4.1 Get your writing smart!

Concepts

Structure your writing

Good academic writing is clearly structured. It must have a beginning, middle and an end. In essays, reports, dissertations and presentations, these parts are:

Estructura Writing

Author's own creation. Academic writing structure. (CC BY-NC-SA)

The introduction to an academic paper always:

  1. gives the background to the topic.
  2. outlines the content of the paper - its aims.
  3. may give a strong relevant quote.
  4. may define key terms.

The main body of the paper/essay/dissertation is where you do the work. It is where you give your argument, provide your evidence or describe your research and findings, so:

  1. expand on all the topics mentioned in your introduction.
  2. bring together all the information you have gathered from other sources during your reading/research.
  3. develop your argument in a logical structure.

Essay structure:

In an academic essay, you will choose a structure (a flow of connected ideas) based on the type of question you are answering.

These include: 

Esquema writing lineal

Author's own creation. Linear essay. (CC BY-NC-SA)

Esquema doble

Author's own creation. A two-sided essay. (CC BY-NC-SA)

Esquema writing argumentativo

Author's own creation. Argumentative essay. (CC BY-NC-SA)

Ensayo SPSE

Author's own creation. An SPSE essay. (CC BY-NC-SA)

The conclusion to this kind of papers always:

  1. summarizes the main points given in the essay.
  2. draws together the ideas to explain how they connect and relate.
  3. shows how you have answered the question.
  4. may also suggest some further research.
  5. may give a concluding statement.
  6. may pose a further question.

Grammar

Before writing an essay we should make sure some important features involved in the process, such as grammar. Think about the following questions:

1. What type of grammar tenses can we include in an academic article or essay?

2. What type of tenses do we use to:

refer to general facts?

discuss current meanings and implications?

suggest future applications?

talk about events that have already been completed?

refer to discrete events occurring in an academic time or place?

describe events that have occurred at  an unidentified time or place?

events that have recently been completed or are ongoing?

Categorías gramaticales

Image by Kollakolla. Aprendiendo y La gramática de la palabra en la nube. (Pixabay Simplified License) 

Grammar

The following sentences have been used for an academic article. Now try to match them to their corresponding communicative intention:

SENTENCES

  1. This study confirms that synthetic glucagon is two-thirds as effective as decreasing fatty acid synthesis.
  2. No immediate effect was observed.
  3. Further clinical studies should be carried out to isolate the cause of this reaction.
  4. This same research team discovered a similar enzyme in their 2012 study.
  5. We can conclude that endogenous glucagon is more essential in insulin regulation than previously understood.
  6. The experiment yielded a number of results associated with the processing of glucose.
  7. Results from this study have led to a deeper understanding about how different substrates interact with this enzyme.
  8. A glucose molecule was added to the mixture to see how the peptide would respond.
  9. This team had determined that X was Y but this was later found to be incorrect.
  10. Prior research in this area was inconclusive.
  11. Table 5 displays the results of this first isolated test.
  12. Further clinical studies will be needed to isolate the cause of this reaction.

COMMUNICATIVE INTENTION_ ESSAY STRUCTURE

  1. To express actual results in the body of your essay.
  2. To clarify that your statements still hold true in a conclusion.
  3. To use a concluding statement in an introduction.
  4. To discuss and interpret the significance of your own findings in the body of the article/essay.
  5. To express what you did or someone did as a method in the main body section.
  6. To express in a conclusion that further search is intended
  7. To apply findings, state implications and suggest further research in a conclusion.
  8. To explain a diagram/figure/table in the body of the article/essay.
  9. To summarize own findings in the body or conclusion of an essay.
  10. To say that something was true but is no longer true in an introduction.
  11. To express  in a conclusion that further research is needed.
  12. To point out in an introduction that earlier research efforts by you or another group used.

Writing

Is it being an academic expert a matter of strategies?

Mujer escribiendo al ordenador

Image by Expresswriters. Escribiendo y Niña. (Pixabay Simplified License) 

It is time to use everything you have learnt throughout the lesson to approach your final task: your writing.

Task 1. Choose what type of essay/academic article you would like to use: linear, two-sided, argumentative, Spse... 

Task 2. Brainstorm the main ideas to use for your writing.

Task 3. Make a selection of suitable tenses and vocabulary to use in every part of your essay: introduction, body, conclusion.

Task 4. You are ready to write. You can choose any topic related to Academic English or follow this heading:

 It is being an academic expert a matter of strategies?

Page 9 of 12

Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike License 4.0

Creado con eXeLearning (Ventana nueva)