Academic writing overview

Academic Writing …a life-long way to go…explore and ponder…enjoy and action… Academic Writing What is Academic Writing? - Writing in College - Not literary, journalistic, business - Audience, tone and purpose - Scientific articles Academic Writing Writing Process: - Prewriting step 1: Choosing and narrowing a topic - Prewriting step 2: Brainstorming • Listing • Grouping • Topic sentence • Simple outlining Academic Writing Writing an Essay: - Introductory paragraph - Concluding paragraph - Essay outlining - Transition signals between paragraphs - Revising essay - Final version Academic Writing Writing and revising draft: - First rough draft - Revising content and structure - Proofreading for grammar and mechanics - Final version What is a paragraph? - Topic sentence: main idea, limit topic to one or two areas: Topic and controlling idea - Supporting sentence: explain topic sentence (facts, stats, reasons) - Concluding sentence: signal end, leave readers points to remember Academic Writing Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics First of all, gold has a lustrous beauty that is resistant to corrosion Therefore, it is suitable for jewelery, coins and ornamental purposes Gold never needs to be polished and will remain beautiful forever For example, a Macedonian coin remains as untarnished today as the day it was minted twenty-three centuries ago Another important characteristic of gold is its usefulness to industry and science For many years, it has been used in hundreds of industrial applications The most recent use of gold is in astronauts’ suits Astronauts wear gold-plated heat shields for protection outside the spaceship In conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty but also for its utility Academic Writing Unity: discuss only one main idea in a paragraph Coherence: - Supporting sentence is logical - Ideas connected by appropriate transition signals Academic Writing Coherence: means “together” “with” cohere “hold together” - Repeat your key nouns frequently in paragraph Transition signals: first, second, next, therefore, however, in conclusion, on the other hand, as a result, similarly, moreover, furthermore, in addition, in contrast… Academic Writing - Sentence connectors Conjunctive adverbs Clause connectors Subordinating conjunctions: Academic writing Ex Students can attend day classes and ………… *Students can live in dormitories or………….*I have finished my math homework but……………*I have studied English for six years yet…………*My advisor suggested a typing class for…………………*Some students not like to write term papers nor……………….*The instructor gave us eight weeks to write our term papers yet…………….*Most students had not even chosen a topic nor………….*the instructor was very upset for……… * My roommate scored very high on the English placement test so…… Academic writing Finite, non-finite, and verbless clauses: John has visited New York (finite)*Having seen the pictures, he….(non-finite)*Although always helpful, he…(verbless)*John, then in New York, was….(verbless) Academic writing Infinitive with to: - Without subject: The best thing would be to tell everybody - With subject: The best thing would be for you to tell everybody Infinitive without to: - w/o s: All I did was hit him on the head - w/s: Rather than John it, I’d prefer to give the job to Mary Academic writing -ing participle: w/o s: leaving the room, he tripped over the mat w/s: Her aunt having left the room, I declared my passionate love for Celia - ed participle: w/o s: Covered with confusion, I left the room w/s: We left the room and went home, the job finished Academic writing More on Verbless clause: Dozens of people were stranded, many of them children*whether right or wrong, he always comes off worst in an argument*Too nervous to reply, he started at the floor*With the tree now tall, we get more stable*When ripe, these apples will be delicious*His gaze travelled round, irresolute Academic writing More on subordinators: Compound subordinators: in that*such that* so that**except that*in order that*now (that)*provided (that)*supposed (that)*considering (that)*seeing (that)*as far as*so long as*as soon as*as long as* Academic writing Commas: introducers*coordinators (compound sentences*inserters*Linkers Recently, the legislature banned smoking in public places Introducer: Main Clause Many people opposed to the new law, but it finally passed Main Clause Coordinating Conjunction Academic writing Inserter: Smallpox, once a widespread disease, is under control Main Main clause Inserter Academic writing Linker: The word color is spelled color in British English, for example Main clause Academic writing Semicolons: Between two sentences that are closely connected in idea Before conjunctive adverbs and some transitional phrases Between items in a series if the items already contain commas Academic writing Between sentences: Alice is going to Harvard; she isn’t going to M.I.T Computer use is increasing; computer crime is, too The meeting adjourned at dawn; nothing had been accomplished Academic writing Between connectors: before conjunctive adverbs: however, therefore, nevertheless, moreover, furthermore…before transitional phrases: for example, as a result, that is, in fact etc Skiing is dangerous; nevertheless, hundreds of people ski Stefi Craf is great tennis player; moreover, she is attractive Boris Becker played well; however, he lost the match Academic writing Between Items in a Series: I cannot decide which car I like best: the Ferrari, with its quick acceleration and ease of handling; the small, conventional Ford, with its reclining bucket seats; or the uncomfortable Volkswagen, with its economical fuel consumption Academic writing Colon (: ): Introduce a list* Long quotations (As Albert C Baugh and Thomas Cable state in their book, The History of the English Language: There is no such thing as uniformity in language Not only does the speech of one community differ from that of another, but the speech of different individuals of a single community, even different members of the same family, is marked by individual peculiarities.*Subtitles (A popular book on nonverbal communication is Samovar and Porter’s Intercultural Communication: A Reader*Time Helen left the class at 12:30