Advice on academic writing
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Transcript of Advice on academic writing
ADVICE ON ACADEMIC WRITING
Student:Verónica Bautista
Some General Advice on Academic Essay-Writing
An essay should: Have an argument Try to prove something Develop a single "thesis" or a short set of closely related points—by
reasoning and evidence Try to formulate the questions you will seek to answer Jot a provisional hypothesis Ask yourself what might be said against it An essay organization should be designed to present your argument
clearly and persuasively
Methods of composing an esssay
Start writing early Keep the essay´s overall purpouse and organization in mind Revise extensively Revise sentences
Planning and Organizing an essay
Organize your paper during the pre-writing stage Ask questions like What type of essay am I going to write? Does it
belong to a specific genre? Planning helps you to produce a logical and orderly argument that your
readers can follow,allows you to spot repetition and notice whether you have left anything out
Using thesis statements
It makes a definite and limited assertion that needs to be explained and supported by further discussion:
It shows the emphasis and indicates the methodology of your argument
It shows awareness of difficulties and disagreements
Introductions and Conclusions
Introductions Identify your topic Provide esssential context Indicate your particular focus in the essayTo write an interesting introduction you
should:Get to the point as soon as possibleYour thesis should be at the endUse statisticQuote an expertGive background information
Conclusions It involves critical tinking Reflects upon the significance of
what you have written
To write an interesting conclusion you should:
Recommend a specific course of actionUse an expert opinion or quotation
give a startling statistic image or fact.
Paragraphs
A paragraph is a series of related sentences developing a central idea called topic
Deliberate repetition,specialized linking words and strategis use of pronouns help to enhance your ideas flow in a paragraph
Using topic sentences
A topic sentence states the main point of a paragraph: it serves as a mini-thesis for the paragraph.
Topic sentences usually appear at the very beginning of paragraphs
Use a topic sentence to show how your paragraph contributes to the development of your argument
Reading and researching
Critical writing depends on critical reading To read critically is to make judgements about how a text is argued.
How to Get the Most Out of Reading
An important skill is to read with comprehension and memory different materials such as textbooks,primary sources and research reading
Taking notes from research reading
Know waht kind of ideas you need to record Don´t write too much Label your notes intelligently
Dealing with new words
Sound out the word Examine the structure Look at the context Check the dictionary Write a definition or synonym
Research Using the Internet
Keep a detailed record of sites you visit and the sites you use Don´t rely exclusevely on net resources
Previewing
When diving into an academic work you should: Read the title Think about the subject matter Know the author Where and when it was published Why were you given this text
Skimming and Scanning
By first skimming a text, you can get a sense of its overall logical progression
Use previewing tecchniques,read the first paragraph,try to predict what is to come,then read carefully the concluding paragraphs,return to the beginning and read through the text carefully
Scanning is basically skimming with a more tightly focused purpose: skimming to locate a particular fact or figure, or to see whether this text mentions a subject you’re researching
Summarizing
A summary has two aims: (1) to reproduce the overarching ideas in a text, identifying the general concepts that run through the entire piece, and (2) to express these overarching ideas using precise, specific language.
Your summary should contain: The author´s thesis or central concept Try to cover the key ideas Omit ideas that are not central Avoid opinions
Using sources
Always cite your sources Use standard documentation formats to cite your sources Use quotations when The language of the passage is particularly
elegant or powerful or memorable. You wish to confirm the credibility of your argument by enlisting the
support of an authority on your topic. The passage is worthy of further analysis. You wish to argue with someone else's position in considerable detail.
Paraphrase and Summary
To paraphrase means to restate someone else’s ideas in your own language
To summarize means to reduce the most essential points of someone else’s work into a shorter form
Paraphrase and summary are indispensable in argumentative papers because they allow you to include other people’s ideas without cluttering up your paragraphs with quotations. These techniques help you take greater control of your essay
THE ABSTRACT
WRITING ABOUT HISTORY
WRITING ABOUT
LITERATURE
WRITING ABOUT
SCIENCES
HOW TOUSE ACTIVE VOICE IN
THE SCIENCES
EFFECTIVE ADMISSION
LETTERS APPLICATIONLETTERS AND
RÉSUMÉS
THE COMPARATIVE
ESSAY
ORALPRESENTATIONS
THE LAB REPORT
THE LITERATURE
REVIEW
WRITING AN ANNOTATED
BIBLIOGRAPHY
THE BOOK REVIEW OR
ARTICLECRITIQUE
THE ACADEMIC PROPOSAL
SPECIFICTYPES OFWRITING
Style and Editing
Check grammar punctuation and style Revise your work in order to check whether you have fullfilled the intention of the
assignement Polish and edit your style Use the computer to improve your writing Try to avoid wordiness Use unbiased language Learn to punctuate Identify and repair faulty parallelism Learn when to use and when to avoid passive voice Improve your spelling (use dictionary,check suffixes Pay attention to plurals formation rules Use possessives forms and subject.verb agreement correctly
English as a Second Language
You should bear in mind: The use of articles Expressions of quantity Using gerunds and infinitives Verbs for referring to sources
Bibliography University of Toronto, writing courses
•Proctor,M., and Plotnick J. "Advice on Academic Writing. Department of English "University of Toronto. N.p., 2009. Web. 6 May 2016. <http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/>.