lundi 6 janvier 2014

You probably spend a lot of time writing - emails, texts, shopping lists, letters to friends, filling in forms etc. For each of these, you will use a different style of writing, choosing whichever is appropriate for the purpose and the people you are writing for. 

Student writing assignmentThe style of writing you will be expected to use for academic work is likely to be different to other styles you use every day. It is part of your academic training to learn how to write in this more formal style - it demonstrates discipline and thoughtfulness, and is important to communicate your ideas clearly. These pages offer advice on developing your academic writing.



Academic writing style

Academic essays should be written in a formal style. Avoid:
  • clichés ("the flaws in this argument stand out like a sore thumb")
  • contractions ("don't", "aren't", "it's")
  • phrases that sound like speech ("well, this bit is really fascinating")
  • subjective descriptions ("this beautiful sculpture")
Use the first person "I" only where appropriate (e.g. when writing up your own experience or professional case study). Where possible use the third person, for example "It can be argued"instead of "I think"
Use plain language - you don't have to search for a more "academic-sounding" word when a simple one will do. Markers are looking for clear and accurate expression of ideas, not jargon or confusing language. Shorter sentences are usually clearer than long complex ones, but make sure it is a whole sentence and not just a clause or phrase.

Integrating evidence and your own ideas

Your argument is your reasoned answer to the essay question, supported by evidence. The books, articles, and research material that you read for your essay provide this evidence to back up your points. The way in which you select and interpret the evidence, and explain why it answers the question, is where you demonstrate your own thinking.
For each point that you make in your essay, you need to support it with evidence. There are many different kinds of evidence, and the type you use will depend on what is suitable for your subject and what the essay question is asking you to do.
For example, you might back up a point using a theory (one kind of evidence) then show how this theory applies to a specific example in real life (another kind of evidence).

A model for a paragraph that includes evidence and your own ideas:




  1. Introduce your point (your own words)
  2. Add the evidence to support your point (quoted or paraphrased evidence that needs to be referenced)
  3. Explain how and why this evidence supports your point and what you think of it (your own interpretation and critical thinking)
  4. Explain how the point helps answer the question (your own argument)
As you get more experienced with essay writing, you will want to adapt this model to suit the structure and shape of your ideas.

Editing and proofreading

You might have had enough of your work by now, and be hoping to just hand it in! However, it's worth taking some time to check it over. Markers often comment that more time spent on editing and proofreading could have really made a difference to the final mark.
Editing
Editing involves checking whether all your points are in the right order and that they are all relevant to the question.
Be ruthless at this stage – if the information isn't directly answering the question, cut it out! You will get many more marks for showing you can answer the question than you will for an unordered list of everything you know about a topic.
Put yourself in the reader's position – can they follow the points you are making clearly? You know what you are trying to say, but will your reader? Are there gaps in your reasoning to be explained or filled?
Proofreading
Identifying your own mistakes and correcting them is an important part of academic writing: this is what you do when you proofread.
Ideally leave a day between finishing your essay and proofreading it. You won't be so close to your work, so you will see your errors more easily. Try reading your essay aloud, as this will slow you down, make you focus on each word, and show you when your sentences are too long.
It can help to have a friend read through your work but developing your own proofreading skills is better. Your friend won't always be available!
Also check that all your references are complete and accurate

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