Academic Writing Notes

Academic Writing

• Writing, job applications, and interviews will be covered this week.
• Personal communication reflections require academic writing.

Library Task

• Find an article, read abstract, summarize in two sentences.

Constructing a Paragraph

• Sentences must relate to each other within a paragraph.
• Paragraphs should have at least three sentences.
• The topic sentence describes the paragraph's content to the reader.
• Subsequent sentences link back to the main topic.
• The final sentence links to the next paragraph.

Clarity and Conciseness

• Be clear and concise in academic writing.
• Use only necessary words.
• Edit carefully; consider word choices.
• Split complicated sentences to aid the reader.

Things to Avoid

• Avoid creative writing tricks.
• Maintain a scientific, objective style.
• Avoid sudden topic shifts and changing verb tenses.
• Be consistent with verb tense.

Paramedic Method

• A method to improve writing is the paramedic approach.
• Systematic way to make sentences concise.
• Reduces word count by removing unnecessary words, passive voice, and redundancies.

Steps of Paramedic Method

• Circle prepositions.
• Box verb forms of "to be".
• Identify the action.
• Eliminate unnecessary words.
• Example: "In this paragraph, it's a demonstration of the use of a good style in writing of a report" becomes "This paragraph demonstrates good style in report writing."

Regular vs. Irregular Verbs

• Regular verbs: Third-person singular has an -s ending (e.g., I walk, you walk, he/she/it walks).
• Irregular verbs: Do not follow a strict rule; must be memorized (e.g., to be: I am, you are, he/she/it is).

Jargon, Slang and Idioms

• Explain jargon or avoid it, depending on your audience.
• Avoid slang and idioms in formal writing.

Euphemisms

• Avoid euphemisms; use specific vocabulary relevant to the topic.
• Example: Use the word "sex" if the topic is sex.

Biased Language

• Avoid biased language related to race, ethnicity, or gender.
• Avoid stereotypes.
• Consider your audience and context to avoid using language that is only known by some.
• Example: Replacing New Zealand specific terms with UK specific terms (or vice versa) to suit the audience.

Active vs. Passive Voice

• Use active voice unless instructed otherwise.
• Active voice: Subject performs the action (subject-verb-object).
• Passive voice: Object is acted upon by the subject (object-verb-subject).
• Active voice is clearer.
• Example: "The dog bit the boy" (active) vs. "The boy was bitten by the dog" (passive).

Common Spelling Errors

• Except vs. accept
• Affect vs. effect
• Advise vs. advice
• Conscious vs. conscience
• Its vs. it's
• Whose vs. who's
• Pressure vs. pressurize
• -able vs. -ible

Malapropisms

• Mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one.