence?

________________________________________________________________
Read the following academic paragraph from a research essay and answer
the questions that follow.

Assignment essay tasks are set to assist students to develop mastery of their
study subject. Firstly, assignment tasks enhance understandings about
subject matter. Yang and Baker (2005, p. 1) reason that “to master your
learning materials and extend your understandings, you need to write about
the meanings you gain from your research”. Secondly, research (Jinx, 2004;
Zapper, 2006) clearly demonstrates that students learn the writing
conventions of a subject area while they are researching, reading and writing
in their discipline. This activity helps them to “crack the code” of the discipline
(Bloggs, 2003, p. 44). Thus, students are learning subject matter and how to
write in that disciplinary area by researching and writing assignment essays.

crack the code = to figure out how to do something (often something difficult)
1. What is the topic sentence?
2. There are two main points used in the paragraph to develop the
position taken in the topic sentence (the success of assignment essays
as a learning device). What are they?
3. Who were the authorities cited to support the information put forward
in argument 1?
4. Who were the authorities cited to support the information put forward in
argument 2?
5. Name three transitional (connecting) words.
Paragraph improvement

Adding details to paragraphs

Many paragraphs can be made better by adding details

Although seat belts have been shown to save lives, people give a
number of reasons for not using them. First, many people think
they are a nuisance. Second, many people are lazy. Third, some
people don’t believe they will have an accident. Finally, some
people are afraid the seat belt will trap them in their car. All of
these reasons seem inadequate since statistics show that wearing
seat belts saves lives and prevents serious injuries.
The above paragraph can be improved by adding details to answer the
following questions:

Why don’t people like seat belts?

In what way are people lazy?

Why do people think they won’t have an accident?

Under what circumstances might people get trapped?

Although seat belts have been shown to save lives, people give a number of
reasons for not using them. First, many people think they are a nuisance.
They say the belt is uncomfortable and prevents freedom of movement.
Second, many people are lazy. For them, it is too much trouble to put on and
adjust a seat belt, especially if they are only going a short distance. Third,
some people don’t believe they will have an accident because they are
careful and experienced drivers. They think they will be able to respond
quickly to avoid a crash. Finally, some people are afraid the seat belt will trap
them in their car. They feel that if they have an accident, they might not be
able to get out of a car that is burning, or they might be unconscious and
another person won’t be able to get them out. All of these reasons seem
inadequate since statistics show that wearing seat belts saves lives and
prevents serious injuries.
Get writing good supporting sentences

After the topic sentence, good paragraphs contain one or more 'supporting
sentences' which explain the topic sentence in more detail. The supporting
sentences might include reasons for the reader to agree with the topic sentence, or
examples that explain or develop the topic sentence.

Supporting sentences often include ‘signposting’ language, to show the relationship

between the ideas in the paragraph. Examples include:

First… Second… Third…

The first… The second… The third…
Furthermore, … However, … On the other hand, …
An introduction to the conclusion

Ending with the conclusion

The conclusion of a paragraph is really important. It may: explain

why the writer has included the paragraph; summarise the
argument(s) made and evidence given; relate the paragraph to the
theme of the essay. It may also signal to the reader what is coming
next.
A – Topic sentence
The topic sentence presents the main ideas of the paragraph.

It usually appears near the beginning of the paragraph, though not always.
Topic sentences may include 'signposting' language that show how the
paragraph is connected to the paragraphs before it, for example:

As a result of this …
Another reason …
However, ...
Turning now to ...
B – Supporting sentences
In a good paragraph, every supporting sentence in the paragraph must be related to the
topic sentence.

If there is a sentence in your paragraph which is not directly related to the topic sentence,
remove it!
Supporting sentences also sometimes include 'signposting' language, to show the
relationship between the ideas in the paragraph, for example:

Firstly … Secondly … Thirdly …

The first … The second … The third …
Furthermore, … However, … On the other hand, …
C – Concluding sentence
The concluding sentence often explains why you have included this paragraph in this
assignment.
In order to do this, concluding sentences often repeat words
and phrases from the title of the assignment, and/or words
and phrases from the topic sentence.
Review

Good academic writing is made up of paragraphs with one clear idea per
paragraph.
Paragraphs usually start with a topic sentence – a sentence that gives the
main focus of the paragraph.
The topic sentence sometimes includes 'signposting' language to link the
paragraph to the previous paragraph.
Supporting sentences follow the topic sentence. They develop the topic by
giving reasons, evidence and/or examples.
The concluding sentence usually comes at the end. It explains why the
paragraph is important and relates it to the theme of the essay.