University of Toronto

1. University of Toronto- Writing
advice
Instituto Superior de Formación docente nro 41
Subject: Language and Written expression 4
Professor: Stella Maris Saubidet Oyhamburu
Student: Fabiana Di Florio

2. 1-General advice on Academic Essay-Writing.
An essay should have:
● An argument ( thesis reason and evidence)
● Formulate the question(s) you will seek to answer in your essay (thesis or
hypothesis)
● Essay´s organization (beginning, development and ending)
● Methods of composing (start writing early, keep essay´s overall purpose and
organization in mind, revise extensively)

3. Expectations of University writing
● Essay Structure -According your ideas and arguments
● Paragraphs -Clear and coherent
-With a topic sentence
● Thesis Statement -At the end of the opening
paragraph (two or three sentences long )
● Introduction and conclusion -Specific and concrete
● Argument -include narrative or plot
elements to analyze
-Supported
by evidence

4. Understanding Essay Topic- A Checklist
● Note the key terms -Analyse (causeeffect)
- Compare (find
differences and similarities)
-Evaluate (judge
the result of your analysis)
-Argue (agree
disagree)
● Note concepts or methods
● Ask yourself questions about the topic in terms of the concept or method that
seem applicable

5. Grading policies
Percentage Letter Grade definition
90-100 A+ Excellent Strong evidence of original
thinking. Good organization.Capacity to analyze and synthesize.Critical
evaluation.Evidence of extensive knowledge base.
67-69 B Adequate Student who is profiting
from the university experience.Understanding of the subject matter and ability to
develop solutions to simple problem in the material.
0-49 F Inadequate Little evidence of even
superficial understanding of subject matter

6. 2-Planning and Organizing.Organizing an Essay
Basic guidelines:
➔ First think about the type of essay and genre.
◆ then a discussion of strengths and weaknesses
◆ finally the overall evaluation
➔ Avoid a common pitfall.
◆ make an essay outline
◆ make sentences outline or topic outline to help you to start

7. Techniques for integrating note-taking and planning-
❖ Method 1
➢ Index cards
■ write down ideas, fact, quotation or paraphrase on a separate index card
■ use white and coloured cards
● main points on coloured cards and supporting notes on white ones.
❖ Method 2
➢ The computer
■ collect your points consecutively
■ sort your ideas when you are ready to start planning
❖ Method 3
➢ your ideas on a single page
■ you can see them all at once
■ circle main ideas
■ circle ideas that support main ideas
■ connect the two circles with a line

8. Planning advantages
● Helps to produce a logical and orderly argument.
● Helps you to produce an economical paper
● Helps you to produce a thorough paper by making it easier for you to notice
whether you have left anything out
● Makes drafting the paper easier by allowing you to concentrate on writing
issues.

9. Thesis statements -Characteristics-
❖ It makes a definite and limited assertion.
➢ explain and support by further discussion.
❖ It shows the emphasis and indicates the methodology of your argument.
❖ It shows awareness of difficulties and disagreements.
Some Myths:
❖ It requires one thesis.
❖ A thesis statement must come at the end of the first paragraph.
❖ A thesis statement must be one sentence in length.
➢ use two or three if you need them
❖ A thesis statement must give three points of support
➢ The essay will explain and give evidence for its assertion.

10. Introduction and Conclusion
General advice about effective introductions:
❏ Capture the reader's attention.
❏ Show the seriousness of the problem you will address
❏ Quote an expert at the beginning.
❏ Mention a common misperception
❏ Give some background information
❏ Use a brief narrative or anecdote
❏ Include your own experiences.
❏ illustrate a real-world scenario.

11. General advice about effective conclusion:
❏ Recommend a specific course of action.
❏ Use an apt quotation or expert opinion.
❏ Include your own life experiences.

12. Paragraphs
Related sentences or thematic unity that supports one central, unified idea
➔ Topic sentence
◆ main point of paragraph
➔ Thesis statement
◆ main point of essay
➔ Illustrations support a general statement
◆ examples, details or relevant quotations.
➔ Show connections
◆ deliberate repetition or synonyms of key words
◆ strategic use of pronouns.
◆ specialized linking words.

13. Topic sentences
★ State the main point of a paragraph
★ Appear at the beginning of the paragraph.
★ Show how your paragraph contributes to the development of your argument

14. 3- Researching- Critical reading towards Critical writing
➢ Determine the central claims or purpose
○ thesis
➢ Look at the context
○ audience, historical context..
➢ Kind of reasoning employed
○ methods, concepts defined, theory
➢ Examine the evidence
○ supporting facts, examples, sources taken.
➢ Evaluation
○ judgement

15. Taking notes for research reading.
Principles: Know what kind of ideas you need to record
● Review your notes, textbook or other reference work
● Make a preliminary list of subtopics
● Choose an interesting and controversial angle
● Look for another´s people opinions, theories and facts
● Label your notes
● Compress ideas in your own words

16. Dealing with new words
● Don´t look up every hard word in the dictionary
● Guess first
● Sound it out
● Examine the structure
● Look at the context
● Reinforce by writing a synonym
● Use the dictionary as a final step

17. Research using the Internet
❖ Use carefully and critically
➢ Don't rely exclusively on Net resources
■ Use library resources
➢ Narrow your research topic before logging on
■ Think about what you are looking for
➢ Know your subject directories and search engines
➢ Keep a detailed record of sites you visit and the sites you use
➢ Double check all URLs that you put in your paper
➢ Evaluate specific resources on the Net
■ Authority, who is the author
■ qualifications
➢ Affiliation
■ Web site sponsor
➢ Audience level
➢ Content reliability Accuracy

18. Previewing
➔ Read with a certain goals in mind
➔ Read the title
➔ Think about the subject matter
➔ The author
➔ Where was the text published? The audience
➔ Chapter titles headings
➔ Facts and ideas

19. Skimming and Scanning
★ From general overview to read in detail
★ Use previewing techniques
★ Read the introductory paragraph
★ Predict the direction of the arguments
★ Skimming
○ Keep your eyes moving
★ Scanning
○ Read carefully

20. Summarizing
The aims is to reproduce the ideas identifying the general concepts.
Methods:
➢ Include the title and author in the first sentence
➢ 1st and 2nd sentence should contain the author's thesis or central concept in
your own words
➢ In a larger article, divide the explanation in groups of related paragraphs
➢ Omit ideas that are not realy central to the text
➢ Omit minor details
➢ Avoid writing opinions
➢ Be careful not to plagiarize the author´s words.If not use quotation marks.

21. Using sources
How not to plagiarize
● Show your own thinking
● Give a reference about the ideas you´ve used
○ Name the author (“X” says and “Y”argues against “X”)
● If you use the author's exact words, enclose them in quotation marks
● Try to paraphrase or summarize but mention the name of the source or the
author
● Paraphrase
○ Use someone else's ideas in your own words
● Summarize
○ Reduce the most essential points of someone else's work into a shorter form

22. Revising
A- Revise the ideas presented -Clear and forceful-
★ The kind of thinking
○ Analyse, argue, compare
★ Genre
○ Book review, critique, personal response, essay
★ Concepts and methods of reasoning
★ Evidence for your argument
B- Organization
★ Introduction
★ connection between the sections
★ Conclusion

23. C- Polish and edit your style
★ Read aloud your passages to draw attention to key ideas
★ Use spell check
★ Don't depend on a Thesaurus and grammar checker
D- Appearance
★ Include a cover page -title,name of the course, your name, date,proffesor-
★ Number the pages-Top right hand corner-
★ Double-space your text-quotations,footnotes,references lists,margins of 2,5
cm on all sides of the page
★ Use standard font in twelve-point
★ Put the reference list or bibliography at the end
★ Staple your pages

24. Wordiness
Wordiness
● Don´t use more words than necessary
● Doubling of words-choose one-
● Intensifiers, qualifiers -omit or give specific detail-
● Padded Verbs -use a one-word form-
● Unnecessary”To Be” and “Being” -omit-
● Passive verbs -change to active voice with a personal subject-
● Overuse of relative structures -who, which,that- Omit when possible

25. Bibliography
● University of Toronto (n.d) Writing Advice
http://writing.utoronto.ca/