DistanceLearningCentre.com
LEARNING MATERIALS
Course: Access to Higher Education Diploma
Subject: Study Skills
Unit: Writing for Academic Purposes
Topic 1: English Skills
Recommended reading:
Recommended reading for this topic is listed in the back pages of these
learning materials.
Further resources:
Further resources to deepen your learning on specific aspects of this
topic are listed throughout these learning materials.
Read and make notes:
Making notes turns reading into studying. They should be brief and clear:
To help your understanding:
• rewrite or summarise what you have learned (avoid copying what you
have read);
• note down any questions your studying has raised, either to ask your
tutor, or to develop into further research.
To help you to remember:
• sum things up to improve long term memory;
• write things down to aid motor memory;
• use colour, images or patterns to help visual memory.
To help you in your assessments and revision:
• record where you will find information (e.g. page numbers);
• keep your notes organised and easy to navigate;
• use your notes to help you to get started when answering a question.
Read the Specification:
• So that you will know the criteria you will be assessed on please
read the unit specification in my courses on the Materials page.
© DistanceLearningCentre.com, 2022
, Course: Access to HE Diploma
Level: 3
Subject: Writing for Academic Purposes
Topic 1: English Skills
LEARNING MATERIALS
Contents
Press CTRL / ⌘ + Click in the contents list to go to the relevant page
Introduction .............................................................................................1
1. Using English correctly ....................................................................3
1.1 Common Mistakes.......................................................................................3
1.2 Punctuation..................................................................................................5
1.2.1 Full stops .......................................................................................5
1.2.2 Commas ........................................................................................6
1.2.3 Apostrophes ..................................................................................7
1.3 Sentences....................................................................................................8
1.3.1 The predicate ................................................................................9
1.3.2 Linking Sentences .......................................................................10
1.4 Paragraphs ................................................................................................10
2. Reading for understanding............................................................. 12
2.1 Précis .........................................................................................................12
2.2 Comprehension .........................................................................................14
References ............................................................................................. 15
Recommended reading .......................................................................... 15
Resources .............................................................................................. 15
Websites .............................................................................................................15
Sources and credits ............................................................................... 15
Image credits ......................................................................................................15
© DistanceLearningCentre.com, 2022
, Course: Access to HE Diploma
Level: 3
Subject: Writing for Academic Purposes
Topic 1: English Skills
LEARNING MATERIALS
Introduction
In this topic:
In this topic, we will look at two areas of written English that will
help when writing in an academic style – your use of correct
grammar and how to read for understanding to gain information
from your sources.
English affects so many areas of our lives, especially when returning to study. Even
though we use English in some way every day (writing texts, reading articles, sending
emails), some of the skills already learned will not have been used since the day you left
high school.
However, it is precisely those skills that are important when working towards a place in
higher education. Like it or not, universities and institutes of higher education still base
most of their assessments on how well ideas have been communicated in writing. It is
therefore important to be able to express yourself properly. And so in this topic we will look
at grammar and how to use English correctly in written work.
To help you remember the parts of speech you probably used at school and what they all
mean, there is a box below which looks at each of them briefly. There are questions on
the next page that will help you to learn how to use the different parts of speech.
Parts of Speech What they do
Nouns These are naming words:
a. A group name, e.g. student.
b. A personal name, e.g. Fred.
c. A collective name, e.g. audience.
d. A feeling or state of being, e.g. love.
e. An action name, e.g. a walk.
Pronouns These are used to replace nouns
They are used so that you do not have to keep using the
same noun all the time, e.g. she, it, his, mine, ourselves.
Adjectives These are describing words
Adjectives describe nouns, e.g. beautiful girl, clever dog,
skilful nurse, long walk.
Verbs These are action words
They show what action was done by a noun or pronoun or
the state of being of that noun e.g. I cut the grass. The cat
is sitting on the bed. Fred walks home.
© DistanceLearningCentre.com, 2022 1
LEARNING MATERIALS
Course: Access to Higher Education Diploma
Subject: Study Skills
Unit: Writing for Academic Purposes
Topic 1: English Skills
Recommended reading:
Recommended reading for this topic is listed in the back pages of these
learning materials.
Further resources:
Further resources to deepen your learning on specific aspects of this
topic are listed throughout these learning materials.
Read and make notes:
Making notes turns reading into studying. They should be brief and clear:
To help your understanding:
• rewrite or summarise what you have learned (avoid copying what you
have read);
• note down any questions your studying has raised, either to ask your
tutor, or to develop into further research.
To help you to remember:
• sum things up to improve long term memory;
• write things down to aid motor memory;
• use colour, images or patterns to help visual memory.
To help you in your assessments and revision:
• record where you will find information (e.g. page numbers);
• keep your notes organised and easy to navigate;
• use your notes to help you to get started when answering a question.
Read the Specification:
• So that you will know the criteria you will be assessed on please
read the unit specification in my courses on the Materials page.
© DistanceLearningCentre.com, 2022
, Course: Access to HE Diploma
Level: 3
Subject: Writing for Academic Purposes
Topic 1: English Skills
LEARNING MATERIALS
Contents
Press CTRL / ⌘ + Click in the contents list to go to the relevant page
Introduction .............................................................................................1
1. Using English correctly ....................................................................3
1.1 Common Mistakes.......................................................................................3
1.2 Punctuation..................................................................................................5
1.2.1 Full stops .......................................................................................5
1.2.2 Commas ........................................................................................6
1.2.3 Apostrophes ..................................................................................7
1.3 Sentences....................................................................................................8
1.3.1 The predicate ................................................................................9
1.3.2 Linking Sentences .......................................................................10
1.4 Paragraphs ................................................................................................10
2. Reading for understanding............................................................. 12
2.1 Précis .........................................................................................................12
2.2 Comprehension .........................................................................................14
References ............................................................................................. 15
Recommended reading .......................................................................... 15
Resources .............................................................................................. 15
Websites .............................................................................................................15
Sources and credits ............................................................................... 15
Image credits ......................................................................................................15
© DistanceLearningCentre.com, 2022
, Course: Access to HE Diploma
Level: 3
Subject: Writing for Academic Purposes
Topic 1: English Skills
LEARNING MATERIALS
Introduction
In this topic:
In this topic, we will look at two areas of written English that will
help when writing in an academic style – your use of correct
grammar and how to read for understanding to gain information
from your sources.
English affects so many areas of our lives, especially when returning to study. Even
though we use English in some way every day (writing texts, reading articles, sending
emails), some of the skills already learned will not have been used since the day you left
high school.
However, it is precisely those skills that are important when working towards a place in
higher education. Like it or not, universities and institutes of higher education still base
most of their assessments on how well ideas have been communicated in writing. It is
therefore important to be able to express yourself properly. And so in this topic we will look
at grammar and how to use English correctly in written work.
To help you remember the parts of speech you probably used at school and what they all
mean, there is a box below which looks at each of them briefly. There are questions on
the next page that will help you to learn how to use the different parts of speech.
Parts of Speech What they do
Nouns These are naming words:
a. A group name, e.g. student.
b. A personal name, e.g. Fred.
c. A collective name, e.g. audience.
d. A feeling or state of being, e.g. love.
e. An action name, e.g. a walk.
Pronouns These are used to replace nouns
They are used so that you do not have to keep using the
same noun all the time, e.g. she, it, his, mine, ourselves.
Adjectives These are describing words
Adjectives describe nouns, e.g. beautiful girl, clever dog,
skilful nurse, long walk.
Verbs These are action words
They show what action was done by a noun or pronoun or
the state of being of that noun e.g. I cut the grass. The cat
is sitting on the bed. Fred walks home.
© DistanceLearningCentre.com, 2022 1
