.

1. Instituto Superior de Formación
Docente n° 41
Lengua y expresión escrita IV
Teacher: Stella Saubidet
Student: Agostina Sanguinetti
25-05-20

2. Index
3. General Advice on Academic Essay-
Writing
4. Writer´s block
5. Planning vs. Overplanning
6. Organising
7. Reading and Researching
8. How to Get the Most Out of Reading
9.Taking Notes from Research Reading
10. Dealing with New Words
11. Previewing
12. Skimming, Scanning and Summarizing
13. Using Sources
14. Specific Types of Writing
15. Revising and Editing
16. Revising and Editing
17. Using the Computer to Improve Your
Writing
18. Punctuation19. Passive Voice
20. Some Tools and Rules to Improve Your
Spelling / Subject-Verb Agreement
21. English Language
22. English Language
23. Bibliography

3. General Advice on Academic
Essay-Writing
1. All essays should have an argument.
2. You should formulate the overall question you
are seeking to answer with you essay.
Successful composing methods
● Write what seems readiest.
● Always keep in mind the main purpose
● Revise extensively
Understanding Essay
Topics
A checklist
● Key terms
● Concepts or methods the
topic ask you to use
● Look for controversies in the
material, it will help you to
find thing that are worth
discussing
● Formulate a tentative thesis
at an early stage to help you
focus

4. Writer’s block
A help guide
● Ask questions about
everything that looks new or
confusing to you
● Be sure you have an specific
topic
● Look for material on your topic
● Make notes on key ideas
● Make a mind map
● Focus on getting your ideas
down clearly and simply
● Leave plenty of time for
revising and editing
● Write the introduction last
● Try time-management strategies
● Take a break. If you are exhausted, you are unlikely to be productive
Organising an essay
1. Think about how to organize your paper during the pre-
writing stage
2. Know the patterns of reasoning associated with a
genre it will help you to structure your essay
3. The structure of an essay should not be determined by
its source material
4. You will have to do some reading and weighing of
evidence before you start to plan.

5. Planning
● It helps you to produce a logical
and orderly argument
● It helps you to produce an
economical paper (preventing
repetition)
● It helps you to produce a thorough
paper (it makes it easier for you to
notice if you have left anything out)
● It makes drafting the paper easier
(it allows you to concentrate on
writing issues such as grammar)
Over Planning
● It does no leave you enough time to
write and revise
● It leads you to produce papers that
try to cover too much ground at the
expense of analytic depth
● It can result in a writing style that
lacks spontaneity and ease
● It does not provide enough
opportunity to discover new ideas in
the process of writing

6. Organising
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 and indicates the methodology of your argument.
3. It shows awareness of difficulties and disagreements.
Introductions and conclusions
● A good introduction should identify your topic, provide essential context, and indicate your particular focus
in the essay
● A strong conclusion will provide a sense of closure to the essay while again placing your concepts in a
somewhat wider context
Paragraphs
A paragraph is a sentence or a series of related sentences developing a central idea. Paragraphs add one idea at
a time to your broader argument.
● Definition
● Analysis / Classification
● Illustration

7. Reading and Researching
Critical reading;
What is it?
Is a highly reflective skill
requiring you to “stand
back” and gain some
distance from the text
you are reading.
● do not 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.
2. Begin to make some judgements about context.
3. Distinguish the kinds of reasoning the text employs.
4. Examine the evidence the text employs.
5. Critical reading may involve evaluation.
Some Practical Tips
1. Critical reading occurs after some preliminary processes of reading.
2. When highlighting a text or taking notes from it, teach yourself to
highlight argument
3. Paying attention to context is a fundamental critical move.
4. When you quote directly from a source, use the quotation critically.
5. Critical reading skills are also critical listening skills.

8. How to Get the Most Out of Reading
Textbooks
Be aware of the structure of the text as you read. Mark
only key passages in the text. Use symbols to show
different kinds of points. It’s worthwhile to make brief
summarizing notes in your own words. That forces you to
process the material in your own mind, and it provides a
guide for later review.
Primary Sources
Read through each literary work or historical document,
paying attention to your own responses and questions.
Immediately after a first reading, some people write out a
brief journal account of their experience.
Research Readings
For books scan the preface to see
the general outlook and argument.
Then read sections on your own
topic.
Journal articles usually outline their
argument within the first page. Read
the abstract first to see if the article
will be of use to you.Write down
complete bibliographical information
for each source consulted. Keep note
cards on specific points so you can
arrange them as needed.

9. Taking Notes from Research Reading
1. Know what kind of ideas you
need to record
● Review the commonly known facts
about your topic, and also become
aware of the range of thinking and
opinions on it.
● Try making a preliminary list of the
subtopics you would expect to find
in your reading.
● Choose a component or angle that
interests you.
● Then look for facts and theories
that help answer your question, and
other people’s opinions about
whether specific answers are good
2. Don’t write down too
much
● Copy out exact words
only when the ideas
are memorably
phrased or
surprisingly
expressed.
● Otherwise, compress
ideas in your own
words. Paraphrasing
word by word is a
waste of time.
● Find your own words
for notes in the
3. Label your notes
intelligently
● Develop the habit of
recording
bibliographic
information in a
master list when you
begin looking at each
source.
● Try to put notes on
separate cards or
sheets.
● Leave space in your
notes for comments
of your own.

10. Dealing with New Words
A key point is that you don’t need to interrupt your
reading to look up every hard word right away in the
dictionary. Mark unfamiliar words, but try these tactics
for making an “educated guess” at the meaning as you
go.
1. First, SOUND it out.
2. Next, examine the STRUCTURE.
3. Then look at the CONTEXT.
4. Only then, check the DICTIONARY. Check the
pronunciation too.
5. Then reinforce your understanding by WRITING a
usable brief definition or synonym in the margin of
your reading.
A System for Reinforcing New
Vocabulary Words
1. Say the word out loud
according to the dictionary
pronunciation
2. Write down the word and mark
it up to show its inner structure
3. Write down a brief definition.
4. Read the card periodically.
Eventually try writing a
sentence of your own using
the word.

11. When reading for
academic purposes, it is
preferable to read with
certain goals in mind.
Spend a few minutes
previewing a text before
starting to read, it will
orient yourself toward
what is important for you
in this reading.
Previewing
When previewing follow this steps:
1. Read the title
2. Think about the subject matter
3. Who wrote this text? What information do you have about
this author?
4. Where published? Who would be the audience?
5. When was this text originally published? What is the
significance of this time period in this field of study?
6. Read the chapter titles or the headings.
7. Why has your professor assigned this text? What kinds of
facts and ideas are you expected to retain from this reading?

12. Skimming, Scanning and Summarizing
Skimming
1. First use some of the previewing techniques.
2. Then, read carefully the introductory
paragraph.
3. Read carefully the first sentences of each
paragraph and the concluding sentence.
4. Keep your eyes moving.
5. Read carefully the concluding paragraph.
6. Finally, read the whole text through the text
carefully. Adjust your focus accordingly.
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.
Summarizing
1. Include the title and identify the author in
your first sentence.
2. The first sentence or two of your summary
should contain the author’s thesis.
3. When summarizing a longer article, divide
the article into.
4. Omit ideas that are not really central to the
text.
5. In general, omit minor details and specific
examples.
6. Avoid writing opinions or personal
responses in your summaries.
7. Be careful not to plagiarize the author’s
words

13. Using Sources
Do not plagiarize: you need to keep mentioning authors, pages and dates to show how your ideas
are related to those of the experts.
Standard Documentation Formats
Traditional Endnotes - MLA System - APA System - Numbered Note Systems - Electronic
Sources
Using Quotations
● Do not just parachute quotations into your essay without providing at least some
indication of who your source is.
Paraphrase and Summary
● To paraphrase means to restate someone else’s ideas in your own language.
● To summarize means to reduce the most essential points of someone else’s work
into a shorter form.

14. Specific Types of Writing
The Book Review or Article Critique
A critical review of a book or article comments on and
evaluates the work in the light of specific issues and
theoretical concerns in a course
Annotated Bibliography
It gives account of the research that has been done
on a given topic and some assessment of its
value/relevance
The Literature Review
A literature review lets you gain and demonstrate
skills in: information seeking and critical appraisal
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.
Writing about Literature
It requires critical thought and argumentation, its focus
on language and close textual analysis makes it unique.
The Comparative Essay
A comparative essay asks that you compare at
least two items. You should think critically about
the similarities and differences between the items
you are comparing.

15. Revising And Editing
Start Large, End Small
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
Hit Parade Of Errors In Grammar, Punctuation, and Style
Markers look at four general areas in deciding on a mark for a written assignment:
● how well you’ve handled the topic and followed the assignment
● the quality of your ideas
● the way you’ve organized your paper
● the quality of your writing style and grammar

16. ChecklistA Note on Appearance
● Include a cover page
● Number your pages
● Use double-space
● Use a standard font (in
twelve-point size)
● Put the reference list
● Staple your pages
Grammar is only one of a
number of factors determining
your grade. Still, too many errors
in grammar, punctuation, and
style will lose you marks.
1.Faulty Agreement
2. Sentence Fragments
3. Run-on [fused] Sentences
4. Overuse of Passive Voice
5. Faulty Parallelism
6. Vague Pronouns
7. Dangling Modifiers
8. Squinting or Misplaced Modifiers
9. Mixed or Dead Metaphors
10. Faulty Word Choice
[Faulty Diction]
11. Wordiness
12. Comma Splices
13. Misuse of Comma,
Semicolon, and Colon
14. Incorrect Comparison
15. Double Constructions
Revising And Editing

17. Using the Computer to Improve Your Writing
Composing
1. You don’t have to create clean or
fully developed text for your first
draft
2. Try doing brainstorming on screen
3. Outlining is made easy too
4. The computer can streamline the
work of documenting your sources.
5. Save time by using short forms in
your first draft
6. A simple idea: don’t double-space
your text until you’re ready to print it
out
7. Keep all your drafts in case you want
to go back to an earlier version
Revising and Editing
1. Don’t be deceived by the finished look of text on
the screen
2. It’s worthwhile—especially for group work—to use
the Comment command from the Insert or Review
3. The SpellCheck function can help mend typos as
well as spelling errors
4. Only use the Thesaurus if you already have a
good vocabulary and want to be reminded of
possibilities when you are stuck for the right word
5. The grammar checkers built into word processors
are seldom useful
6. The basic Find function (Ctrl-F) can help you do
your own style-checking

18. Punctuation
Commas
1. When joining two independent
clauses with a coordinating
conjunction you normally place a
comma before the conjunction
2. When joining mere phrases, you
usually do not provide a comma
3. Place commas between each
element of a list of three or more
parallel words, phrases, or clauses
4. Surround interrupting or
parenthetical clauses or phrases
with commas. If you removed
them, the central point of the
sentence would remain
Semicolons
The semicolon has two main uses. The first is to combine two closely
related independent clauses into one sentence. The other 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; the words following the colon fulfill it.
Dashes
Dashes serve some of the same functions as commas and colons, but
they assert themselves more forcefully. Like commas, dashes are used
to set off interrupting clauses or phrases, but a pair of dashes will tend
to call more attention to what lies in between.
The dash has one other occasional use. Following a list, a dash allows
you to tie things together with an explanatory independent clause.

19. Passive Voice
When do I use passive voice?
In some sentences, passive voice can be
perfectly acceptable. You might use it in
the following cases:
1. The actor is unknown
2. The actor is irrelevant
3. You want to be vague about who is
responsible
4. You are talking about a general truth
5. You want to emphasize the person or
thing acted on
6. You are writing in a scientific genre
that traditionally relies on passive
voice
When should I avoid passive voice?
Passive sentences can get you into trouble in
academic writing because they can be vague
about who is responsible for the action. Academic
writing often focuses 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.
Weeding out passive sentences
You can still go back through your essay hunting
specifically for passive sentences. Try turning
each passive sentence you find into an active one.
Start your new sentence with the actor.

20. Some Tools and Rules to Improve
Your Spelling
● Use a (good) dictionary
● Be consistent about using British or American
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, but with
caution
● Become familiar with English spelling rules
Plurals
● Regular
● Irregular
● Special Cases
Subject-Verb Agreement
When the subject of a sentence consists
of a complex noun phrase, forming the
verb according to the noun directly in
front of it may be tempting, but it is
almost always incorrect. To ensure that
your verb agrees with the subject, ask
yourself which single word in the subject
is truly controlling the verb.
Possessives
● Singular
● Plural
● Possessive
Pronouns

21. English Language
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. A noun may also appear without
an article in front of it.
Where exactly do articles go?
Articles belong in front of all other modifiers preceding a noun.
There are other special modifiers called determiners or markers
that may appear in front of a noun phrase. Do not use an article
if you also intend to use any of the following markers directly
before the noun: this, that, these, those, my, his, her, your, our,
their, its, any, either, each, every, many, few, several, some, all.
Expressions of Quantity: Special
Cases of Subject-Verb Agreement
● With fractions, percentages and indefinite
quantifiers the verb agrees with the
preceding noun or clause
● The words majority and minority are used
in a variety of ways
● Expressions of time, money and distance
usually take a singular verb
● Adjectives preceded by the and used as
plural nouns take a plural verb
● Expressions using the phrase number of
depend on the meaning of the phrase

22. English Language
Using Gerunds and Infinitives
Gerunds and infinitives are verb
forms that can take the place of a
noun in a sentence. The following
guidelines and lists will help you
figure out whether a gerund or
infinitive is needed.
● Following a verb
(gerund or infinitive)
● Following a preposition
(gerund only)
● Following an indirect object
(infinitive only)
Verbs for Referring to Sources
You can indicate your attitude to the sources you cite by
choosing specific verbs to refer to them. Don’t just keep
repeating “Smith says.” There is a wide choice of such
verbs in English. Use a dictionary to check that you have
chosen a verb with the nuance you intend.
● Pattern 1: reporting verb + that + subject + verb (Ex.
consider / decide / demonstrate / deny)
● Pattern 2: reporting verb + somebody/something + for
+ noun/gerund (Ex. applaud / blame / censure /
criticize)
● Pattern 3: reporting verb + somebody/something + as +
noun/gerund/adjective ( Ex. define / depict / describe /
evaluate)

23. Bibliography
● University of Toronto (1966). Writing Courses, Advice on Academic
Writing. Last visited; May 26, 2020. Available at: UNIVERSITY OF
TORONTO- Writing courses