Unit 3 : Presenting a Viewpoint. 3.

1 Academic writing is based on analysis - the process of breaking down ideas so as to increase one's understanding. It uses deductive reasoning, semiformal voice and the third person point-of-view.

Use of deductive reasoning - Stating the thesis (main idea) early and then followed by supporting details make complicated ideas easier to understand. Semiformal voice - This means that there should be no use of slang, colloquialism (common expressions of ordinary speech), contractions of nouns and verbs, etc. Third person point-of-view - Third person points-of-view (e.g., he, she, it, and they as well as their accusative, dative, and possessive forms) should be used. No first and second person points-of-view (e.g., I, you, we) are used in academic writing.

Characteristics of academic writing General purpose - to present information that displays a clear understanding of a subject Specific purpose - varies according to the assignment: Argument and Persuasion - To persuade readers to accept the writer's opinion Exposition* - To explain something Description - To describe something Narration - To tell a story 3.2 Structure of academic writing 1) Introduction The introduction or the opening paragraph basically accomplishes two goals: 1. It gains the readers attention 1. It identifies the focus, or thesis, that is developed in the main part (body) of the essay There are several ways to draw the readers attention to the subject:

Open with a series of questions about the topic. Present startling or unusual facts or figures. Define an important, subject related term. Quote a well known person or literary work.

2) Body Developmental paragraphs (body paragraphs) are the heart of an essay.

They must clearly and logically support the thesis. They must be arranged in the best possible way, e.g. chronologically, order of importance, etc.

The paragraphs should flow smoothly from one to the next, e.g. the first sentence in each new paragraph serves as an effective link to the preceding paragraph. In addition, minor supporting ideas are linked together within the paragraphs in a smooth manner.
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3) Conclusion The conclusion is the summary paragraph. It should accomplish the following:

Remind the reader of the paper's thesis by paraphrasing it Tie together all of the important points in the essay by way of a summary and draw a final conclusion for the reader.

3.3 The process of writing The following procedure is useful when writing an extended essay or assignment. Task 1. Read the question or brief and understand what you are required to do. Think about the subject, the purpose and the audience. Think about what you know about the subject. Write it down in some way. Go to the library and find relevant books or articles. Find the books on your reading list - if you have one - and study them. Make notes on these books and articles. Record full details of the materials you use. 6. Organise your piece of work. Skills Needed thinking academically Product Subject.

2.

brainstorming

Diagrams or notes.

3. 4.

library/research skills reading skills: skimming and scanning reading in detail selecting & note-taking paraphrasing/summarising planning organisation

Reading list. List of materials studied. Notes.

5.

Plan.

7.

Type or write your first draft.

writing from notes synthesis

First draft.

writing paragraphs typing/word-processing 8. Discuss your first draft informally with friends, other members of your class and your lecturer if possible. Revise your first draft, bearing in mind any comments that were made in your discussions. Go back to 2. if necessary Produce your second draft. 10. Proofread your draft. quoting/writing references checking mistakes checking grammar for a list of Writing with changes marked. speaking skills listening skills discussion skills 9. use of dictionaries reference books writing introduction conclusion & Second draft. List of revisions/changes.

&

spelling

punctuation

and

checking vocabulary use checking style checking references etc. organisation,

checking for plagiarism 11. Produce version. a final typed typing/word-processing writing title/contents page 12. Check everything. final check Hand in. Final work. pice of

3.4 Unifying a paragraph. One sentence in each group does not relate to the topic sentence. Circle the letter of the sentence that doesnt belong. 1. Topic sentence: Before the fork was widely used in the seventeenth century Italy, people picked at their food in a variety of ways. a. They speared it with an eating knife. b. They scooped up their food in a spoon and lifted it to their mouths. c. They ridiculed men who used forks and called them unmanly. d. They held food with three fingers because using five was considered impolite.

2. Topic sentence: The origins of nursery rhymes explain why some lyrics might not be suitable for young children. a. For centuries, the rhymes were known only as songs or ditties and were intended mainly for adults. b. For example, some rhymes were taken from common folk songs. c. In the 1820s, however, the lyrics of the rhymes were changed because morals had changed. d. Also many nursery rhymes started as songs people sang in taverns, or as jokes, or as the lyrics of romantic songs.

3. Topic sentence: The custom of shaking hands may have started not as a greeting, but as a way of protecting oneself. a. If a man from a village met another man he didnt recognize, he reached for his knife. b. The second man grabbed his knife, too, and then both circled each other. c. When they were satisfied that they did not need to fight, they put their knives away. d. Each man held out his right hand the weapon hand and grabbed the others hand as a way of showing friendliness. e. A different meaning of the handshake originated in ancient Egypt , where pictures show a god transferring power to a ruler by grasping his hand.
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4. Topic sentence: The Mediterranean is the most polluted sea on earth. a. About one-fifth of the worlds oil pollution occurs there, although the seas volume is only 1 percent of the worlds water. b. In addition, 120 cities pump their sewage, much of it untreated, into the waters. c. The Mediterranean is one of the most popular vacation spots in the world. d. The great rivers feeding the Mediterranean the Rhone, Po and the Nile are themselves, so polluted that they only contribute to the problem.

3.5 Improving the flow of ideas. An effective paragraph must have coherence. The first sentence must lead logically into the second sentence, and so on. Arrange your ideas in the most logical form. When revising, carefully examine your organization.

Model Paragraph

Have you grouped together similar ideas?

Should one idea come before another or follow it?

What should you say first or last?

An example of a paragraph. Benazir Bhutto was the first woman ever to serve as prime minister in Pakistan, an Islamic nation. She was prime minister from 1988 until 1990 and became prime minister again in 1993. Prime Minister Benazir was born in Karachi on June 21, 1953. She received her higher education at Harvard University in the United States and at Oxford University in England. Then she returned to Pakistan in 1977. Her father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was president and prime minister. However, he was forcibly removed from power by General Zia and sent to prison, where he was executed in 1979. Immediately afterwards, Benazir was placed under house arrest. She remained there for nine years. In 1987, she married a wealthy man in a marriage arranged by her family and is the mother of three children. After General Zias death in 1988, Benazir led the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to victory and became prime minister. Adapted from: Introductrion to Academic Writing.

Write a paragraph about yourself. Use the answers to the following questions as a basis for your writing. Add any additional information you wish, for example information about your job or hobbies. 1. What is your full name? (first, middle, family name) 2. Where are you from? (city, country) 3. What are the languages that you speak? (read/write?) 4. What are the important holidays that you enjoy? (public/religious/school holidays/semester breaks) 5. What is the name of your school or college? 6. What are your favourite subjects? _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ 3.6 Pronouns. Clear use of pronouns can also help you establish a clear connection between ideas. Pronouns replace nouns and refer back to them. NOUN PRONOUNS The man The woman The car Philosophy The men them he, him she, her it it they,

TRANSITIONS: shows the logical relationship between one idea and another First we ordered our food at the restaurant. Then we waited patiently for the waiter to bring our food. Meanwhile we were served our drinks. Soon all of us were deep in conversation. A little later, our food arrived. During the meal most of us were rather quiet. Read each passage, then list four or five transitions you would probably include in the remainder of the passage. (Examples of Transitions: above, around, behind, over, afterwards, yesterday, a year ago, meanwhile, also, in addition, likewise, similarly, despite, however, in fact, important for instance, in particular, such as etc) Passage A: The steps involved in registering for classes are simple. First, you must go the faculty concerned. .. Passage B : After playing in the muddy ground and in the wet leaves, the six year old boy was really dirty and tired. First, his shoes were covered with mud. . Passage C : Although Charles and Patrick are twins, they are different in many ways. Passage D : WRITE YOUR OWN TOPIC SENTENCE and then add the transitions you would probably include in the remainder of the paragraph. .

3.7 SUMMARY * Academic writing is based on analysis - the process of breaking down ideas so as to increase one's understanding by using deductive reasoning, semiformal voice and the third person point-ofview. * General purpose is to present information that displays a clear understanding of a subject while the specific purpose varies according to the assignment. * Structure of academic writing: gains the readers attention as well as it identifies the focus, or thesis * They must clearly and logically support the thesis and must be arranged in the best possible way, e.g. chronologically, order of importance, etc. * Draw a final conclusion for the reader. * The writing process : useful tasks for writing an essay or completing an assignment. * Unifying a paragraph. Relating one idea to another * Coherence in a paragraph, arrangement of ideas in a logical form References Alan Meyers (2005). Gateways to Academic Writing. New York: Pearson Education. Alice Oshima & Ann Hogue (2006). Writing Academic English. New York: Pearson Education