Summary Academic writing midterm

AW – midterm
1. Chapter 1: the writing process
1.1. Basics of writing
1.1.1. The purpose of academic writing
 Be clear why you are writing
1.1.2. Features of academic writing
 It is generally agreed that academic writing attempts to be accurate.
1.1.3. Common types of academic writing
 Report: a description of a situation or process, often with suggestions for
dealing with a problem
 Essay: the answer to a question set by the teacher, often on a theoretical
subject
 Dissertation/thesis: the longest piece of writing normally done by a student,
often for a higher degree (20,000+ words)
 Paper: a general term for any extended piece of academic writing
 Case study: a detailed report on a particular situations or organisations
 Survey report: the presentation of the results of a piece of research you have
conducted, using interviews or questionnaires
 Reflection: a piece of writing in which you critically examine how you dealt
with a situation or task and what you learned from it
 Proposal: a persuasive text written to convince a potential customer of the
value of a new product or strategy
1.1.4. The format of written assignments
 Discuss the meanings of these elements with a partner
o Introduction
o Main body
 Literature review:
Part of the main body in which the views of other writers on the
topic are discussed
 Case study:
A section where one particular example is described in detail
 Discussion
o Conclusion
o References:
A list of all the sources the writer has mentioned in the text
o Appendix:
A section, after the conclusion, where additional information is included
 Dissertations and journal articles
o Abstract:
A short summary which explains the paper’s purpose and main findings
o List of contents
o List of tables
o Introduction
o Main body
 Literature review
 Case study
 Findings

,  Discussion
o Conclusion
o Acknowledgements:
A short section shere people who have helped the writer are thanked
o References
o Appendices
 Business and reports often have a short section at the beginning called:
o Executive summary
 Books may also include
o Foreword:
A preliminary part of a book in which the author often explains her
reasons for writing
o Preface
o Bibliography/further reading
1.1.5. The components of academic writing
 Some general factors apply to most formats:
o Title
o Subtitle
o Heading
o Paragraph
o Phrase sentence
1.1.6. Some other common text features
 References to sources using citation
 The use of abbreviations for convenience
 Italics: used to show words from other languages, or add emphasis:
 Brackets: used to give extra information or to clarify a point
 Numbering systems are often used in reports, less so in essays
 Writers may choose to use bold, or vary the font size for titles and headings
 Some departments may specify the typeface, or line spacing which
assignments should use
1.1.7. Simple and complex sentences
 All sentences contain verbs
 Simple sentences are easier to read and write, but longer sentences are also
necessary to explain more complex ideas
 Students should make clarity a priority and avoid writing very lengthy
sentences with several clauses until they feel confident in their ability
 Sentences containing two or more clauses use conjunctions, relative
pronouns or punctuation to link the clauses
1.1.8. Writing in paragraphs
 What is a paragraph?
a distinct section of a piece of writing, usually dealing with a single theme
and indicated by a new line, indentation, or numbering
 Why are texts divided into paragraphs?
Paragraphs show a reader where the subdivisions of an essay begin and
end, and thus help the reader see the organization of the essay and grasp
its main points
 How long are paragraphs?