Advice on Academic Writing

1. Instituto Superior de Formación Docente N°41
Language and Written Expression IV
Teacher: Saubidet Oyhamburu, Stella
Student: Carrizo, Dalia Macarena
Date: May 2020

2. Index
General advice on Academic essay-writing…………
3
Planning and Organizing
Organizing an essay (Some basic guidelines)....................
4
Planning Advantages/ Overplanning risks……………………..
5
Thesis Statements…………………………………………………………... 6
General advice about Introductions…………………………….. 7
General advice about Conclusions………………………………... 8
Paragraphs………………………………………………………………………. 9
Topic sentences……………………………………………………………...
10
Reading and
Researching……………………………………11
Critical reading toward critical writing…………………. 12
Dealing with new words…………………………………………... 13
Using
sources………………………………………………………. 17
Specific types of writing……………………………………...
18
Revising
Revising and editing………………………………………………………..
19
Punctuation……………………………………………………………………..
20
Some tools to improve your spelling………………………………..
21
English Language………………………………………………..
22
Bibliography………………………………………………………
… 23

3. General Advice on Academic essay-writing
1. An essay should have an argument. It should answer a question and try to prove
something.
1. You should formulate the question(s ) you will seek to answer in your essay. Next, develop a
provisional thesis or hypothesis.
1. An essay’s organization should be designed to present your argument clearly and
persuasively.
1. Successful methods:
- Start writing early.
- Don’t try to write an essay from beginning to end.
- Keep the essay’s overall purpose and organization in mind.
- Revise the essay extensively. Even though if it often involves putting the essay aside for a few
days.
- Revise sentences, considering diction (exactness and aptness of words ) and economy (fewest
words).

4. Planning and Organizing
● Organizing an essay. (Some basic guidelines)
-Ask questions: What type of essay am I going to write? Does it belong to a
specific genre? It can help you to structure your essay.
- Be aware that genres are not fixes. Understanding them can take you only
so far.
- A common pitfall: the structure of an essay should not be determined by
the structure of its source material.
- Sentence outlines: full sentences to express complex details.
- Topic outlines: fragments rather than full sentences.
- When should I begin putting together a plan? The earlier you begin planning,
the better.
- Start to formalize your thoughts in the form of a tentative plan. Then,
search for evidence for the points in your plan. Remember: It may need to be
modified.
- Some techniques for integrating note-taking and planning:
METHOD 1: Index cards METHOD 3: The circle method
METHOD 2: The computer METHOD 4: Reverse outline

5. - How much of my time should I put into planning? A well-planned paper is going to be
better organized than a paper that was not planned out.
- Be aware of the implications of planning too little or too much.
Planning provides the following
advantages:
It helps you to:
-produce a logical and orderly argument.
-produce an economical paper by
allowing you to spot repetition.
-produce a thorough paper by making it
easier for you.
-makes drafting the paper easier
concentrating on writing issues such as
grammar, word choice, and clarity.
Overplanning poses the following risks:
• doesn’t leave you enough time to write and
revise.
• leads you to produce papers that try to
cover too much ground.
• can result in a writing style that lacks
spontaneity and ease.
• does not provide enough opportunity to
discover new ideas in the process of writing.

6. Planning and organizing
USING THESIS STATEMENTS
1. It makes a definite and limited assertion
that needs to be explained and supported by
further discussion.
2.It shows the emphasis of your argument and
indicates its methodology
3.It shows awareness of difficulties and
disagreements.
MYTHS ABOUT THESIS
STATEMENTS
1.Every paper requires one.
2.A thesis statement must come at the end
of the first paragraph
3.A thesis statement must be one sentence
in length.
4.You can't start writing an essay until you
have a perfect thesis statement.
5.A thesis statement must give three points
of support.

7. Planning and Organizing
GENERAL ADVISE ABOUT INTRODUCTIONS
Introductions should identify your topic,
provide essential context, and indicate your particular
focus in the essay.
1. Be aware of the dangers of sinking too much
time into the introduction.
2. You may at a later stage need to compress your
introduction.
3. They can be effectively written in one
paragraph occupying half to three-quarters of the
first page.
4. Get to the point as soon as possible and avoid
sweeping generalizations.
5. Your thesis statement will typically appear at
the end of your introduction.
Strategies for writing an interesting and effective
introduction.
❖ Find a startling statistic.
❖ Quote an expert.
❖ Mention a common misperception.
❖ Give some background information necessary.
❖ Use a brief narrative or anecdote that exemplifies
your reason for choosing the topic.
❖ In a science paper, explain key scientific concepts
and refer to relevant literature.
❖ In a more technical paper, define a term that is
possibly unfamiliar to your audience.
❖ Don’t provide dictionary definitions.
❖ Don’t repeat the assignment specifications.
❖ Don’t give details and in-depth explanations that
really belong in your body paragraphs.

8. Planning and Organizing
GENERAL ADVICE ABOUT CONCLUSIONS.
1. A conclusion is not merely a summary of your
points or a re-statement of your thesis.
2. The conclusion involves critical thinking.
Reflect upon the significance of what you’ve
written.
3. Broaden your focus a bit at the end of the
essay. A good last sentence leaves your reader with
something to think about.
4. One well-developed paragraph is sufficient for
a conclusion. The length of it should reflect the
length of the essay.
Strategies for writing an interesting and effective
conclusion.
❖ Warn readers of the possible consequences of not
attending to the problem.
❖ Recommend a specific course of action.
❖ Use an apt quotation or expert opinion to lend
authority.
❖ Give a startling statistic, fact, or visual image to
drive home.
❖ Illustrate your concluding point with a relevant
narrative drawn from your own life experiences.
❖ Return to an anecdote, example, or quotation
that you introduced in your introduction.
❖ Mention worthwhile avenues for future research
on your topic.

9. Planning and Organizing
PARAGRAPHS
A paragraph is a series of related sentences developing a central idea, called the topic.
The most effective way to achieve paragraph unity is to express the central idea of the
paragraph in a topic sentence. Not all paragraphs need topic sentences.
How do I develop my ideas in a paragraph?
Body paragraph demonstrates and develops your topic sentence through an ordered, logical progression of
ideas.
There are useful techniques for expanding on topic sentences and developing your ideas in a paragraph.
-Illustration How do I make my ideas flow in a paragraph?
-Definition paragraph Think about:
-Analysis or classification paragraph - Show connections.
-Comparison or a contrast paragraph - Deliberate repetition of key words.
-Qualification paragraph - Strategic use of pronouns.
-Process paragraph -Specialized linking words.
-Combination of methods

10. Planning and organizing
TOPIC SENTENCES
➢ A topic sentence states the main point of a paragraph: it serves as a mini-thesis for the
paragraph.
➢ Topic sentences usually appear at the very beginning of paragraphs. But not always.
➢ Relating your topic sentences to your thesis can help strengthen the coherence of your
essay.
➢ Do not forget that your topic sentence should do more than just establish a
connection between your paragraph and your thesis.
➢ Use a topic sentence to show how your paragraph contributes to the development of
your argument.
➢ Every paragraph does NOT necessarily need a topic sentence.

11. Reading and researching
HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF READING
★ Textbooks
★ Primary Sources
★ Research Reading
TAKING NOTES FROM RESEARCH READING
★ Know what kind of ideas you need to
record.
★ Don't write down too much.
★ Label your notes intelligently.

12. Reading and Researching
CRITICAL READING TOWARD CRITICAL WRITING
To read critically is to make judgments about how a text is argued. The key is:
-- don’t read looking only or primarily for information.
-- do read looking for ways of thinking about the subject matter.
HOW DO I READ LOOKING FOR WAYS OF THINKING?
1. First determine the central claims or purpose of the text (its thesis).
2. Begin to make some judgments about context. All these matters of context can contribute to your assessment of what is
going on in a text.
3. Distinguish the kinds of reasoning the text employs.
4. Examine the evidence the text employs. Supporting evidence is indispensable to an argument.
5. Critical reading may involve evaluation.
SOME PRACTICAL TIPS
1. Critical reading occurs after some preliminary processes of reading. Begin by skimming research materials.
2. Teach yourself to highlight argument
3. Try to remain aware of how this portion fits into the whole argument from which it is taken. Paying attention to context is a
fundamental critical move
4. Use the quotation critically
5. Critical reading skills are also critical listening skills.

13. Reading and Researching
A SYSTEM FOR DEALING WITH NEW WORDS WHILE READING
Reinforcing New Vocabulary
➔ Say the word out loud according to the dictionary pronunciation guide.
➔ Write down the word and mark it up to show its inner structure (root word + prefixes, suffixes).
➔ Write down a brief definition. Then copy out the sentence where you saw the word used—and
say it aloud as you write.
➔ Read over the card periodically. Eventually try writing a sentence of your own using the word.

14. Reading and Researching
PREVIEWING
When reading for academic purposes, it is preferable to read with certain goals in mind.
This will enable you to place your focus on the proper elements of the reading and to
avoid wasting time on elements which aren’t important for your purposes.
A basic method
a. Read the title.
b. Think about the subject matter.
c. Who wrote this text? What information do you have about this author?
d. Where was this text originally published?
e. When was this text originally published?
f. Read the chapter titles or the headings that break up the chapter or article
g. Why has your professor assigned this text? What kinds of facts and ideas are you
expected to retain from this reading?

15. Reading and Researching
SKIMMING
By first skimming a text, you can get a sense of its
overall logical progression. Skimming can also help
you make decisions about where to place your
greatest focus when you have limited time for your
reading.
a. First, prior to skimming, use some of the
previewing techniques.
b. Then, read carefully the introductory paragraph.
c. Read carefully the first one or two sentences of
each paragraph
d. Keep your eyes moving and try to avoid looking up
unfamiliar words or terminology.
e. Read carefully the concluding paragraph or
paragraphs.
f. Finally, return to the beginning and read through
the text carefully. Adjust your focus accordingly.
SCANNING
Scanning is basically skimming with a more
tightly focused purpose:
-skimming to locate a particular fact or
figure, or -to see whether this text mentions a
subject you’re researching.
Scanning is essential in the writing of research
papers.

16. Reading and Researching
SUMMARIZING
Summarizing a text, or distilling its essential concepts into a paragraph or two, is a useful study tool
as well as good writing practice.
A summary has two aims: (1) to reproduce the overarching ideas in a text, identifying the general
concepts that run through the entire piece, and (2) to express these overarching ideas using precise,
specific language.
Some methods
a. Include the title and identify the author in your first sentence.
b. The first sentence or two of your summary should contain the author’s thesis, or central concept,
stated in your own words.
c.Divide the article into sections if it isn’t done in the published form. Then, write a sentence or two
to cover the key ideas in each section.
d. Omit ideas that are not really central to the text.
e. In general, omit minor details and specific examples.
f. Avoid writing opinions or personal responses in your summaries (save these for active reading
responses or tutorial discussions).
g. Be careful not to plagiarize the author’s words. If you do use even a few of the author’s words, they
must appear in quotation marks.

17. Using sources
HOW NOT TO PLAGIARIZE
Always write down the author, title and publication information
(including the
URL and other identifying information for web pages) so you can attach
names and dates to specific ideas.
If you use the author’s exact words, enclose them in quotation marks,
or indent passages of more than four
lines.
OTHER SOURCES
● Standard Documentation Formats (Traditional Endnotes, MLA
System, APA System, Numbered Note Systems, Internet Sources).
● Using Quotations
● Paraphrasing
● Summarizing

18. Specific types of writing
When we think about making a writing, we can name several specific types. And all of them have
different characteristics.
Some of them are:
❏ A book review or article critique.
❏ An annotated bibliography.
❏ The Abstract.
❏ The Comparative Essay.
❏ Writing about History.
❏ Writing about Literature.
❏ Writing a Philosophy essay.
❏ Writing in the Sciences.
❏ Effective admission letters.
❏ Applicattion letters and résumés.
❏ The Academic proposal
❏ Lab report
❏ Writing for the Public

19. Revising
REVISING AND EDITING
Revising gives you the chance to preview your work on behalf of the eventual reader. Revision is
much more than proofreading, though in the final editing stage it involves some checking of details.
Good revision and editing can transform a mediocre first draft into an excellent final paper.
Some steps to follow
1. First check whether you have fulfilled the intention of the assignment.
2. Then look at overall organization.
3. Now polish and edit your style by moving to smaller matters such as word choice, sentence
structure, grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
About Appearance
o Include a cover page giving the title of your paper, the name of the course, your name, the date, and
the instructor’s name.
o Number your pages in the top right-hand corner.
o Double-space your text, including indented quotations, footnotes, and reference lists.
o Use a standard font in twelve-point size.
o Put the reference list or bibliography on a separate page at the end.
o Staple your pages.

20. Revising
PUNCTUATION
An important thing to consider when writing is
Punctuation.
It provides you with considerable control over meaning and
tone.
Take into account:
❖ Commas
❖ Conjunctions
❖ Semicolons
❖ Colons
❖ Dashes
❖ Parentheses

21. Revising
SOME TOOLS TO IMPROVE YOUR SPELLING
★ Use a (good) dictionary.
★ Be consistent about using British or Americans spellings in your writing.
★ Always check certain "troublesome" suffixes in your dictionary.
★ Create your own "difficult-to-spell" lists.
★ Learn the standard pronunciations for frequently misspelled words.
★ Watch out for homophones, near-homophones, and other easily confusable words.
★ Use your computer spellchecker.
★ Become familiar with English spelling rules.

22. English Language
Also you have to take into account these items
when you are writing.
● The Use of Articles
● Expressions of Quantity
● Te Use of Gerunds and Infinitives.
● Verbs for referring to sources

23. Bibliography
University of Toronto, Advice on Academic
Writing, (n.d). Available at:
https://writing.utoronto.ca/
Images: Google Images