ACADEMIC

WRITING
Academic writing is
formal.
What does formal/academic writing look like…
• It focuses on the issue, not on the writer.

It will be argued that the benefits of sales

promotion outweigh the disadvantages.

× I will argue in this essay that ...

Choose words with precise meaning.
• Avoid words with vague meanings.
• The writer looks at the issue.
• The writer examines the issue.

• He states … maintains … argues …

• He says … talks about …
Make your claims tentative rather than definite

1. Television viewing causes reading problems in

childhood.
2. Excessive television viewing may be a
contributing cause of some cases of reading
problems in childhood.  
Any report should have the following…

1.Preliminaries
2.Main Text
3.End Matter
Preliminaries
•Title page
•Abstract
•Content
Main Text
•Introduction
•Methodology
•Findings/Results
•Discussion
•Conclusion
End Matter

• References
• Appendices
An essay should have the
following…

•Preliminaries
•Main Text
•End Matter
Preliminaries

•Title page
Main Text

•Introduction
•Main Body
•Conclusion
End Matter

•References
The Introduction
• It should include a few general
statements about the subject to provide
a background to your essay and to
attract the reader's attention. It should
try to explain why you are writing the
essay. It may include a definition of
terms in the context of the essay, etc.
The Introduction
• It should also include an indication
of how the topic is going to be
tackled in order to specifically
address the question.
The Introduction
•It should introduce the central
idea or the main purpose of the
writing.
The Main Body
•The main body consists of
one or more paragraphs of
ideas and arguments,
together with illustrations or
examples.
The Main Body
•The paragraphs are linked
in order to connect the
ideas.
The Main Body
•The purpose of the essay must
be made clear and the reader
must be able to follow its
development.
Flow of information in paragraphs…
Paragraphs are usually structured as:
1. Topic Sentence
2. Supporting Sentences
3. Concluding Sentence
Flow of information in paragraphs…

Use linking words,

transitional devices,
cohesive devices, etc.
The Conclusion…
• Includes the writer's final points.
• It should recall the issues raised in the
introduction and draw together the points made in
the main body.
ACADEMIC WRITING
versus
GENERAL WRITING
 USAGE
ACADEMIC 
• is used in research projects, GENERAL
conference papers, essays,
abstracts, reports, etc. • is used in letters, emails,
newspaper articles, diary and
journal entries, etc.
 LANGUAGE
ACADEMIC  GENERAL
• Uses formal, objective, • uses informal, semi-
and concise language. formal language.
 RESTRICTIONS
ACADEMIC  GENERAL
• does not use slang; • uses slang;
• does not use • can use contractions;
contractions; • does not usually use
• uses references and references and citations
citations.