academic writing for graduate students-hoang mai note

7/23/2019 Academic Writing for Graduate Students-hoang Mai Note

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ACADEMIC WRITING FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS

Unit 1: An approach to academic writin

I! A"dience

The instructor will be the audience for graduate students

Understanding instructors expectations and prior knowledge since they affect the

content of writing

II! #"rpo$e and $trate%

Audience, purpose, and strategy are typically interconnected.

Writers purpose is to display familiarity, expertise, and intelligence.

III! Orani&ation

Information is presented to readers in a structured format.

Writing should hae regular, clear, and predictable patterns of organi!ation.

The common strategy in academic writing is to organi!e information in terms of

problem"solution. This pattern usually has four parts# $escription of a situation

Identification of a problem

$escription of a solution

%aluation of the solution

I'! St%(e

&anguage focus# The 'ocabulary (hift

'erb# for written academic style, the preferred choice is a single erb

instead of a phrasal or prepositional erb )erb * prep+. Using obsered

instead of looked at. Using accumulate instead of builds up. %xample of

academic words# assist, establish, reduce, increase, create, determine,

inestigate, fluctuate, raise, eliminate. ouns and other parts of speech# -ou should strie to choose words that

are less informal in nature, and also precise. Instead of using good, using

considerable. Instead of using got, using obtained. Instead of using a lot

of, using numerous. Instead of using the things that will happen, using

conseuently.

&anguage focus# /ormal 0rammar and (tyle

Aoiding contraction )dont use wont, use will not+.

Using the more appropriate formal negatie forms. ot1any 2 no, not1

much 2 little, not1.many 2 few &imit the use of 3run on4 expression, such as 3and so forth4, and 3etc4.

Instead of using 3in robots, 5$ players, etc. 2 3in robots, 5$ players,

and other electrical devices4.

Aoiding addressing the reader as 3you4 )except, of course, if you are

writing a textbook+. Instead of writing# 3-ou can see the results in Table

64, write# 3The results can be seen in Table 64.


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&imit the use of direct uestions. Instead of writing# 3What can be done to

lower costs74 write# 3We now need to consider what can be done to lower

costs, or we now need to consider how costs may be lowered4.8lace aderbs within the erbs. Aderbs often are placed mid"position

rather than in the initial or final position. Instead of writing# 3Then the

solution can be discarded4, write# 3The solution can then be discarded4.

Instead of writing# 3The blood is withdrawn slowly4, write# 3The blood is

slowly withdrawn4.

2 maintaining scholarly and ob9ectie tone in writing, and maintainconsistent academic styles

'! F(ow

/low is the moing from one statement in a text to the text. aturally,

establishing a clear connection of ideas is important to help your reader follow the

text

If there is no second clause initiator )such as but, if, or hence+, punctuationdepends on the type of clause being 9oined onfinite * /inite 2 Using a 5omma. %xample# :is theory being wrong,

he lost the argument. /inite * /inite 2 Using a semicolon. %xample# :is theory was wrong; he

lost the argument. /inite * onfinite 2 Using a comma. %xample# :e lost the argument, his

theory being wrong.

8unctuation depends on the type of initiator in the second clause

5on9unction# and, but, or 2 Using a comma. %xample#


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Adersatie# although, een though, despite the fact that, howeer,

neertheless= despite, in spite of

5ause and %ffect# because, since, therefore, as a result, conseuently,

hence, thus= because of, due to, as a result of

5larification# in other words, that is, i.e.

5ontrast# while, whereas, in contrast, howeer, on the other hand,

conersely= unlike

Illustration# for example, for instance

Intensification# on the contrary, as a matter of fact, in fact.

'I! #re$entation

5onsider the oerall format of your written work

$oes your paper look as if it has been carefully prepared7

Are there clear paragraphs7

Is the line spacing appropriate7

8roofread for careless grammar mistakes

$o sub9ects and erbs agree7 :ae the appropriate erb tenses been used7

:ae the article a, an, and thebeen used when necessary7

Is theused too much7

5heck for misspelled words, een if you hae spell"checked your word.

:as the correct homophone been used7 )a word that sounds exactly like

another such as too=to=two+ $id the spell"check routine miss anything7

'II! #o$itionin

8osition or establish yourself as a 9unior member of your chosen field

5hoosing any writing style that you like%xpressing enthusiasm and commitment

Writing in a formal academic style

>aking broad generali!ations


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Unit ): Writin enera( * $peci+ic te,t$

I! The p"rpo$e o+ GS te,t

An an$wer to an e,amination -"e$tion

An openin pararaph o+ an a$$inment

A .ac/ro"nd 0or $cene $ettin pararaph to an ana(%$i$ or di$c"$$ion!

II! The .einnin o+ GS te,t

A $hort or e,tended de+inition2 or

A contra$ti3e or comparati3e de+inition or

A enera(i&ation or p"rpo$e $tatement

III! The $hape o+ GS te,t$

A$ their name imp(ie$2 GS te,t$ mo3e +rom .road $tatement$ to narrower

one$! 4owe3er2 the% o+ten widen o"t aain in the +ina( $entence! The $hape i$

$imi(ar to that o+ a (a$$ or c"p! Genera( $tatement 5 More $peci+ic detai( 5

Speci+ic detai( 5 6roader $tatement

De+inition i$ the common wa% o+ ettin $tarted7 the% are hoo/$ +rom which

GS pararaph$ can .e h"n! Since o"r in$tr"ctor i$ a(read% +ami(iar with the

term$ and e,pect$ %o" to write a te,t that demon$trate$ o"r "nder$tandin o+

comp(e, concept$

I'! Sentence de+inition

A $entence de+inition i$ o+ten a "$e+"( $tartin point +or a GS pararaph! In a

+orma( $entence de+inition $"ch a$ the e,amp(e$ that +o((ow2 the term .ein

de+ined i$ +ir$t a$$ined to a c(a$$ or ro"p to which it .e(on$ and thendi$tin"i$hed +rom other term$ in the c(a$$!

E,amp(e: A $o(e proprietor$hip i$ a ."$ine$$ which i$ owned and operated .%

one indi3id"a( +or per$ona( pro+it! To what c(a$$ doe$ the $o(e proprietor$hip

.e(on8 4ow i$ it di++erent +rom other mem.er o+ the c(a$$8


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Str"ct"re: 0A term i$ 0a c(a$$ Wh9word 0that2 which $peci+ic detai(!

E,amp(e: A $o(ar ce(( i$ a de3ice which con3ert$ the ener% o+ $"n(iht into

e(ectric ener%!

an"ae +oc"$: The rammar o+ de+inition$

Notice the "$e o+ the inde+inite artic(e$ a and an in the +ir$t part o+ the

de+inition$!

academic writing for graduate students-hoang mai note

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