1. I.S.F.D. 41
LANGUAGE AND WRITTEN ESPRESSION IV
TEACHER: SAUBIDET, STELLA MARIS
STUDENT: NUÑEZ KOTIK, ALDANA
2020
2. INDEX
1. General
2. Planning and Organizing
4. Paragraph Organization
5. Introduction and Conclusion
6. Reading and Researching
7. Using Sources
8. Style and Editing
9. Bibliography
Slide 4
Slide 7
Slide 9
Slide 13
Slide 15
Slide 17
Slide 20
Slide 24
3. ADVICE ON ACADEMIC WRITING
Are you planning to write an academic essay? If you are, let me
tell you that it is not something to do lightly, as it involves a
great deal of work and different aspects to consider. Lucky for
you, you are in the right place!
In this work you will find lots of useful information that will
serve you as a guide to produce your essay in the best way
possible.
5. BEFORE YOU START WRITING YOUR ESSAY, THESE
ARE THE FIRST THINGS THAT YOU WILL NEED TO
CONSIDER:
Every essay should have a clear argument: That is, it should
answer a question (or questions). Arguments need be
presented in a clear and persuasive way
It should prove something. For this purpose, you must use
your reasoning powers and provide supportive evidence
It should include your personal hypothesis or thesis
It should have a specific topic
It should have a clear purpose
6. IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF
THIS IS CONTEMPLATED, YOU WILL
FIND IT REALLY USEFUL TO ASK
YOURSELF QUESTIONS. THINK:
•What questions are you seeking to answer by writing your essay?
•What points are you trying to make?
•What type of essay are you going to write?
•Does it belong to a specific genre? Which one?
•What structure is it going to have?
8. ORGANIZING THE MAIN IDEAS OF YOUR
ESSAY IS A KEY ELEMENT WHICH WILL
SHAPE YOUR WORK’S STRUCTURE, AS TO
MAKE IT AS CLEAR AND COHERENT AS
POSSIBLE. ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT:
•It has a well-defined and persuasive argument
•Formulate a thesis statement: This is a statement on your position
towards your essay’s argument
•Write an outline to ensure that you are going on the right track
•Consider using a reverse outline to improve your first outline draft
9. MAKING SURE THAT YOUR PARAGRAPHS ‘FLOW’ IS KEY TO
MOVE FROM ONE IDEA TO THE NEXT ONE SHOWING CLEAR
CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THEM. YOU CAN ENSURE THIS BY
USING SOME STRATEGIES:
•Use deliberate repetition: Reiterate the focus of your analysis by
repeating key words or synonyms for key words to enhance the
overall flow of the paragraph
•Use specialized linking words to signal a reinforcement of ideas, a
change in idea or a conclusion
•Pay attention to paragraph transitions: Check that the reader can be
able to follow the sequences of your ideas.
PARAGRAPH ORGANIZATION
10. TOPIC SENTENCES ARE SIMILAR TO MINI THESIS STATEMENTS. LIKE A
THESIS STATEMENT, A TOPIC SENTENCE HAS A SPECIFIC MAIN POINT.
AN ESSAY IS UNIFIED IF ALL THE PARAGRAPHS RELATE TO THE THESIS
WHEREAS A PARAGRAPH IS UNIFIED IF ALL THE SENTENCES RELATE TO
THE TOPIC SENTENCE. TOPIC SENTENCES ALERT READERS TO THE
MOST IMPORTANT, INTERPRETIVE POINTS IN YOUR ESSAY. USUALLY,
THEY APPEAR AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF PARAGRAPHS.
Paragraph organization: Using topic sentences
11. A GUIDE TO WRITE TOPIC SENTENCES
CORRECTLY:
•Develop the topic sentence through an ordered and logical
progression of ideas in the body of the paragraph
•Relate the topic sentences to help strengthen coherence and show
how the paragraph contributes to the development of your whole
argument
•Use them to establish a connection between the paragraphs and
your thesis
•End your paragraphs whenever you have provided enough evidence
and analysis to support the main point of your topic sentence
12. AS REGARDS PLANNING, THERE ARE LOTS OF
ADVANTAGES IN GIVING YOURSELF THE TIME
TO PLAN YOUR ESSAY. REMEMBER THAT THE
SOONER YOU BEGIN, THE BETTER. PLANNIN
WILL HELP YOU TO:
Produce a logical and orderly argument that your readers can
follow
Produce an economical paper by allowing you to spot repetition
Produce a thorough paper by making it easier for you to notice
whether you have left anything out
13. INTRODUCTION AND CONCLUSION:
SOME ASPECTS TO CONSIDER
An appropriate INTRODUCTION should:
•Raise the essay topic or question as soon as possible in specific and
concrete terms
•Provide essential context
•Indicate which the particular focus of your essay will be
•Engage your readers’ interest
•Include your thesis statement at the end, in case your essay has one
14. AS FOR THE CONCLUSION, REMEMBER THAT IT IS NOT
MERELY A SUMMARY OR RE-STATEMENT OF YOUR THESIS. IN
ORDER TO WRITE IT APPROPIATELY YOU SHOULD:
• Remind the reader of how the evidence you’ve presented has
contributed to your thesis.
• Convey some closing thoughts about the larger implications of
your argument.
• Provide a sense of closure
• Place the concepts in a wider context
• Involve critical thinking
• Avoid repetition
• Broaden your focus Having al this in mind be aware, however, that
different genres have their own special expectations
about beginnings and endings
16. Critical writing depends on critical reading .When you do your research, make
sure you reflect on the texts you read so as to make your own arguments. Try
to:
•Focus on the ways of thinking about the topic of the texts you read: Do not focus only on the
information they provide. Determine the central claims or purpose of the text
•Pay attention to how the text is argued, how the evidence is used and interpreted and how the
text reaches to its conclusions
•Read with certain goals in mind
•Make sure you focus on proper elements: Avoid wasting time on elements which aren’t important
for your purposes
•Apply your skimming, scanning and summarizing skills
•Read paying attention to your own responses and questions.
•Spend a few minutes previewing a text before starting to read, in order to orient yourself toward
what is important for you
18. HERE’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU NEED TO REMEMBER
ABOUT USING SOURCES: DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. THE PURPOSE OF ANY
PAPER IS TO SHOW YOUR OWN THINKING, NOT TO CREATE A
PATCHWORK OF BORROWED IDEAS. THE FOCUS OF YOUR ESSAY
SHOULD BE ON YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE TOPIC. PLUS, IT IS
UNETHICAL AND AGAINST THE LAW.
ACKNOWLEDGING SOURCES HELPS THE READER TO CONSULT THE
MATERIAL YOU USED AND IT ALSO ADDS TO YOUR CREDIBILITY.
When you give sources make sure that:
•Give references as son as you mentioned the idea, not at the end of the paragraph
•You must also acknowledge them when you relate your own ideas: Keep mentioning
authors and pages and dates to show how your ideas are related to those of the experts
•You don’t need to name a specific source when the presented facts are “common
knowledge”
•Do not over use quotations, instead try paraphrasing and summarizing
19. DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES USE THEIR OWN SYSTEMS TO SET OUT
INFORMATION ABOUT SOURCES. HERE ARE SOME SAMPLES OF
COMMON SYSTEMS:
•Traditional Endnotes or Footnotes with Superscript
Numbers
•MLA System: Parenthetical Author-Page References
•APA System: Parenthetical Author-Date References
•Numbered Note System
21. AS YOU APPROACH TO THE END OF YOUR ESSAY PRODUCTION, YOU
MUST GO THROUGH SOME STEPS TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS IN
THE RIGHT PLACE. EDITING IS A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF ALL
THIS PROCESS, SO IN THIS STAGE YOU SHOULD:
•Revise extensively: This gives you the chance to preview your work on behalf of the
reader
•Make sure ideas are presnted clearly
•Check you fulfilled the intention of the whole work
•Ckeck overall organization and the connections between the different sections
•Make sure you provided adequate evidence: Be sure that the reader knows why and
how your ideas are important
•Also, consider revising diction (exactness and aptness of words) and economy (the
fewest words without loss of clear expression and full thought)
22. EDITING: THIS IS THE MOMENT IN WHICH YOU
SHOULD CHECK YOUR ESSAY FOR DETAILS SUCH
AS:
Revise:
•Word choice
•Sentence structure
•Grammar
•Punctuation
•Spelling
Try to avoid:
• Wordiness
• Comma splices
• Faulty paralelism
• Faulty diction
• Run-on [fused]
Sentences
• Dangling modifiers
• Sentence fragments
• Misuse of passive voice
23. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, TAKE CARE OF
APPEARANCE:
•Include a cover page
•Number your pages
•Do not forget to write the reference or bibliography on a
separate page at the end
24. BIBLIOGRAPHY
•University of Toronto. ‘Advice on Academic Writing’ (n.d) Last
visited May 27th. Available at:
https://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/
