Summary from: ENGLISH FOR WRITING RESEARCH PAPERS By: adrian.wallwork@gmail.com.

2. Good writing depends on the role you expect
reader to play
Good English technical writing requires a
minimal effort by reader.
People appreciate the paper if it has reader-centered
writing.
A reader has to be guided step-by-step
towards the writer’s conclusion

3. Each paragraph consist:-
Own title (topic sentence)
Intermediate sentence (1-8 sentence in a logical
sequence)
Conclusion sentence (referring to the first sentence or to
the next paragraph)
Only one specific idea should be included in each
sentence, and ONE general idea in a paragraph

4. Do not confuse a reader by using different
words which brings the same meaning. (Eg:
author, writer, researcher)
Use link words to relate each sentences in
the paragraph.
To help readers understand is to have a
maximum of 2 ideas per sentence.

5. Readers may not read a paper from beginning
to end.
Start some sections with a mini summary of
the main aims of a paper.
Besides a mini summary, a brief outline
about the other sections can be provided.

6. For short papers, we may not need mini
summaries, instead use a direct approach.
Direct approach – telling the reader what you
have found and not what you did.

7. A known information is usually placed at the
beginning of a sentence.
The first word of a paragraph should be able to
alert the reader the topic of sentence.
Move from a general idea to the specific idea in a
paragraph

8. Readers are used to focus on the first and
last word of a sentence.
Do not put important information in a middle
of the sentence.
If there are 2 important information, put
them in a separate sentence.
Do not use this method often, as it may look
like a “list”.

9. Each sentence has to be linked by a logical
progression
Each sentence is linked in a chain.
A full chain makes a paragraph

10. A sentence has to elaborate the information given in
the previous sentence.
This method would allow the reader to sense the
logical progression.
Example:-
Definition of topic sentence
Intermediate sentence 1
Intermediate sentence 2
Sentences has to
be linked
Intermediate sentence 3
Fact about the topic sentence

11. Main aim of a writer is to make the readers
understand your reasoning in a step-by-step
manner.
Readers should not change their perspective
at mid-point or end-point of a sentence.
It would be good to provide signs of what can
the reader expect next.

12. Use numbering system to describe each
stages, and consistently use them till the
end.
Eg: (Firstly, Secondly, Thirdly, Finally)
This system makes a paragraph to be visually
clear and more readable.

13. Start a new paragraph when there is a need to
highlight a new point or information
Do not use “our findings highlight”, “these result
shows” in a middle of a paragraph

14. Long paragraphs are considered to be not
readable.
Logical sequence of the points can be clearly
identified if it’s in a separate paragraph
Shorter paragraphs will be able to express
points in the simplest way
Maximum length of a paragraph could be
about 15 lines.

17. A beginning of a paragraph should continue
from the end point of a previous paragraph.
With the above sequence, there is no need
for mini summaries in each paragraph
A mini summary can be used to end a
section, but avoid redundancy in the final
paragraph of the section.