研究生学术英语写作课件
《学术型英语写作》课件
Present the findings in a logical and coherent manual, avoiding excessive detail and focusing on key results
要点三
Experimental design
Select appropriate experimental methods based on the research question to ensure representativeness and reproducibility of the experiment.
Fundamentals of Academic English Writing
Clarity
The language used should be clear and straightforward, avoiding complex or aggressive intentions
Objectivity
目录
Academic English Writing Standards and FormatsAcademic English Writing Evaluation and Feedback
CONTENTS
Introduction
This course is designed to improve students' ability in writing English for academic purposes
英语学术论文写作 PPT课件
7.Bibliography
❖ Anderson, R. The power and the word—Language, Power and Change [M]. London: Praeger Publisher, 1998.
do for you; ask what you can do for your country”—derived from Kennedy’s presidential inaugural address
Thank You!
L/O/G/O
2. Literature review
Previous studies:
❖ 1、Halliday :defines the semantic system. ❖ 2、Brainslaw Malinowski：puts forward phatic communion. ❖ 3、Buhler：from a psychological perspective, distinguished three functions of
Somethings we have learned:
❖ 1 realizes the significance for the successful use of interpersonal meaning in political speech.
❖ 2 makes comparisons with each review,finds the deficiency,and trys to make good.
Candidate:xxx Supervisor: xxxxxxxx
研究生英语学术论文与写作课件Unit4冯
研究生英语学术论文与写作课件Unit4冯Unit 4. Introduction （4hs）Topical HighlightsGeneral Functions of Introduction:introducing the subject, limiting the research scope, stating the general purpose, showing the writing arrangement Structural Features of Introduction and Some Idiomatic Expressions: starting with the research background, transiting to the existing problem, focusing on the present research Special Attention: sentence structureindicative sentences, imperative sentences, complex sentences, “It + be + adj./participle + that clause…”Theme Presentation1. General Functions of IntroductionEvery professional paper should have at least one or two introductory paragraphs with or without a particular subtitle. The length or the degree of formality of a paper may decide whether the introduction should be a separate-labeled section. Regarding the function of an introduction, a well-known professional writer once said that it “may be thought of as a preliminary conference in which the writer and prospective reader …go into a huddle? 1 and agree in advance on the exact limits of the subject, the terms in which to discuss it, the angle from which to approach it, and the plan of treatment that will be m ost convenient to both.” (J. Raleigh Nelson, Writing the Technical Report, 3rd ed. McGraw-Hill, New York, 1952, p. 36) This gives us a vivid illustration of the function an introduction performs.Generally speaking, the successful introduction of a paper should have the following four functions to facilitate thecommunication process.1.1 Introducing the SubjectWhen retrieving information, a reader always first skims the title, the abstract and the introduction of a paper to determine whether or not the document is worth reading. The author is here to supply sufficient background information to relieve the readers who are not well-informed in this field of troubles in understanding and evaluating the results of the given study without referring to previous publications on the topic. Since the topic in this section is what the paper is going to deal with, the readers, then, can get a preliminary but overall impression before going on with the full text of the paper.1.2 Limiting the Research ScopeOnly when an introduction clearly defines the limits of the research scope (the limits within which you treat the subject) can readers retrieve the information efficiently provided that the subject is introduced correctly. Since there are so many perspectives to be dealt with2 and your research could proceed in any one of them, narrowing down the scope of work and delimiting the boundary of your study3 becomes entirely necessary. The definition of scope may include such items as the range of parameters dealt with, the exact sphere of the general subject covered by the paper, and whether the work described is experimental or theoretical, etc. The readers, thus, can be directed to a specific focus.There are a number of expressions used to limit the scope of work:●The problem is within the scope of...●The problem under discussion is within the scope of...●Studies of these effects covered various aspects of...●Our studies with this technique are confined to only one particular aspect...●The problem described previous ly was directed to the example off.., which differsfrom...●This subject is concerned chiefly with the study of...●The author has limited his studies to the related aspects of...●The approach under study is only applied to...●The problem I have referre d to falls within the field of...●The problem we have just outlined seems to be inside of the province of...●The theory can not apply to other cases of...●The emphasis of this paper is to survey...1.3 Stating the General PurposeIf the first two functions of introduction, i. e. introducing the subject and limiting the researchscope, are to usher the reader where to start and what to talk about in the paper, then the function of stating the general purpose is aimed at telling the reader why to where to start or where to guide. Here the task of the abstract drafter is to inform the reader of the general purpose of the paper and illustrate the primary objectives of his research. In doing so, he can guide his reader to avoid any misunderstanding of his inclination and make clear what the reader himself can expect to gain from the abstract drafter.1.4 Showing the Writing ArrangementThe logical arrangement of the writing enables the reader to understand the paper more easily when further reading is necessary. The best place for this information can be found at the end of the introduction. In very short papers, such information iseasy to grasp. In papers of any appreciable length or complexity, however, it has the advantage of enabling the reader to know in advance of information to expect and in what order to get it. Thus a clear arrangement of your paper will make the reader feel convenient and active in their further reading.Expressions used to indicate the organization of the information include:●This pa per is divided into five major sections as follows...●Section one of this paper opens with...●Section three develops the second hypotheses on...●In this paper, data and results are presented under the major heading of...●Section four shows (introduces,reveals, treats, develops, deals with, etc.)...●The result of... is given in the last section.●The 5th section provides an exposition that places the primary emphasis on...●In the following, a wide range of test data is reported...Notes1. go into a huddle: discuss something privately so that others cannot hear2. so many perspectives to be dealt with: so many points of view ahead to be treated properly in the front3. delimiting the boundary of your study: defining your sphere of research2. Structural Features of Introduction and Some Idiomatic Expressions2.1 Starting with the Research BackgroundTo orient the reader, the pertinent literature should be reviewed in writing a professional paper. The researchbackground is usually given in the section of introduction accompanied by the recent development in this field. That is to answer the question, “What have been done?” The best way to present this information depends on what the reader already knows. For example, it may or may not be necessary to include historical background, definition of certain terms, data, etc. Let us take a paper in the field of translation for example. The author starts the introduction with the following:Ex. 5-1The Behavior Translating English-to-Chinese Machine Translation System is the first of its kind in Taiwan. And it is also among the first commercialized E-to-C systems in the world. The research began as a joint effort.., in May 1985...Further examples can be seen from the sections of introduction of the two complete papers attached in the Appendixes.Here are some expressions used to introduce the background of the subject in an introduction:●Over the past several decades....●Somebody reported...●The previous work on... has indicated that...●Recent experiments by... have suggested...●Several researchers have theoretically investigated...●In most studies of ....... has been emphasized with attention being given to...●Industrial use of... is becoming increasingly common.●There have been a few studies highlightin g...●It is well known that...2.2 Transiting to the Existing ProblemAuthors usually transit to the main problems to be discussedor weak points remaining in the previous work to be further studied and/or improved. That is to answer the question: “What ha ve not been done?” The existing problems or weak points of such nature may be something that has not yet been found before, the methods that have not been adopted so far, materials that have not yet been discovered in the past, and/or the factors that were previously ignored, and so on. Let ustake a paper published in the journal of Physics Review Letter as an example:Ex. 5- 2Research on the mobility and diffusion of ions in neutral gases began more than 75 years ago but very accurate data on these quantities have appeared only since about 1960...Recent experiments by Grover and by V olk, Kwon, and Mark have suggested that large nuclear-spin polarization can be produced in Xe nuclei by spin polarization with optically pumped rubidium atoms. However, no direct measurements of the xenon spin polarization have been reported as yet...The following are a number of expressions used to present existing problems:●Great progress has been made in this field, but (however, nevertheless, etc.)...●Also, the consideration of... alone cannot explain the observed fact that...● A part of the explanation could lie in... However ....●The study of... gives rise to two main difficulties: one is...; the other is...●Despite the recent progress reviewed in .... there is no generally accepted theoryconcerning...●From the above discussion, it appears that at present neither.., nor.., are known.● A major problem.., is the harmful effect exerted by...●An experiment of the kind has not been made.●The kind of experimen t we have in mind has not been carried out until now.●Until now no field experiments of... have been reported.●Not any experiment in this area has suggested that...●More than one experiment must be initiated to substantiate...●The method we used differ s greatly from the one reported ten years ago.●The method of making.., was not invented till the existence of...●No clear advancement has so far been seen in...●No direct outcome was then reported in...●No such finding could be available in...●So far there is not enough convincing evidence showing...●The data available in literature failed to prove that...●The theory of... did not explain how much modifications arose.2.3 Focusing on the Present ResearchOn the basis of reviewing the previous research, especially unfolding or displaying the weak points of the previous work to be overcome or existing problems to be solved, the author may gradually an d naturally turn the reader?s attention to the present research, by stating his primary research objectives, novel ideas, advanced methods, new materials, fresh factors, etc. That is to answer the question: “What I am going to do?” For example: Ex. 5- 3... In this paper, a simplified state selector is considered, both theoretically and experimentally, for use in a molecular beam ammonia maser system. 3Ex. 5- 4... Then, we shall focus both analytically and numerically on the following topics: (1) the influence of polarization gradients on the behavior of surface modes in the vicinity of the limiting surface; (2) the existence of a coupling between displacement components and electric-polarization components; (3) ...Sometimes, a specific study on a certain subject itself can imply the existing problem to be solved. In this case, the specific problems may not be literally mentioned. (See Introduction 3 of Exercises 1I in Reflections and Practice (1) below)Putting together the structure and content mentioned above, you must form general picture of an introduction. Now, let us look at a sample introduction of a paper entitled Innovation and the materials revolution by Felix H. A. Janszen and Marc P. F. Vloemans, published in Technovation V ol. 17 No. 10, 1997 pp.549-556.Ex. 5-5IntroductionThe present literature on strategy and innovation pays a considerable amount of attention to industrial competition within a specific industry, between several industries and even between geographical areas (Porter, 1990; Hamel and Prahalad, 1994; Kodama, 1991). Each author emphasizes the importance of technological development but quite often uses the cases taken from relatively new so-called high-tech industries, such as telecommunications, information technology and biotechnology. However, the result of this bias is a certain lack of attention to theinformation of the technological developments of more mature industries. A likely explanation could be that asubstantial amount of strategic research has been conducted by technologists themselves. Faced with less visible developments in mature industries as well as the requirements of a deeper understanding of the underlying technologies, this last group seems rather well equipped for the task. Ultimately a more technological approach would enable stakeholders to acquire a more complete picture as well as an increased understanding of the management of innovation. Those in mature industries especially could benefit from this approach.Mature industries are those products, markets and possibly-underlying technologies are more or less at the end of their life cycle. Competition is conducted mainly on price. As a result the innovative activities deal principally with process technologies to arrive at higher levels of efficiency (Abemathy and Utterback, 1975). Examples of mature industries are the construction, petrochemical, metals, car and ship building industries. From this list it can be concluded that this group consists of a wide variety of industries, more often than not characterized by an emphasis on so-called economies of scale. This is largely dependent on the characteristics of process technologies in use, existing market infrastructure 4 and market conditions. This phase of maturity can vary in length, but will often last for several decades. The relatively stable business environment of such a mature industry creates a sense of security within, with myopic tendencies and a heavy reliance on problem solving murines that proved successful in the past. Core competences have become core rigidities5 (Leonard Barton, 1992). As a result, new technological developments are discerned 6 too late, which can have disastrouseffects for the industry (Foster, 1986). The commercial battlefield is littered with companies that could not adapt quick enough--for example, the shipbuilding industry in the 19th century which ignores the electronics industry in the 1950s that was superseded 7 by the transistor (1947) and ICs (1959). The American electronics industry and the Swiss watch industry have found this out to their detriment. 8 During the second half of this century, within the basic materials industries, a new form of competition has emerged, an inter-material competition (Kaounides, 1990). Instead of companies competing within a certain material?s sector, now the whole sectors compete directly with one another. In various markets the traditional metals are under the threat from polymers, composites and ceramics. This has considerably increased the scale and scope of strategic behavior within the basic materials industries.In this article we will systematically survey and clarify several changes in the businessenvironment of these industries. On the basis of a survey of developments in materials technology we will explain the effects these changes have on intra- and inter-industrial competition. On the basis of changing materials design in the car industry we will draw a dynamic picture of the aforementioned developments in mature industries as well as explain the interaction of the various rivers behind the developments.There are also a number of expressions used to introduce the present work:●In this paper .... is investigated (studied, discussed, presented, etc.)●The present work deals mainly with...●We report here.., in the presence of...●This paper reports on...●On the basis of existing literature data, we carried out studies in an effort to...●The present study will therefore focus on...●The primary goal of this research is...●The purpose of this paper (study, thesis, etc.) is...●In this paper, we aim at...Notes1. the mobility and diffusion of ions in neutral gases: 在中和气体中粒子的运动和扩散2. large nuclear-spin polarization: 大的核自旋极化偏振3. a molecular beam ammonia maser system: Maser (激射器) is the short form of thelong compound word microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation.So the whole phrase can be translated as 激射：分子射束铵激射器4. existing market infrastructure: 市场现有的基础设施5. Core competences have become core rigidities: 关键性的能力已经变成了关键生的6. discern: to see, notice, or understand, esp. with difficulty7. supersede: (often pass.) to take place of8. detriment: (finl.) the condition of suffering harm or damage9. aforementioned: mentioned above or before. This is an academic word.3. Reflections and Practice (1)3.1. Work with your partner to discuss the answers to the following questions.3.1.1. What are the general functions of an introduction?3.1.2. What is your understanding of the structural features of an introduction?3.1.3. How do you write an introduction?3.2. Analyze the following introductions, following the directions if possible.3.2.1. Underline the part stating the research background.3.2.2. Parenthesize the part pointing to the existing problem.3.2.3. Draw a box around the part focusing on the present research.Introduction 1According to Hannagan (1995: 18), “Modem management is essentially about managing people as well as processes, in a rapidly changing environment.” This seems especially important for a British Airways office set in a different culture, which is largely due to the fact that given the variety of cultural inheritance people under differentCultures may behave in diverging ways. The human behaviors affect the performance of people at work, as shown by the Hawthorne effect, and a careful analysis of such behavior under a multicultural context will be beneficial to the overall performance of the department as well as that of each individual.In this paper, I shall undertake an analysis of an issue. The department where I work is British Agency China, based in Beijing. In this place a British manager has to deal with over 20 Chinese employees. During the time that we have worked together, it has seemed to me (and the Manager) that there exists such a cultural difference and in many cases the communication between the employer and the employee cannot get through, thereby influencing the overall performance of the department. I shall analyze the issue in this context and attempt to formulate certainpossible procedures to tackle the task.Introduction 2In this paper I attempt to show how a number of related concepts in Cognitive Grammar (Fillmore, 1982; Lakoff, 1982, 1987; Langacker, 1987,1988, 1990, 1991) can be applied to the analyses of discourse. Cognitive Grammar (CG) is well adapted not only to addressing issues concerning the relationship between language and cognition but also to constituting a potentially powerful sociolinguistic tool. I will focus on two related concepts: “profiling” (Langacker, 1990) and “radial category structure” (Lakoff, 1987; Br ugman, 1988; Taylor, 1989).AbstractIt has been more than fifty years since its appearance of the ligand theory (配位场理论). It was initiated in 1931 when Bethe?s crystal field theory (晶体场理论) was proposed. The theory of complex spectra for atoms contributed by Racah has had an important effect on the development of the ligand field theory as it has influenced that of nuclear and elementary particle theories.In this article, the extension of the irreducible tensor method (不可约张量方法) to the ligand field theory which was originally performed by Tang Aoqing and his collaborators, is simplified by introducing the quasi-spin group (准自旋群) to give a theoretical analysis of the spectra of TbPsOl4. The theoretical analysis is in good agreement with the experimental result.As an example, the energy matrix elements of ground states terms (基态谱项的能量矩阵元) of TbPsOl4 crystal are calculated by the application of this theory, a serial spectrum data published by Bai Yubai are to be fitted by the use of five crystal-field parameters and eight relativistic parameters. The fitted resultsare satisfactory with 8 cm-1 at mean square root error and 17 cm-1 at the maximum absolution error of energy levels.3.3 Revise an introduction written prior to this unit by using the skills learned so far, and then give your comparison.4. Special Attention: Sentence StructureThe linguistic features of sentence structure in professional papers, is one of the key points for successful writing. Generally speaking, sentence structure of professional papers is comparatively monotonous and grammatically rigorous, which means that only certain sentence structures are preferable. The sentence structures often used in professional writing are summarized as follows:4.1. Indicative SentencesIn professional papers, authors often have to describe experiments or investigations conducted, state the quality or property of the matter used, confirm laws or principles they have worked out. For this purpose, they prefer to use indicative sentences rather than interrogative sentences, and exclamatory sentences are seldom used. For example:4.1.1 L stands for length, while W represents weight.4.1. 2 Distillation is helpful to separating water from dissolved salts and other substances.4.1.3 Computer language may range from detailed low level close to that immediately understood by the particular computer, to the sophisticated high level which can be automatically accepted by a wide range of computers.4.1.4 Gathering facts, confirming them, assuming theories, testing them, and organizing findings -- this is all the work of science.4.2 Imperative SentencesLook at the examples below:(1) Now let K equal to Zero, and then we obtain the following equation.(2) Fill in a tube with cold water, and then heat the tube to 100℃.(3) See Table 4.(4) To put into full play the incubation function of the high-tech development zone, we should pay enough attention to the following: First, cultivate a number of new high-tech enterprises; Second, promote a number of new high-tech products; Third, train a group of entrepreneurs.4.3 Complex SentencesAs we know, scientific research is a kind of activity aiming to disclose the law of nature, the change of natural objects and their applications. Such processes are complicated and mutually related. In order to reflect the complicated interrelations accurately, it is necessary more often than not to use various complex sentences.Now, analyze the following examples.(1) An electric current which reverses its direction at regular intervals, and which is constantly changing in magnitude is called an alternating current, which is usually abbreviated asa.c ....(2) Because nonverbal behavior is regarded as a more accurate measure of how an individual actually feels than what is said, it is reasonable to assume that the individual in conflict with the woman in the above example will respond to her gestures instead of to her words.In example (1), there are three subordinate clauses, while example (2) contains five subordinate clauses. They are bothcomplex sentences though not very complicated ones.4) “It + be + adj. / participle + that clause...”In order to keep a sentence balanced, and avoid subjective coloring, the sentence structure “It+ be + adj. / participle + that clause” can often be encou ntered in professional writing. In this structure, “it” is the formal subject, and s “that clause” the real subject. For example:(1) It is evident from the foregoing discussion that basic research is applicable to the facts upon which a science is developed, and the principle or laws of science as compared to applied research directed toward using knowledge gained by basic research to make things that will servea practical purpose.(2) It is concluded that the behavior of a fluid flowing through a pipe is affected by a number of factors, including the viscosity of the fluid and the speed at which it is pumped.(3) It has been shown through the experiment that the charges of the nucleus and electrons are equal so that the atom is electrically neutral.5. Reflections and Practice (2)5.1. Translate the following sentences into Chinese, paying attention to thesentence structure of each.5.1.1. Strategy is an art of planning the best way to gain an advantage or to achieve success.5.1.2. Here the point of view is the term generally used to indicate the point from which the paper is written.5.1.3. Subordination is the technique of placing the less important thought in a subordinate position.5.1.4. This formula is developed on the basis of the previouslydiscussed theory.5.1.5. It is concluded that some of the parameters cannot be obtained by using the method shown in Section IV.5.1.6. Connect the equipment to the machine. Turn off the switch. Adjust input voltage to 10V. And note down the output current.5.1.7. Such evidence of a positive effect in the Northern Hemisphere is something that all satellite observing system experiments still lack.5.1.8. Potentially more useful data have been flowing down from weather satellites for 25 years, but only recently have researchers been able to show that such data improve forecasts made by computers, the backbone of modem weather forecasting.5.1.9. Other technologies that have made slow progress are modem windmills and photo-voltaic cells that convert sunlight directly to electricity.5.1.10. Heaviside (海维赛) was not only a wonderful electrical engineer but also a mathematical genius. Owing to deafness he had to leave the telegraph office where he first worked and retired to Paignton (牌恩顿) in Devon (丹佛), where he lived alone. He wrote a number articles which were no doubt hard enough to understand before his editors made him condense them. They are far harder now.5.2. Put the following into English.5.2.1．从上例可以看出，作者通过气侯和地理方面的比较，客观地描述了这两个试验现场。
《研究生专业英语》PPT课件
2、阐明论文写作目的
The purpose of this study is to explore a new method…
The paper attempts to analyze … in terms of …
The study is aimed at finding out the similarities …
I have read and have abided by the statement of ethical standards for manuscripts submitted to Neuroscience.
kind regards. Your sincerely, 通讯作者
h
20
（2） Dear Dr. 主编name: We submit our manuscript entitled " 文章title" to 杂志名for publication. 接着简单介绍你文章的主要创新点和意义，不易 过多，但要突出新意和关键点。 All authors have seen the manuscript and approved to submit to your journal. Thank you very much for your attention and consideration.
Title Author name and affiliation Abstract Key words Text body Acknowledgements (可省） References Appendix (根据需要） Reshume (视刊物而定） 3
论文正文构成
1. 引言/概述 2. 背景分析 3. 材料和实验 4. 实验结果 5. 讨论 6. 结论/总结
研究生英语学术论文写作课件
working bibliography, notes, outlines, and drafts;
and avoiding plagiarism
h
3
1.1 Selecting a topic.
(1) Following Personal Interest
(2) Remember the time allotted to you and the expected length of the research paper.
(3) consult library materials and other information resources .
(4) Look for a subject or an issue that will
continue to engage you throughout research
and writing.
Chapter 1 Research and Writing
Describe the first steps in a scholarly project:
choosing a topic; using a library and the Internet;
evaluating electronic sources; producing a
of the subject.
h
2
III. Target of this course
This course cannot present all the profitable ways of doing research. It emphasizes the mechanics of preparing effective papers.
学术英语写作课件 Academic writing
Page 22
Page 10
英文摘要的写法除了具有中、英文摘要的共性外，还有自 己独特的个性，一般应符合以下几点要求：
1. 尽量用简、短的句子，避免句形单调，组织好句子，使动 词尽量靠近主语，尽量用简短、词义清楚并为人熟知的词 ； E.g. the paper explores……
2. 用过去时态叙述作者所做的工作，用现在时态叙述作者得 出的结果、结论，尽量用主动语态代替被动语态；（不出 现人称主语，客观事实作主语表态时，要用被动） I induced three findings (×) / the experiment induced three findings(×) Three findings are induced from the experiment
Creativity Scientificity
Standardization
Page 6
Requirements
Format Language expression
Avoidance of Plagiarism
Page 7
Abstract
The types of Abstract
(2) The results suggest/show that …
It is recommended that …
Page 19
Task Discuss with your partner and translate the following abstract
Page 20
本文首先从严复的著名翻译三原则出发，对当今的中国翻 译研究现状做出批评性描述，然后就中英互译中的一些问 题做出新的范式。作者认为，由于中英两种语言属于不同 的文化传统，因而不存在决对的对应，但是通过认真的比 较研究，相对的对应仍可获得。
研究生英语学术论文写作课件
Plagiarism
To use another person‟s ideas or expressions in your writing without acknowledging the source is to plagiarize. plagiarism, then, constitutes intellectual theft. In writing your research paper, then, you should document everything that you borrow ___ not only quotations and paraphrases but also information and ideas.
英国诗歌研究存在的问题
在文本的阐释与文学理论的介入方面还存 在一些问题。 英国诗歌研究缺乏“问题意识”，缺乏 “本土”视角，缺乏有个性的洞见与观点。 对诗歌作品的研究中，同一水平的重复现 象比较多，观点陈旧，缺乏新意。 英国各个时期诗歌的整体或专题研究较少
未来英语诗歌研究的走向
在多元文学批评的视域下，继续加强对经典 诗歌的研究． 加强对当代诗歌的研究：多元文化背景下的 当代英国诗歌研究、当代英国诗人群体研 究（爱尔兰诗人、苏格兰诗人、女诗人、 少数族裔等）、当代诗歌语言与大众文化 研究、当代英国诗歌的民族性研究． 加强诗人的诗学理念研究． 加强英国诗歌史的研究．
美国小说研究
突出的研究领域是：华裔小说、黑人小说、犹太 小说和后现代小说 受到关注最多的作家分别是：海明威、莫里森、 福克纳、纳博科夫、索尔· 贝娄、德莱塞、谭恩美 等人 最常见的研究视角分别是：社会文化批评、性别 研究（gender studies）、种族文学、后现代特 征、叙事技巧、区域特征等。 其他研究视角还包括文学语言、叙事技巧、小说 类型、文化心理、宗教伦理、生态意识、跨文化 冲突。
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Concise Cont’d
• Avoid empty words, phrases and sentences. An empty use of words simply means that the word, phrase or sentence adds no meaning to what you are trying to write. Every word, with a few exceptions, in your sentences should be directly connected to the subject, verb or objects. If it is not, then it probably is an empty word or phrase.
On Clarity
• Clarity refers to using words and phrases to clearly state your meaning. There are a number of issues that go to clarity that will be discussed when we talk about sentences. What I want to deal with here is issues relating to poor word choice that can make your meaning difficult to understand.
Continued
• This course will start with some basic principles of effective writing in English. These are being concise, clear and concrete. • This will be followed by the structure of an effective essay—introduction, thesis, body (this includes understanding how to handle evidence) and conclusions. • Inherent in discussing the nature of essays is the writing process and revision. • We will read and discuss both good and flawed essays and you will write a few.
the right word in the right form
• Make sure the words you are using mean what you think they mean. • A dictionary is your friend; if you are not sure of a word, look it up (or ask me) • Example One: After boarding the train, I walked down the isle to my seat. This makes no sense. Isle is the wrong word. Aisle would be the correct word.
Wordiness Cont’d
• Another example of a wordy construction is a[the] something by the[of]. Examples of this include a person by the name of Bob, the area of Tongshan, the element of aluminum. It is more concise and clearer if you just write Bob, Tongshan or aluminum. • Wordy Concise • At all times Always • At the present time Now • At this point in time Now • For the purpose of For • Due to the fact that Because • The reason for this is Because • Has not occurred Yet • From that time until now Since
More on Empty Words
• Some other common empty phrases that add no meaning to your sentences: • All things considered • As far as I am concerned • For all intents and purposes • In a manner of speaking • Last but not least • More or less • The two most common empty sentences are “This is a controversial topic.” and “Everyone has a right to their own opinion.”
Why being concise is important
• A lack of concision can make your writing dull, you seem pompous and your meaning can be lost. Consider the following sentence: • “All things considered, in my opinion I think that due to the fact that we are currently in a recession, an economic downturn, at this point in history it is increasing likely that unskilled workers who have little or no job training in a given field of employment are finding it difficult, arduous and onerous to find gainful employment at livable wages sufficient to support themselves let alone a family during the present moment is our economic history due to the fact that the economy is experiencing negative growth.”
Welcome
Post Graduate Academic Writing Paul Bailey
Definitions and Course Overview
• Academic writing, with a few exceptions, is essay writing based on research. • An essay is an attempt to prove a thesis with evidence. • Evidence, there will be more on what is good and bad evidence later, is verifiable facts, examples and the like. • Academic writing is judged by the quality of your evidence and how effectively your interpretation of the evidence relates to your thesis.
Wordiness
• Avoid being wordy. Wordiness means you are using too many words to convey your meaning. The general guideline here is that if you can use one word or many words to convey your meaning, always use the one word. • One of the most common is the use of the phrase the fact that as in due to the fact that. Due to the fact that can be replaced with because. Other constructions using the fact that it is easier to just drop the phrase altogether.
On Being Concise
• Concise means conveying your meaning in as few words as possible. • Avoid wasting time on preliminaries or transitions. Preliminaries, or introductory comments, when you are moving from one topic to another in the body of your paper, are generally unnecessary. Also, keep your transitions short and to the point. Transition words should really appear at the beginning or the end of a paragraph; they should rarely appear in the middle of a paragraph.