Written Expression 4 - Portfolio Entry #3 Student: Florencia Martínez.

1. ADVICE ON ACADEMIC WRITING
● Teacher: Saubidet Oyhamburu Stella Maris
● Student: Martinez Maria Florencia
● School: ISFD 41
● Subject: Written Expression IV
● Date:

2. Index
● General
1. Some general advice on academic essay writing……… diap. 4
2. Understanding essay topics: A checklist…………………..diap. 5
● Planning
1. Organizing an Essay………………………………………………….diap. 6
2. Organizing an essay…………………………………………… …....diap. 7
3. Paragraphs and topic sentences………………………………..diap.8
● Researching
1. Critical reading towards critical writing…………………….diap.9
2. How not to plagiarize………………………………………………...diap.10
3. Standard documentation formats(examples).…………...daip.11
● Revising
1. Revising and editing……………………………………………………..diap.12
2. Hit parade of errors in grammar, punctuation and style..diap.13
3. Punctuation………………………………………………………………….diap.14
4. Passive Voice………………………………………………………………..diap.15
● Types of writing
1. The book review or article critique……………………………….diap.16
2. Writing an annotated bibliography……………………………….diap.17

3. Index
● Types of writing
1. The abstract………………………………………………. diap.18
2. The comparative essay………………………………….diap.19
3. Effective Admission letters…………………………...diap.20
4. Academic proposal………………………………………..diap.21
● English Language
1. Using Articles/The definite article “THE”...........diap.22
2. Using Gerunds and Infinitives………………………..diap.23

4. Writing Advice on Academic Writing
General
● Some general advice on academic essay writing.
● An essay should have an ARGUMENT.
● It should try to PROVE something by reasoning and evidence. Try to include examples
and citations from any particular text or sources your argument involves.
● When an assigned topic does not provide you with a thesis-made you should try to
formulate questions you will seek to answer in your essay. Next, develop by thinking,
reading and jotting a provisional HYPOTHESIS.
● A well presented argument should be WELL-ORGANIZED-how it begins, develops and
ends- it would help you to present your argument clearly and persuasively.
● Various METHODS OF ORGANIZATION are employed by writers, such as:
● They start writing early.
● They write what seems to be readiest to be written.
● They keep essay´s overall purpose and organization in mind.
● They revise extensively. It involve writers in drafting and redrafting, editing, reorganizing,
adding or deleting parts of their essay.
● Once they have a well- organized draft, they revise sentences, transitions, diction and
economy.

5. Writing advice on Academic Writing.
General.
● Understanding Essay Topics: A checklist
1. Before you start into research or writing, invest some time in thinking through the
specific assignment you are dealing with.
2. Note which concepts or methods the topic ask you to use. An essay assignment expects
you to use course CONCEPTS AND WAYS OF THINKING, it encourages you to apply
course METHODOLOGY.
3. Note the key terms in the assignment sheet, including those NAMING PARTS OF THE
TOPIC and those giving DIRECTIONS for dealing with it. Look especially for words that
define the kind of reasoning you should be using: WHY, HOW, ANALIZE(look behind the
surface structure of your source material), COMPARE(find differences as well as
similarities), EVALUATE(emphasize that you are to apply your judgement to the results of
your analysis), ARGUE-AGREE OR DISAGREE-(asks you to stand based on analysis of
solid evidence and explained by clear reasoning.
4. To generate ideas from which you can choose the direction of your research, ASK
YOURSELF QUESTIONS about the specific topic in terms of the concepts or methods
that seem applicable.
5. For an essay argument, formulate a TENTATIVE THESIS STATEMENT at a early stage.

6. Writing Advice on Academic Writing
Planning.
● Organizing an essay: Some basic guidelines.
1. When you begin planning a well-thought out plan can save you from having to do a lot or
reorganizing when the first draft is completed.
2. Then you have to ask yourself some questions related to the genre your essay is going to
be about; it would help you in the structure organization of you essay.
3. Avoiding a common pitfall: - The structure of your essay should not be determined by its
source material. For example: an essay on a historical period should not necessarily
follow the the chronology of events from that period. If your essay is not well organized,
then its overall weakness will show through it the individual paragraphs.
4. What does an essay outline look like? : When you produce your outline, you should follow
certain basic principles; it should be a SENTENCE OUTLINE or a TOPIC OUTLINE.
5. When should I begin putting together a plan?: The earlier you begin to plan, the better.
You will have to do some reading and weighing of evidence before you start to plan. If you
have some idea where your argument is headed, you can then search for evidence fr the
points in your tentative plan.
6. Some techniques for integrating note-taking and planning : here are some methods used:
1- INDEX CARDS; 2- THE COMPUTER; 3- THE CIRCLE METHOD

7. Writing Advice on Academic Writing
Planning.
● Organizing an essay: Some basic guidelines.
7. What is a reverse outline? : When you have completed your first draft, and you think your
paper can be better organized consider using a reverse outline.
8. How much of my time should I put into planning?: Thinking carefully about how you are going
to argue your paper and preparing an outline can only add to the quality of your final product.
● PLANNING provides you to some advantages such as:
1. Helps you to produce a logical orderly argument
2. Helps you to spot repetition.
● OVERPLANNING poses some risks:
1. Sometimes doesn't leave you enough time to write and revise
2. Does not provide enough opportunity to discover new ideas in the process of writing.

8. Writing Advice on Academic Writing
Planning.
● Paragraphs and topic sentences.
1. What is a paragraph? It is a serie of interrelated sentences developing a central idea the
TOPIC. It is a sentence or a group of sentences that supports a CENTRAL IDEA OR
TOPIC SENTENCE, which is adding one at time to your broader argument.
● TOPIC SENTENCE is similar to a MINI THESIS STATEMENT.
A. It is the main point of the paragraph and has an unifying function.
B. It usually are placed at the very beginning of paragraphs.
C. It makes an abstract point, and the rest of the paragraph elaborates on that point using
concrete examples as evidence.
D. How do I come up with a topic sentence? Relating your topic sentence with your thesis
can help strengthen the coherence of your essay. Use a topic sentence to show how you
paragraph contributes to the development of your argument.
2. How do I develop my ideas in a paragraph? There are a number of useful techniques for
expanding on topic sentences and developing your ideas in a paragraph. Some of them
are: ILLUSTRATION (examples, details, quotations); DEFINITION PARAGRAPH(it
defines a term); ANALYSIS OR CLASSIFICATION PARAGRAPH( it distinguishes the
components of a topic); a COMPARISON or CONTRAST PARAGRAPH(it focuses on a
key similarity or difference between two ideas, sources or positions); the PROCESS
PARAGRAPH( it involves a step description); a COMBINATION OF METHODS within a

9. Writing Advice on Academic Writing
Researching.
● Critical reading towards critical writing
1. A critical reading involves you in make judgment about how the text is argued and to look
for ways of thinking about the subject matter. What you have to do is:
A. First, determine the PURPOSE of the thesis.
B. Begin to make judgments about CONTEXT (audience, historical context)
C. Distinguish the KIND OF REASONING the text employs (concepts, methodologies)
D. Examine the EVIDENCE (examples, supporting facts, etc) the text employs.
E. Critical reading may involve EVALUATION ( make a serie of judgment about how the text
is argued)

10. Writing Advice on Academic Writing
Using Sources.
● How not to plagiarize.
1. You need to give references as soon as you've mentioned the idea you are using.
2. You need to keep mentioning authors and pages and dates to show how your ideas are
related to those of the experts. Even if you have quoted a passage, or have paraphrased
or summarized it, you need to identify the source.
3. What do I have to document?
A. Quotations, paraphrases or summaries: If you use the author's exact words enclose
them in quotation marks. You should use your own words to summarize an idea you want
to discuss emphasizing the points relevant to your argument.
B. Specific Ideas used as evidence for your argument or interpretation: When you are
relying on ideas that might be disputed by people in your discipline, establish that they
are trustworthy by referring to authoritative sources.
C. Distinctive or authoritative ideas, whether you agree with them or not: The way you
introduce the reference can indicate your attitude into your own argument.

11. Writing Advice on Academic Writing
Using Sources.
● Standard documentation formats.
1. Traditional Footnotes
2. MLA System
2. APA System

12. Writing Advice on Academic Writing
Revising.
● Revising and editing.
1. Revision is much more than proofreading.
2. Revision in the final stage involves some checking of details . It often means adding or
deleting sentences and paragraphs.
A. First, check if you have fulfilled the intention of the assignment.
B. Then look at overall organization( introduction, sections, connection between sections
and the conclusion)
C. Now, polish and edit your style by moving to smaller matters such as word choice,
sentences, structure, grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
2. The appearance of your assignment is an important issue. You should include a cover
page (the title, the name of the course, your name, teacher's name), an index, a
bibliography.

13. Writing Advice on Academic Writing
Revising.
● Hit Parade of Errors in GRAMMAR, PUNCTUATION AND STYLE.
● Despite that Grammar is not the only thing markers take into account while checking your assignments,
you should be careful and pay attention to some common mistakes such as:
1. Faulty agreement: subject and verbs-pronouns and nouns must agree in number.
2. Sentence fragments: Remember checking you are using a complete sentence with a
subject+Predicative(verb); it may contain at least an independent clause.
3. Run-on [fused] sentences: a sentence should express only one central idea.
4. Overuse of passive voice: Prefer active verbs to passive verbs.
5. Vague pronouns:Make sure that pronouns such as “it” ot “this” refers something specific.
6. A “misplaced” modifier (usually an adverb) is positioned so that it changes the meaning of the sentence.
7. Mixed or dead metaphors : Recognize the literal meanings of your metaphors.
8. Misuse of comma, semicolon and colon:
➔ Use a comma after each item in a series of three or more.
➔ Use a comma when you join independent clauses with one of the seven coordinating conjunctions (and,
or, nor, but, so, yet, for).
➔ Use a semicolon when you join independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction.
➔ Use a colon to introduce a list or a long or formal quotation after a complete sentence.

14. Writing Advice on Academic Writing
Revising.
● Punctuation.
1. Punctuation provides you with considerable control over meaning and tone. Try to experiment with
punctuation in order to expand your expressive range as a writer.
★ COMMAS: Commas are the most frequently used form of punctuation, but it has certain rules to follow
when applied it.
a. When the introductory phrase includes a participle (a verb form ending in –ing or –ed), always add a
comma.
b. Make sure also to add a comma after an introductory clause.
c. When joining two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction (and, or, nor, but, yet, for, so),
you normally place a comma before the conjunction.
d. Place commas between each element of a list of three or more parallel words, phrases, or clauses.
e. Surround interrupting or parenthetical clauses or phrases with commas. Such clauses or phrases are
not essential to the sentence. (APPOSITIVE)
★ SEMICOLONS: The semicolon has two main uses. The first is to combine two closely related
independent clauses into one sentence. The other valid use of semicolons is to separate list elements
that are long or complex.
★ COLONS: Colons offer a way of urging your reader forward. The words preceding the colon create an
expectation.
★ DASHES: Dashes are used to set off interrupting clauses or phrases.

15. Writing Advice on Academic Writing
Revising.
● Passive Voice.
1. In an active sentence, the person or thing responsible for the action in the sentence comes first. In a
passive sentence, the person or thing acted on comes first, and the actor is added at the end,
introduced with the preposition “by.” The passive form of the verb is signaled by a form of “to be”.
2. Passive voice can be perfectly used in the following cases:
➔ When the actor is unknown.
➔ When the actor is irrelevant.
➔ You want to be vague about who is responsible.
➔ You are talking about a general truth.
➔ You want to emphasize the person or thing acted on. It might be your main topic.
➔ You are writing in a scientific genre that traditionally relies on passive voice. Passive voice is often
preferred in lab reports and scientific research papers, most notably in the Materials and Methods
section.
2. Passive voice is omitted for example in academic writings where the focus is on differences
between the ideas of different researchers, or between your own ideas and those of the researchers
you are discussing. Too many passive sentences can create confusion.

16. Writing Advice on Academic Writing
Types of writing
● The book review or article critique.
1. An analytic or critical review of a book or article is not primarily a summary; rather, it comments on
and evaluates the work in the light of specific issues and theoretical concerns in a course.
2. While you are making a critical review you have to keep in mind:
➔ The specific topic of the book.
➔ The thesis statement the author states.
➔ The kinds of material does the work present.
➔ How is this material used to demonstrate and argue the thesis.
➔ What kind of theoretical issues and topics for the work raise.

17. Writing Advice on Academic Writing
Types of writing
● Writing an annotated bibliography
1. An annotated bibliography gives an account of the research that has been done on a given topic.
2. An annotated bibliography is an alphabetical list of research sources.
3. An annotated bibliography provides a concise summary of each source and some assessment of
its value or relevance.
★ Selecting the source.
a. The quality and usefulness of your bibliography will depend on your selection of sources.
b. If you have a clear idea about where your research is oriented, then you can make good
judgments about what to include and exclude.
c. Your research should attempt to be reasonably comprehensive within well-defined boundaries.
★ Summarizing the arguments of a source.
a. Rather than listing contents , an annotation should account for why the contents are there.
★ Assessing the relevance and values of your sources.
a. Your annotation should now go on to briefly assess the value of the source to an investigation of
your research question or problem. If your bibliography is part of a research project, briefly
identify how you intend to use the source and why. If your bibliography is an independent
project, try to assess the source’s contribution to the research on your topic.

18. Writing Advice on Academic Writing
Types of writing
● The abstract.
● Abstracts are important because they give a first impression of the document that follows, letting
readers decide whether to continue reading and showing them what to look for if they do. An abstract
should represent as much as possible of the quantitative and qualitative information in the document,
and also reflect its reasoning.
● Some important points to take into account while you are planning your abstract writing.:
1. An abstract will nearly always be read along with the title.
2. Readers expect to find a summary about your document, so try emphasize the different points in
proportion to the emphasis they receive in the body of the document.
3. Do not refer in the abstract to information that is not in the document.
4. Use key words from the document.

19. Writing Advice on Academic Writing
Types of writing
● The comparative essay.
1. A comparative essay asks that you compare at least two items. These items will differ
depending on the assignment. You might be asked to compare positions in a issue, theories,
figures, text, events.
2. The assignment sheet may say exactly what you need to compare, or it may ask you to come up
with a basis for comparison yourself.
3. Once you know your basis for comparison, think critically about the similarities and differences
between the items you are comparing, and compile a list of them.
4. Once you have listed similarities and differences.
● Come up with a structure of your essay.
1. Alternating method: Point-by-point pattern in the alternating method, you find related points
common to your central subjects A and B, and alternate between A and B on the basis of these
points (ABABAB …).
2. Block method: Subject-by-subject pattern in the block method (AB), you discuss all of A, then all
of B.

20. Writing Advice on Academic Writing
Types of writing
● Effective admission letters.
➔ When you write a letter or personal statement as part of applying for graduate or professional
school, you should take into account some issues:
➢ Be focussed.
➢ Be coherent. A clearly organized letter can create a picture of a clear-minded and sensible
person.Then, check the topic sentences of each paragraph in your finished piece to see if they make a
logical sequence.
➢ Be interpretive. Make an effort to find the exact right ones to suit the evidence you are offering.
➢ Be specific. Refer to the fact lists in other parts of your application, but be sure to offer enough
examples in your letter so that it can stand on its own.
➢ Be personal. The readers have asked you to tell stories, mention details, expand on facts. So mention
things you might not have put into the rest of the application.
● The organization of you application will depend on the kind of logical structure you could use to tie
your points together into a coherent whole. Some standard patterns are: NARRATIVE, ANALYTIC
OR TECHNICAL.

21. Writing Advice on Academic Writing
Types of writing
● Academic Proposal
➔ An academic proposal is the first step in producing a thesis or major project. Its intent is
to convince a supervisor or academic committee that your topic and approach are sound,
so that you gain approval to proceed with the actual research. As well as indicating your
plan of action, an academic proposal should show your theoretical positioning and your
relationship to past work in the area.
➔ It should contain a RATIONALE for the choice topic; a review of existing published work
that relates to the topic; an outline of your intended approach or methodology.
● Academic Proposal in Graduate schools.
➔ The advice here is meant to raise your awareness of some of the underlying functions and
issues around this important event in your graduate experience. Think of the thesis or
grant proposal as a way of raising your voice to speak out within the academic
community.
➔ A Grant Proposal typically contains more detail about practical matters such as
resources, funding, and timelines. It may be expected to contain a section on how the
results of your research will be evaluated.

22. Writing Advice on Academic Writing
English Language
● Every piece of writing will be written depending on different points such as the topic, the audience, the
purpose, etc. No matter how you are facing your work, you should be careful when express your ideas. This
involves you in check carefully grammar rules, sentence structures, word formation, etc.
➔ USING ARTICLES. What are articles? Articles are special modifiers that appear before nouns or noun
phrases. Like other adjectives, they help clarify the meaning of the noun in your sentence. There are only
two articles in the English language: the and a (and its variant an, used before a word that starts with a vowel
sound). You can determine which article to place in front of almost any noun by answering the following
three questions: Is the noun countable or uncountable? Is it singular or plural? Is it definite or indefinite?
➔ DEFINITE ARTICLE “THE”. when using the article “the” you have to bare in mind:
1. Is the noun indefinite (unspecified) or definite (specific)?. The general rule states that the first mention of a
noun is indefinite and all subsequent references to this noun are definite and take the.
2. Is the noun part of “the three special groups of nouns”?
➢ The first group consists of nouns which refer to shared knowledge of the situation or context.
➢ The second group consists of nouns referring to unique objects.
➢ Superlative adjectives and unique adjectives form the third group.
3. Is the noun modified? Pre-modified: If the noun is preceded by one of the following–
this/that/these/those/some/any/each/every/no/none/my/mine, do not use the article. Post-modified : if the
noun is followed by a dependent clause (who/which/that) or a prepositional phrase (of/in/to…), it is made
definite and takes the definite article “THE”.

23. Writing Advice on Academic Writing
English Language
● Using Gerunds and Infinitives.
● Gerunds and infinitives are verb forms that can take the place of a noun in a sentence.
A. Following a verb (gerund or infinitive) :Both gerunds and infinitives can replace a noun as the
object of a verb. Whether you use a gerund or an infinitive depends on the main verb in the
sentence:.
➔ Some common verbs followed by a gerund:
● admit They admitted falsifying the data.
● consider They will consider granting you money.
➔ Some commons verbs followed by an infinitive:
● afford We cannot afford to hesitate.
● expect The committee expects to decide by tomorrow.
A. Following a preposition (gerund only): Gerunds can follow a preposition; infinitives cannot.
● She got the money by selling the car.
A. Following an indirect object (infinitive only): Some verbs are followed by a pronoun or noun
referring to a person, and then an infinitive. Gerunds cannot be used in this position.
● ask I must ask you to reconsider your statement.

24. Bibliography
➢ WEBSITE
Advice on Academic Writing . Retrieved from University of Toronto.
Last visited on May 26th
Available at: http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/