Writing tutor

Writing Tutor
Dt Jenifer Antony M.Sc., PGDFN
PhD Research Scholar
05-04-2020 www.nutrigiene.com 1

How to improveyour writing
• Dictionary can be a powerful tool to become a better writer in
English.
 Using the main part of the dictionary,
choose words carefully – Synonym, vocabulary (AWL)
Combine words naturally and effectively – collocation
Become more flexible – (SYN) word families
• Instead of repeating the same word, try to find other ways to
express ideas.
• Edit and check your work

 Using the writing tutor
 Writing texts (look carefully at)
– The structure and organization of the text
– The way ideas and paragraphs are linked
– The language and style
– The notes on particular points
 Tips
 Language banks - Useful phrases (familiar)
Planning WritingOrganising

The Writing Process
CREATE OWN WAY OF APPROACHING WRITING PROCESS
 Preliminary phase
 What is the purpose of this piece of writing?
 Who is my audience?
 Pre – writing phase
 Explore
• Ideas
• Mind maps
• Interesting concepts
• Facts
• Questions
• Conversation with colleagues

 Research
– Books, Journals, Scientific studies
 Organize
– Draft a thesis (main idea, statement or argument)
– Detailed outline of logical plan of article to support thesis
(gives structure to your writing)
– How many words to each report (decide roughly)
– Collect or prepare any visual aids such as charts or diagram
(if needed)

 Writing phase
– Draft and revise several times until it considered to be a
final draft
 Draft
– Formal sentence and paragraph
– Remain focussed on thesis
– (adapt original plan to ensure to support thesis)
– Follow your outline (modify if needed)
– Concentrate on structure than spelling and punctuation

 Review
– Read your writings with critical eye
– If possible ask someone to read your text
– After each review to the drafting step, revising and editing
your writing is necessary

Ask yourself
Early draft Later draft
1. Have you achieved original
purpose?
2. Have you Introduced subject,
developed it logically and come to
a conclusion?
3. Is your supporting evidence
appropriate and complete?
4. Do you need more examples,
statistics or quotes?
5. Is your ideas clearly signalled to
the reader?
6. Have you used headings to help
the reader?
7. Is each part have right length for
the demands of the topic?
1. Do the paragraphs breaks well?
2. Is the level of formality
appropriate for readers?
3. Did you choose the words
carefully using correct collocation?
4. Have you avoided repeating the
same words or phrases too often?
(except technical terms)
5. Have you met word count
requirements?
6. Whether the quoted sources
support your points?
7. Have you included the references
and citation in recommended
style?

 Presentation phase
 Proofread
– Correct surface errors of final draft
– Leave some time between final draft and proofreading
– Check for spelling, punctuation, grammatical mistakes
– Ask someone else to proofread as a last step
 Format
– Font size
– margins
– Line spacing
– Paper size

What makeswriting formal?
• Aim should always be to express your ideas clearly and in a
way that reader can easily understand.
• Notice the kind of language that is used in type of writing you
need.
• Word choice (AWL in dictionary)
• Avoid short forms (contracted forms & abbreviations)
• Sentence structure (aim for clarity)

Academicwriting
• Limit the use of first person pronouns (I & we)
• Avoid using (You)
• Passive forms are often used (It and adjective is used)
• Nouns are used as active verbs
• Use complex noun phrases with prepositions

Writing a dissertation
The title
– Choose a clear title with definite boundaries
– Check that you understand exactly what it means
Ask yourself:
– How can I define my subject so that it is not too wide
in scope?

 Reading & Research (evaluate the source)
– Quality of research plays vital part in successful writing
– Keep title in mind while searching the source
– See the results are valid and conclusions are justified
 Ask yourself:
– Is the content relevant?
– Is it reliable? Is it written by someone expert in this field?
– Is it biased in any way?
– Is there evidence to support information on anonymous
websites?

 Making notes
– When reading, make clear, accurate notes which
summarise the key points and main information
– Keep a note of the full reference for your source (title,
author, date, publisher and page numbers)

 Planning and organizing
– Long text must be divided into sections with subheadings
– It must have references or a bibliography at the end.
 When planning ask yourself
– How long should my text
– Have I organized my notes, grouping together?
– How writers made similar points?
– Do I agree with their opinion?
– What is the point I want to make to my readers?
– What do I want my readers to know by the end?
– Have I planned what to write in the introduction, body and
conclusion?

 Using other Researcher’s ideas
• Look carefully at how you have used other people’s words and
ideas
 Ask yourself:
• Have I included in my list of references all the works I have
used and referred to?
• Have I made it clear which words/ideas are mine and others?

Dissertations
 Title
 Content
 Abstract (a short text summarizing your dissertation)
 Introductory chapter
– Broad to narrow focus: to give the background
– Justify your research
– Explain your approach
– Give major arguments and current ideas on your topic
– Show the structure of dissertation
 Review of the literature
 Methodology (how you carried out any empirical research)
 Results
 Discussion
 Conclusion
– Narrow to broad focus: a summary of your argument
– Evaluation of your work
– Further research needed
 Bibliography or list of references

Plagiarism
• Coping another person’s ideas for words and pretending that
they are yours.
• If you use others idea, then you must quote where it is from.
• If not quoted you will be accused of plagiarism.

Writing a bibliography
Often called References (list of works mentioned in your work)
 Author date system
• Give full reference in bibliography
• Give family name of author/ editor of book/ article and the
year of publication in brackets after statement or quotation.
• Give both authors if there two, but if more authors, just add
‘et al’ after first author.
• ‘et.al.’ = and others

 Need to write
– The surname of the author or editor followed by initials or first name.
– The year of publication in brackets
– The title of the book in italics or underlined
– Give a full references at the end of your text, in alphabetical order by
the author’s name.
– Different institutions have different styles
– Check the method and punctuation to use and to consistent
– The edition numbers (if it is not the first edition)
– The place of publication
– The publisher

 Footnote/end note system
– The source details are numbered in footnote at the bottom
of the page or at the end in an end note.
– Put the same number in your text after the reference

Writing a summary
• Text containing key information
• The aim is to present readers with a short, clear account
of the ideas in the text.
• Important skill in academic
 Preparing to write
 Select the key information
– Read the text carefully, look up the words you don’t
know
– It is important to understand the whole sequence of
the argument

Ask yourself…
– What the text is about?
– Think about the purpose of your summary
– What your reader need to know?
– High light the key information (main ideas)
– Omit repetitions, example. Questions, information in brackets, figures
of speech, statistics and figures.
– Underline any information which you are not sure about (only include
if you have space)
– Make notes on the key information in your own words
– Write a first draft of your summary using the information you have
selected.

Organize
– The ideas in your notes into logical order.
– This need not be the same order as in the original text
must show the same argument.
Condense
– The information where possible
Express the ideas in your own words
– This will usually be shorter than the original
– Rewrite phrases in text but keep key term from subject
area.
DO NOT GIVE YOUR OWN OPINION ON THE TOPIC

 Working on the draft - Ask yourself
• Is it the right length?
– Stay as close to word limit
– Cut adjectives
– Replace phrase with shorter version
– If it is still too long, go back and reduce your key
information
• Does it contain all the important points from the text?
• Does it read well?
• Are the grammar and spelling correct?

Reporton data
• Graphs and charts are line graphs – showing developments
over a period of time
• Bar charts – comparing the proportions or amounts of
different things
• Pie charts – comparing percentages of parts of a whole piece
of data
 Preparing to write
– Interpreting a line graph
– It is essential that you understand the information
presented in the diagram before you begin writing

 Ask yourself
– What is the information about?
– What do the numbers on each axis represent?
– What changes do the lines show?
– How do the lines stand in relation to each other?
– Which feature of the lines stands out most?
– What conclusions can be drawn from the graph?

Writing a report
• A report describes a study, investigation or a project
• Its purpose is to persuade the readers to accept an idea
• It is read by people who require the information
• Language: accuracy and clarity are the essential features
• Vocabulary – language bank
• Organization – main features
Report can vary in length but it should be as long as necessary
and as short as possible

 Think about the reader (helps to improve report)
• Make the objective clear
– Helps the reader to know why there reading
• Is the purpose of the report clear throughout?
• Can the reader find information they need?
• Will diagrams/tables make the information clearer?
• Should I just present facts or included recommendations as
well?

 Organizing the report
– A typical report should follow the structure outline
– Shorter reports do no need sections but include few
sections (Title, Intro, Body and Conclusion)
 Title
– Should tell the reader exactly what the report is about
 Contents list (Good way to structure)
– Include table
– Numbered headings

 Summary
– Often called Executive summary
– It tells the objective and main findings, conclusions and
any recommendations.
 Introduction
• Should give the background of the report
– Why you are writing it?
– What the report will cover?
– How you got the information?

 Body of the report
– Precise information about the research you have carried
out and discovered from it
– The information should be factual and not based on
opinion
– Tables, charts and bulleted lists can make the information
clearer
 Conclusions
– Give your opinions on the facts that you have discovered

 Recommendations
– If it is needed – it should be based on your conclusions
– It should let the reader to know what you predict will
happen if they follow your recommendations
 Appendices
– Detailed information with cross references in the body of
the report
 Bibliography
– Number of other publications

All the best

Writing tutor

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to Writing tutor

Similar to Writing tutor (20)

More from Jenifer Antony

More from Jenifer Antony (6)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Writing tutor