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ADVICE ONACADEMIC WRITING
Martín, Eliana Julieta
Written Expression IV
General Information
Essay- It should have an argument- It should try to prove something- It should have a clear organization
In order to develop your essay:
- You should bear in mind all the possible questions and answers
- You should revise it as many times as necessary
Planning and Organizing
Stages of an essay:
Pre writing stage
Writing Stage
Revising Stage
Some techniques:
1- Index Cards: When researching, write every idea, fact and quotation on a card. Then organize them in the best possible order to make a draft
2- Computer: Take the advantage of “outline view” in Word which makes it easier for you to arrange your points
3- The circle method: To get your ideas onto a single page so you can see them all at once
Using a thesis statement
The reader will probably expect a clear statement of your position.
i.e1: -Shakespeare was the word greatest playwright
i.e2- This essay will show that the north American free trade agreement was a disaster for the
Canadian furniture industry
There is no rigid rule about the position of the thesis statement
Introductions and Conclusions
Play an important role in academic essays
A good introduction: should identify your topic, provide essential context and indicate your particular focus on the essay. It also should encourage the reader´s interest.
A good conclusion: will have to provide a sense of closure to the essay
Paragraphs
Each paragraph should contain the central idea:TOPIC SENTENCE: It has a specific main point
* NOT ALL PARAGRAPHS NEED A TOPIC SENTENCE SPECIALLY OPENING AND CLOSING PARAGRAPHS WHICH HAVE DIFERENT FUNCTIONS FROM BODY PARAGRAPHS
Reading and researching
Taking notes from researchReading
- Do not write down too much; your essay must be an expression of your thinking
- Copy out the exact words only when the ideas are memorably expressed
- Compress ideas in your own words. Paraphrasing word by word is a waste of time
Using the internet
- Do not rely exclusively on net sources
- Narrow your research topic before logging on; internet allows you with access to a lot of information and you can easily get lost
- Keep a detailed record of the sites you visit and use
- Double check all URLs before writting them on the paper
Previewing Will anable you to place your focus on the proper elements of the reading and to avoid wasting time on elements which are not important for your purposes.
- READ THE TITTLE- THINK ABOUT THE SUBJECT
MATTER- FIND OUT WHO WROTE IT AND
WHEN IT WAS PUBLISHED
Using resources
Use quotations: Only if
-The language is particulary elegant or memorable- You wish to confirm the credibility of your argument-The passage is worthly of further analysis - You wish to argue with someone
else´s position in detail
Verbs and phrases to introcuce quotations:ArguesMaintainsStatesWritesSuggestsClaimsPoints outInsists
CommentsExplainsNotesAssertsRevealsDemonstratesConcludesObservesSays
How to paraphase?
- You must provide a reference- The paraphrase must be in your own
words- You must also create your own
sentences structures- If you think you want to paraphrase
the passage, make a note only of the author´s basic points
- Capture the general idea
Styles and editing
Revising and editing
- Gives you the opportunity to preview your work on behalf of the eventual reader
- It involves the checking of details
GOOD REVISION AND EDITING CAN TRANSFORM A MEDIOCRE FISRT
DRAFT INTO AN EXCELENT FINAL PAPER
Using the compiter: makes a good typewriter. It easily lets you type in a text, shifts around and make a small proofreading changes
Punctuations: Try to venture beyond the comma and the period.
Commas, semicolon, colons, dashes and parentheses can also be used
When to use Passive voice?:
- When the actor is unknown - When the actor is irrelevant- When you want to be vague
about who is responsible for the action
- When talking about general truths
Why not to use passive voice?:
- Because you can sund vague about who is responsible
- Because too many passive voices can create confusion
Sometimes students use it to hide holes in their research
SpellingThe English language has many different ways to spell the same sound and many diffrent ways to pronunce the same spelling
- Use a good dictionary- Be consisten about using the
british or american spelling- Aways check “troublesome”
suffixes and preffixes - Use your computer spel checker,
but with caution
Sources:Website. University of Toronto. Writing advice. www.writing.utoronto.ca
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