Academic Writing

A paragraph is a group of related sentences that discuss one (and usually only
one) main idea.
A paragraph can be as short as one sentence or as long as ten sentences.
The number of sentences is unimportant: however the paragraph should be long
enough to develop the main idea clearly.
The Three parts of a paragraph
1. Topic sentence
2. Supporting sentences
3. Concluding Sentences
4.
The topic sentence states the main idea of the paragraph. It names the topic of the
paragraph and also limits the topic to one specific area that can be discussed
completely in the space of a single paragraph.
The part of the topic sentence that announces the specific area to be discussed us called
the controlling idea.
Supporting sentences develop the topic sentence.
They explain or prove the topic sentence by giving more information about it.
Look at the paragraph about Gold and list in your workbook some of the supporting
sentences.

The concluding sentence signals the end of the paragraph and leaves the reader
with important point to remember:
In conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty but also for its utility.
Concluding sentences are customary for stand-alone paragraphs. However,
paragraphs that are parts of a longer piece of writing usually do not need
conclusion sentences.

Writing to communicate
It's not as easy as it sounds
The biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has been
accomplished. George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)
We write to communicate. With the exception of personal diaries and notes, most of
what we write is meant to be read by someone else: our reader(s), or target audience.

Making sure that what our audience understands when reading what we've
written is as close as possible to what actually we wanted to communicate is not
easy.
The challenge is even greater when we are trying to share information and ideas
with people whose frames of reference (i.e. prior knowledge and sense of what
is normal and well-known to others) may be very different from our own.
As in any language, writing in English involves much more than knowing the
right words (vocabulary) and the rules for putting them together (syntax, or
grammar) to express meaning.
This does not mean that you dont need to think about using the correct words
and acceptable grammaryou do.

However, it is even more important that you think about:

CONTENT
ORGANIZATION
PURPOSE

We may never really have thought about the purpose writing.

We learn many things in the years we are at school. Some of these things need to
be unlearned.
Much school writing is done under pressure. It must be finished in class, during
an exam, or for the next day. Quality and communication suffer.

We may never really have thought about the purpose writing.

We learn many things in the years we are at school. Some of these things need to
be unlearned.
Much school writing is done under pressure. It must be finished in class, during
an exam, or for the next day. Quality and communication suffer.

Writing to communicate is a process. It involves thinking, reading what others

have said, planning, thinking some more, planning again, getting our ideas down
on paper (drafting), checking our draft to see if it is complete, making sure the
ideas are in the most effective order possible, making changes (revising),
looking at the text sentence by sentence and word by word, to check for clarity
and correctness (editing), and checking again that it all makes sense . . . And
doing so not only from the point of view of the author but also from that of the
prospective audience.

It is NOT enough that you understand what you want to say.

It is the readers, the audience, of a written text who need to understand what
you, the author, mean. It is your responsibility, not that of the reader, to make
sure that your arguments and ideas are presented in such a way that
your hypothetical reader can follow and understand them with minimal effort.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

The 8 Cs of communication:
Content
Clarity
Completeness
Consistency
Coherence
Convention
Concision
Consideration

Writing POWER
Writing well is a complex, challenging task. Writing can also have a powerful
effect upon people.
Remembering the expression "Writing POWER"* can help you remember the
key steps in the writing process.
Plan
Organize

Write
Edit
Revise

Note Taking
Why take notes?

Can you think of any important reasons for taking notes? Think about your
work situation and any other situations where you might need to take notes.

NOTE TAKING
There are three main reasons for note- taking :
1. to have a record of the information
2. to retrieve information when necessary
3. to make the information part of our knowledge.
It also:
Helps you to remember information
Helps you concentrate
Helps prepare for tests
Contain info that cannot be found in books
In meetings, writing reports etc.

And we normally use any of the three methods or all of them while taking
notes:
a. Summarizing
b. Paraphrasing
c. Quoting

Points to consider to develop good note taking skills:

Write down the main points of the text or ideas of a lecture or presentation . It is
notnecessary to write full sentences.
Abbreviations can be used * Use acronyms, signs, and numbers in place of
words where possible.
Use dashes and other useful punctuation marks to show the links between main
and subideas
When taking notes while listening, write the name of the speaker and the topic
and date onthe top. This will help us file the papers without any confusion.
Buckley (2004), in her popular writing text Fit to Print, defines summarizing as
reducing text to one-third or one-quarter its original size, clearly articulating the
author's meaning, and retaining main ideas.
Diane Hacker (2008), in A Canadian Writer's Reference, explains that
summarizing involves stating a work's thesis and main ideas "simply, briefly,
and accurately" (p. 62).

Purpose

The purpose of summarizing is to briefly present the key points of a theory or

work in order to provide a context for an argument or thesis.

Process
Read the work first to understand the author's intent. This is a crucial step
because an incomplete reading could lead to an inaccurate summary.
In your own words, write the thesis and main ideas in point form.
Decide which points are crucial to a summary of the author's work. it is very
important that a summary does not misrepresent the author's argument! It could
be considered plagiarism.

Edit the summary by deleting extraneous descriptors, details, and examples.

Reread the original work to ensure that you have accurately represented the main
ideas in your summary.
Opposite to solid essay writing, the goal is to be brief and general rather than
supporting all statements with facts, examples, or other details.

When summarizing is useful:

Summarizing is useful in many types of writing, at different points in the writing
process.
Summarizing is used to support an argument, provide context for a paper's thesis
or main ideas, write literature or article reviews, and when annotating a
bibliography.

The benefit of summarizing lies in showing the "big picture", which allows the
reader to contextualize what you are saying. In addition to the advantages of
summarizing for the reader, as a writer you gain a better sense of where you are
going with your writing, which parts need elaboration, and whether you have
comprehended the information you have collected.

You can summarize:

results of studies you are reporting on
methods or approaches others have taken in an area you are describing
various researchers'/authors' viewpoints on given issues
points you have made in an essay at any juncture or in a conclusion

contents of a book you are reviewing

issues peripheral to your paper but necessary for providing the context of your
writing
historical events leading to the event/issue/philosophy you are discussing.
In addition to the advantages of summarizing for the reader, as a writer you gain
a better sense of where you are going with your writing, which parts need
elaboration, and whether or not you have comprehended the information you
have collected.