Agenda

• The purpose of academic writting

• Written and oral language
• What is academic writing
– Research reports Vs. Essays
• Sentences
• Paragraf
 The purpose of academic writting
• Writers should be clear why they are writing.
• The most common reasons for writing include:
• to report on a piece of research the writer has conducted
• to answer a question the writer has been given or chosen
• to discuss a subject of common interest and give the
writer’s view
• to synthesise research done by others on a topic
Differences in written and oral language
(1/2)
Speaking: Writing:
• Impermanent. • Permanent.
• Immediate • Delayed (planned).
(unplanned). • Conventional /
• Variation / Casual. Stylized.
• Low lexical density. • High lexical density.
• High Paralinguistics. • Low Paralinguistics.
• Communal activity. • Solitary Activity.
• Universal. • Learned.
Differences in written and oral language
(2/2)
Speaking: Writing:
• Simple sentences. • Complex sentences.
• Voiced. • Thought / Read.
• Pronounce. • Spell.
• Feedback . • No feedback.
• Pause / Intonation. • Punctuation.
 What knowledge does a writer need in
order to write
• A teacher in a language classroom asks
her students to write an article on the
effects of toxic waste on our environment.
What kinds of knowledge would the
students need to have/employ in order to
perform this task successfully?
 Four kinds of knowledge that we need
in order to write (1/2)
• Knowledge of language:
– Spelling, Punctuation. Grammatical
structures, Lexis, Cohesion and coherence
(how to connect clauses within and between
sentences and how to order information in our
sentences and texts), Discourse types (each
discourse type e.g. narrative, argument etc.
has its own special features)
• Knowledge of topic, i.e. knowing what we are
writing about.
 Four kinds of knowledge that we need
in order to write (2/2)
• Knowledge of audience i.e. knowledge of who
we are writing to. The more one knows about
one’s audience the easier the writing is; both the
topic and the intended readers will influence the
kind of writing we do.
• Stored writing plans: Background knowledge
(schemata) e.g. formal schemata: formal,
organisational structures of different types of text
and content schemata: background knowledge
of the content being written about.
 What is academic writing?
• Academic writing tends to be more formal
than personal writing. It should:
– avoid colloquial words and expressions (e.g.
ages, chill)
– avoid contracted forms of verbs (e.g. I’m,
didn’t, couldn’t)
– avoid unnecessary personalisation (e.g. I’m
happy now . . . I’m not a great fan of . . . )
– be straight to the point (e.g. I’m happy now
because the programme works and I can chill.
Or, The program is now functional)
 What is academic writing?
• Academic writing is more concise than
personal writing. It should where possible:
– back up claims with explanations (e.g. The
shopping cart was built using Java rather than
VBScript, as Java is able to provide a more
robust security model than VBScript for this
type of application)
– back up explanations with examples (e.g.
Johannes (2006) shows VBScript’s inherent
security weaknesses in both authentication
and payment scenarios in ecommerce)
• When introducing examples, use terms like: for
example, for instance, such as . . .
 What is academic writing?
• Academic writing needs to be more
precise than personal writing. It should:
– use appropriate vocabulary (e.g. Look at. Or
test?)
– have no spelling mistakes (e.g. programme.
Or program?)
– have no grammar mistakes (e.g. I builds the
programme using Java)
– be correctly punctuated
– not include unsubstantiated claims (e.g. But
Java is the best language for building
ecommerce!)
 What is academic writing?
• Academic writing is more complex than
personal writing. It should:
– attempt to use more sophisticated grammar (e.g. I
built. Or, The application was built?)
– use linking words and expressions to give
cohesiveness (e.g. The shopping cart was built using
Java rather than VBScript, as Java is able to provide
a more robust security model that VBScript for this
type of application)
– attempt to use more sophisticated vocabulary (e.g.
The program works. Or, The program is functional?)
– Use terms like, Firstly, secondly, next, However, In
addition, As a result, etc. to provide structure
 What is academic writing?
• Academic writing needs to be well-
structured. It should:
– have clear, logical paragraphs (Paragraphs
are units of writing that are about one topic
only. When you change the topic in your
writing, you should begin a new paragraph)
– be divided into clear sections and sub-
sections (Sections in academic writing are
used to group related paragraphs to give
logical structure to a document)
 What is academic writing?
• Where possible academic writing should
be supported by active reading and
include citations and references of that
reading
– Johannes (2006) shows VBScript’s inherent
security weaknesses in both authentication
and payment scenarios in ecommerce)
– Johannes, P. 2006. Building secure e-
commerce sites that work. Wrox. London.
• Find out more about referencing at:
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/lib/about/learn/citing
 What is academic writing?
• Academic writing should be your own work.
• You can include other people’s words, but these
should be in the form of quotations or
paraphrase
• Copying from other students, from books, or
from the Web is plagiarism
• Plagiarism is classed as a form of cheating
• The penalties for plagiarism are detailed at:
– http://www.bbk.ac.uk/reg/regs/plagiarism_pdf
• Be warned, the staff on the FdIT are experts at
detecting plagiarism
 Advice for Modern Academic Writing
• The KISS Rule is “Keep it Short and Simple,”
– clarity
– readability
– non-ambiguity
• Good English is Plain English
• Short sentences
• No unnecessary words
• Familiar words
• Prefer the active to the passive voice
• Style
• Good punctuation
 Research reports Vs. Essays
• You are requested to read research
reports and write essay
• Therefore it is important to understand
both!!
 Research reports
• Any report should have the following
sections
 Essays
• Your essay should have the following
sections:
 What is a Paragraph?
• A paragraph is a group of sentences that
tells about one subject or area.

• Each sentence in a paragraph must give

information about the topic
 Parts of a Paragraph
• Topic sentence: States the main idea of the
paragraph. It tells the reader what the paragraph will be
about. A good topic sentence does two things:
1. It names a subject
2. It give the focus or main point
Ex: Subject: Egypt Main Focus: Religion
Ex: Subject: Egyptian Religion
Main Focus: Gods

•
 Parts of a Paragraph

• Supporting Details: Sentences that are connected

to the main idea. They include information or details
the reader needs in order to understand the topic.
Sentences should be ordered in the best possible
order. Three main ways to do this is either by time,
location or importance.
• Closing: Sums up the paragraph’s message. It
reminds the readers of the topic.
 Topic Sentence

The ancient Egyptians believed in many different

gods and goddesses and each one had their own role to
D
E
play in maintaining peace and harmony across the land.
T Some gods and goddesses took part in creation. Other gods
A and goddesses brought the flood every year. Some offered
IL protection, and some took care of people after they died.
S Egyptians had local gods who represented towns, and minor
gods who represented plants or animals. The ancient
Egyptians believed that it was important to recognize and
worship these gods and goddesses so that life continued
smoothly.
Closing Statement
 Paragraphs: A Bad Example
I live in a house in west Provo. I like the
view from our house. We have lived there
since November. We also have a car that
I like very much. We were in an accident
a few months ago. We hit a deer that was
crossing the street at night. I felt sorry for
the deer, but it cost a lot of money to repair
the car.
Paragraphs: A Good Example
My husband and I bought our first house last
November, and we love it. It is located in west Provo
near Utah Lake. Although we cannot see the lake from
our house, we do have a beautiful view of Mount
Timpanogos. Our house has three bedrooms, two
bathrooms, a living room and a family room, and a large
kitchen and dining area. We also have a large backyard
and a small garden. We are very happy to own our own
home, and I hope that we will live there for several years.
 Paragraph Structure
• A paragraph should have a logical
structure that is easy to put into an outline:
I. Topic Sentence
II. Supporting Detail
III. Supporting Detail
IV. Supporting Detail
V. Concluding Sentence
 Practicing with Paragraphs
• Find one of your warm-up writings in your
notebook.
• Choose one idea from your writing and
create an outline for a well-structured
paragraph using this idea.
• Write the paragraph.
 PLAN THE ESSAY AND
ORGANIZE IDEAS
• There should be a central question the essay is
trying to answer!!!
– E.g. What are advertising appeals and how they are
effective?
– Investigating the effect of using different color in
advertising
– What are the different factors that could affect brand
positioning?
– The effect of the self theory on consumption?
– Culture differences and the effect on
ads/consumption/consumer preferences…etc.
 So how do I plan this essay?
• What is the answer to your question?

• What points do you need to make to support or

give evidence to prove your answer?

• What is the best order to arrange these points?

Are they relevant to the topic? These points

become your paragraphs in the body of your

essay. Remember you are arguing your point of

view, showing you are aware of their views, but

maintaining your stance (position).

 Skeleton outline of an essay
• Topic: Analyse the value and adaptability of the banana as an
ingredient in a range of menus.

• Using note form, write your plan using headings for main points, and
sub-headings under them (such as evidence and examples you are
using to support each point).
Use heading for main points and subheadings
explanation?
example?
supporting evidence?
concluding sentence idea?
NB Next paragraph should connect to ideas in previous paragraph-
it could refer back to it or move on from an idea in it.
 Skeleton outline of an essay
• Introduction: wide range of uses -sweet/ savoury, raw/cooked,
main/dessert/snack/beverages, low cost
• Body Points/Paragraphs
1. desserts-origins, international uses, eg banana split, trifle
2. beverages- smoothies, cocktails
3. children's snack - TV shows promoting, eg banana man, bananas
in pyjamas
4. hot dishes - accompaniments- fried chicken, curry, main courses-
fritters, flambe
5. cost- available all seasons in Australia, low cost
• Conclusion - international use, abundance and versatility well
demonstrated, good value very adaptable, worthwhile ingredient
 Add some style
• Writing is a very logical exercise, adding
style to it will enhance clearness and
power of convincing…
– Phrases for transition
– Phrases for emphasis
– Phrases for counterpoint
 Phrases for transition
• Regarding
• Admittedly
• Consequently
• As a result
• Ultimately
• According to
• For this reason
 Phrases for emphasis
• Moreover
• In fact
• Additionally
• For example
• In point of fact
• As a matter of fact
• Indeed
 Phrases for counterpoint
• Conversely
• On the other hand
• However
• Nevertheless
• Notwithstanding
• Nonetheless
• Yet
• Despite
• Although
• Instead
 Conclude writing
• Writing = logic + style
• You should always concentrate on the
objective
• Good writing skills needs a lot of
READING and exercise
• Writing is important for, university
assignments, exams (TOEFL), real life
(writing convincing reports!!)
 Conclusion
• Writing are important skills that are critical
to academic writing.
• Learning it is REALLY important and will
ensure you will get a high grade in every
written paper (assignments, homework,
exams…etc)