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CONTENTS

STYLE IN ACADEMIC WRITING………………………………………… 2-4

SUMMARIZE PARAGRAPH………………………………………………. 5-9

PARAGRAPH EXAMPLES…………………….......................................... 10-14

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Name : Ladesi Henita

NPM : 1506747774

STYLE IN ACADEMIC WRITING

Academic writing in English is linear, which means it has one central point

or theme with every part contributing to the main line of argument, without

digressions or repetitions. Its objective is to inform rather than entertain. As well

as this it is in the standard written form of the language. There are eight main

features of academic writing that are often discussed. Academic writing is to some

extent: complex, formal, objective, explicit, hedged, and responsible. It uses

language precisely and accurately.

1. Complexity

Written language is relatively more complex than spoken language, written texts

are lexically dense compared to spoken language - they have proportionately more

lexical words than grammatical words. Written texts are shorter and have longer,

more complex words and phrases. They have more noun-based phrases, more

nominalisations, and more lexical variation.

Written language is grammatically more complex than spoken language. It has

more subordinate clauses, more "that/to" complement clauses, more long

sequences of prepositional phrases, more attributive adjectives and more passives

than spoken language.

Example :

Spoken : “You can control the trains this way and if you do that you can be

quite sure that they'll be able to run more safely and more

quickly than they would otherwise, no matter how bad the

weather gets.”

Written : “The use of this method of control unquestionably leads to safer

and faster train running in the most adverse weather conditions.”

2. Formality

Academic writing is relatively formal. In general this means that in an essay you

should avoid colloquial words and expressions.

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In general this means in an essay that you should avoid:

a. colloquial words and expressions; ""stuff", "a lot of", "thing", "sort of",

b. abbreviated forms: "can't", "doesn't", "shouldn't"

c. two word verbs: "put off", "bring up"

d. sub-headings, numbering and bullet-points in formal essays - but use them

in reports.

e. asking questions.

3. Precision

In academic writing, facts and figures are given precisely. You need to be precise

when you use information, dates or figures. Do not use "a lot of people" when you

can say "50 million people".

Example :

“Chemists had attempted to synthesize quinine for the previous hundred

years but all they had achieved was to discover the extreme complexity of

the problem.”

4. Objectivity

Written language is in general objective rather than personal. It therefore has

fewer words that refer to the writer or the reader. This means that the main

emphasis should be on the information that you want to give and the arguments

you want to make, rather than you. For that reason, academic writing tends to use

nouns (and adjectives), rather than verbs (and adverbs).

This means that the main emphasis should be on the information that you want to

give and the arguments you want to make, rather than you. This is related to the

basic nature of academic study and academic writing, in particular. Nobody really

wants to know what you "think" or "believe". They want to know what you have

studied and learned and how this has led you to your various conclusions. The

thoughts and beliefs should be based on your lectures, reading, discussion and

research and it is important to make this clear.

5. Explicitness

Academic writing is explicit about the relationships int he text. Furthermore, it is

the responsibility of the writer in English to make it clear to the reader how the

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various parts of the text are related. These connections can be made explicit by the

use of different signalling words.

6. Accuracy

Academic writing uses vocabulary accurately. Most subjects have words with

narrow specific meanings. Linguistics distinguishes clearly between "phonetics"

and "phonemics"; general English does not.

7. Hedging

In any kind of academic writing you do, it is necessary to make decisions about

your stance on a particular subject, or the strength of the claims you are making.

Different subjects prefer to do this in different ways.

A technique common in certain kinds of academic writing is known by linguists

as a „hedge‟.

8. Responsibility

In academic writing you must be responsible for, and must be able to provide

evidence and justification for, any claims you make. You are also responsible for

demonstrating an understanding of any source texts you use.1

1 www.uefap.com/writing , accessed : 26/9/2015 11.38 PM

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SUMMARIZE PARAGRAPH

Principles Of Essay Writing I

Academic prose often requires more than one paragraph. Futhermore,

because academic prose requires evidence, often a single paragraph is not

sufficient for the amount of essential or specific detail to support ideas or

oppinions. It is often necessary to construct multiple paragraphs. Each paragraph

of an essay, a technical report, a critique or a research paper will have the same

general form: a general topic sentence with controlling ideas, followed by facts,

examples, physical descriptions, and/or experiences that explain, describe, and/or

illustrate those controlling ideas.

An essay has:

1. A beginning : called the introduction, this the first in the essay.

2. A thesis sentence : generally located at the end of the introduction, the

most general, most important sentence in the essay. It contains controlling

ideas that limit and direct the rest of the essay.

3. A middle : called the body of the essay, these paragraphs explain, degine,

clarify, and illustrate the thesis sentence. Each body paragraph consists of

a topic sentence and several supporting sentences.

4. An ending: called the conclusion of the essay, this paragraph ends the

essay by restating the thesis statement, offering a solution or

recommendation or by making a prediction.

Diagram of an essay :

Introduction:

General

information

Thesis statement

Body:

A topic sentence

Supporting sentences

Conclusion:

May contain prediction, solution or recommendation

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Selecting a Topic

Often the subject for an academic assignment is chosen for the student by

the lecturer. The student must frequently narrow the subject to a topic. Selecting a

topic for an essay is similar to choosing a topic to write about in a paragraph. The

same process applies when you:

1. Write about WHAT YOU KNOW

2. Identify your AUDIENCE

3. Decide on the PURPOSE of the essay

4. Select a topic that will INTEREST your audience

As you begin to narrow your topic, decide the pattern of organization that you

want to use to present your topic on the audience. Several patterns of organization

are possible for each topic.

Principles Of Essay Writing II

Thesis Statement

Each essay you write will contain a thesis statement. This thesis statement

is usually one sentence that gives the purpose of the essay. The following are

characteristics of a good thesis statement.

A thesis statement :

1. Is the strongest, clearest statement in the essay

2. Comes at the beginning of the essay, usually at the end of the introductory

paragraph

3. Must NOT be a simple statement of fact that requires no elaboration. A

simple statement of fact has little possibilities for development

4. Should NOT be expressed as a question, because a question contains no

attitude or opinion. The ANSWER to the question is the thesis statemenet

5. Contain CONTROLLING IDEAS that will be used in the topic sentences

of the body paragraphs of the essay

6. May be a STATEMENT OF OPINION that will be explained and proved

in the body paragraph

7. May be a STATEMENT OF INTENT that will be explained and

illustrated in the body paraghraph of the essay

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A successful thesis statement usually results from a process of writing and

rewriting. Start with a topic that you want to explore and then narrow it down to

something that can be covered adequately in a short essay.

A good thesis statement usually result from a process of writing and rewriting.

Start with a TOPIC that you want to explore and then narrow it down to

something that can be covered adequately in a short essay.

Principles Of Essay Writing III

Paragraph Relationship

The thesis statement is directly related to the topic sentences in the body

paragraphs. Each topic sentence relates to and deals with one or more of the

controlling ideas in the thesis.

Principles Of Essay Writing IV

The Introduction

The introduction is a very important part of the essay as it tells the reader what the

essay is all about. The function of the introduction is

To provide background information

To capture the reader‟s interest

To state the thesis

The introductory paragraph usually consists of three parts:

1. Hook

2. Connecting information

3. Thesis statement

The hook is the opening statement. Writer uses a hook to catch the reader‟s

attention.

There are many different ways to write a hook, among others:

1. By asking a question. If the readers want to know the answer to the

question, they are “hooked” and will read the essay. For example, a writer

might begin an essay with this sentence :

“can you prevent yout brawls on the streets?”

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As this is a big problem in Jakarta, the reader will probably want to know

more about the topic.

2. By making an interesting observation or relating an anecdote.

Ex : the average American is proud to be American, and he is eager to talk

about American products. However, the average American drivers a

Japanese or German car to work every morning. He wears cotton shirts

made in Indonesia and pants made in Bangladesh. His dinner salad has

tomatoes from Mexico and salad dressing from France. Before he goes to

bed, he will watch his favorite program on a Japanese television set.

3. By describing a unique scenario to cach reader’s attention

Ex: travelling at more than one hundred miles an hour, he feels as though

he is not moving. He is engulfed in complete silence. For a moment, it is

as if he has entered another dimension.

4. Using a famous quotation or saying as a hook

Ex: “give a man a fish, and he‟ll eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and

he‟ll eat forever”

5. Using background information related to the thesis statement.

Connecting information

After the hook, the writer usually writes three to five sentences that help

to introduce the topic to the reader. These sentences can be background

information about the topic or they can be examples or explanations.

Writing the introdiction

There are many ways to write an introduction depending on how you want

to present the topic and the kind of essay you decide to write. Many introductions

use one or a combination of the following techniques to provide background

information and capture the reader‟s attention.

A. Move from general to specific

This type of introduction opens with a general statement on the subject

that establishes its importance and then leads the reader to the more

specific thesis statement.

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B. Use an anecdote

Relate an interesting story that will get the reader interested in the subject.

C. Use a quotation

A quotation is an easy way to introduce your topic. You can quote an

authority on your subject or use an interesting quotation from an article.

D. Ask a question

Asking one or more questions at the beginning of an essay is a good way

to engage the readers in the topic right away. They will want to read on in

order to find the answers to the questions

E. Present facts and statistics

Presenting some interesting facts or statistics on your subject establishes

credibility.

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PARAGRAPH EXAMPLES

Comparison/Contrast Paragraph

Life now and life five years ago

My life now and my life five years ago are similar but there are also some

major differences. Five years ago,I was living in Havre and going to high school. I

didn‟t have to work because my parents supported me. I went to school everyday

and spent time with my friends. I babysat my nieces everyday after school

because both of my parents were working at the time. I had the responsibility of

feeding them and making sure nothing happened to them while I was watching

them. I didn‟t really have any major goals five years ago. I wasn‟t really thinking

about my future quite yet. On the other hand, now I live in Great Falls and I‟m not

in high school anymore. I have to work now in order to support myself. I only

work twenty hours a week because I‟m in school right now. I have a lot more

responsibility now than I did five years ago. I have to take responsibility for

myself now and everything that I do. I have a lot of major goals now. For

instance, I want to graduate and get my two year degree. I want to come back and

get a bachelor‟s degree. I have a lot of things that I want to accomplish now. Five

years ago, I really wasn‟t going anywhere with my life, but now I‟m starting to get

my life in order and deciding what I want to do. In addition,I am still living at

home with my parents and I still go to school. I still baby sit my nieces every once

in a while. I find time to spend with my family and friends. I still have some of the

same responsibilities. I help my mom take care of my oldest niece. She has always

lived with us, so I‟ve always helped take care of her ever since she was a baby.

Even though she is not a baby anymore,I still have to baby sit her when my

parents are gone because she is not quite old enough to stay by herself yet. I still

have to depend on my parents for transportation because I don‟t have a vehicle

right now. My life now has changed a lot in only five years.

~© 2005 Brandy Doney~

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Cause/Effect Paragraph

Effects of Alcohol

Letting alcohol take control over your life has many negative effects on a

person and the people around them. One important effect is the damage you can

do to your body. Drinking can lead to severe illness and even eventual death;

some health consequences to consider might be liver disease, kidney failure and,

for pregnant women, the loss of their unborn child. Another detriment is that an

addiction could lead to drinking and driving; possibly causing a fatal car accident

for either yourself and/or an innocent by stander. Another concern to consider is

the relationships alcohol can destroy. Alcohol abuse can have very serious affect

on a person‟s temperament, which can lead to spousal and even child abuse.

Alcohol often is the number one cause in divorce and spending time in jail. It can

also affect relationships outside of the family; many people have lost life long

friends whether it is due to foolish arguments and behavior or possibly death.

Lastly, drinking has negative effects on self-esteem and rational thinking. People

become more self-centered, develop low self-esteem, doing things or behaving in

ways that they would not normally. They have little or no regard to the outcomes

of what is said or done when they grow reliant on getting that alcohol high. The

negative effects of alcohol abuse are overwhelming when considering the many

consequences that drinkers and the people around them have to deal with.

~© Racheal Guza 2005~

Classification Paragraph

Types of Friends

Friends can be classified according to their honesty, loyalty, the type that

fits you into their schedule, or the type that finds time for you when they need

something. An honest friend tells you the truth even if it‟s not always what you

want to hear. In the long run, that honest friend may have saved you from

embarrassment or possibly rejection. They give you constructive criticism overall.

The loyal friend is the type of friend that will be there for you through the thick

and the thin. They don‟t care how good or bad you may look one day; they are

sensitive to your feelings, they respect you and the other people in your life, and

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most of all they will never let you down when times are hard. They may be what

you call a best friend. The third group, the person that fits you into their schedule,

is the type of person that is always on the go. They barely have time for

themselves let alone another person. More than likely they will not be there for

you when you need them most, because they are so wrapped up in their busy,

hectic life. Then you have the self-absorbent type of “friend” that finds time for

you only when they need something. This type of person isn‟t what you would

call a friend. This person may always be extremely nice to you because they know

that if are nice to you then they will more than likely get what they want. They

will call you every once in awhile when it is almost time for them to use that

person again. It may be for a ride to work, home, or they just want somebody to

hangout with because they have no other friends. If the person that is being used is

smart they will eventually realize that they are getting used and will stop being

there for that person.

~© 2005 Amy Neill~

Process Paragraph

Ways to make Breaking up Easier

Breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend can be easier said than done, but

here are five steps that may help the breaking up process. First try to distance

yourself by suddenly becoming busier than usual. The next step is to calmly tell

the other person that how you are feeling.Then gently let him or her know that

you do not want to be together anymore. Then make sure to be sensitive of his or

her feelings and answer any questions that he or she may have. For example, if the

person starts to cry, use kind words to help comfort him or her. After everything is

said and done, take some alone time for your self because everyone has feelings to

sort out after a break up. Finally, go out with friends and meet new people. With

these five steps it will make the breaking up process smooth for both parties.

~© Sara Bedwell~

Definition Paragraph

Déjà vu

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Deja vu is a French word meaning "already seen", it has also been

described as a feeling or experience that one has seen or done something before.

For example, you are waiting in line to check out at the grocery store and the lady

behind you asks you to hand her a pack of gum. Suddenly you get an

overwhelming feeling that you have been there in that exact same spot, talking to

the same lady, even the same brand of gum. Even though everything seems so

familiar you know there is no way that could have happened before. There are

many theories as to why and how this phenomenon happens. One theory is that

deja vu is connected with temporal-lobe epilepsy, but people without a history of

epilepsy have also experienced deja vu. Psychiatrists believe it is something in

your brain that confuses an event that happened in the past with the present.

Another theory is parapsychologist think it is connected with past life experiences.

Whether deja vu is an experience of the paranormal or simply some confusion in

the brain, it is a perplexing feeling of having "already seen."

~Copyright 2005 Courtney Ming~

Argumentation Paragraph

Child abuse Essay

Child abuse is an immense problem that does require immediate help

provided to the child from the side of specialists. Once a teacher gets an allegation

of abuse from a child, he must not require a written statement from the child or

must not make the child repeat the allegation in front of other teachers or adult

people. The teacher must not wait until the end of the school day, but report

immediately by the means of telephone and support it with a written report within

the next 36 hours. The teacher takes individual responsibility for the report, so it

cannot be done anonymously. Both the telephone and the written report are

subjects of certain legal procedures. The telephone report should include detailed

information about the person making the report and detailed information about the

child, suspected of being a victim of abuse: location, special needs, injury, ect.

Afterwards all the details must be repeated by the contact person and approved by

the reporting teacher. By no means a teacher should contact the child‟s parents

and a teacher should not make an investigation.

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The next step after the telephone report is the written report. A fax report is an

interchangeable form of a written report, required by the “Department of Children

and Family Services”. The written reports are made through the forms: SS 8572 or

SS 8572(2), reporting the fact of child abuse and by the form DOJ 900, which is a

medical report. Copies should be made and saved by the reporter for further

organizational process. Generally all the forms if needed are provided by the child

protective agency. All the information in the forms must be full and as objective

as possible. They require detailed information about the life of the child, his needs

and other information. A personal opinion of the reporter has no legal value. The

information of both written and telephone report is confidential. This

confidentiality in case of its violation may result in 6 month of jail, for the person

violating it. The teacher may feel free to contact the child protective agency for

any questions that may occur throughout the process of reporting the abuse or

neglect. The identifying information provided by the reporting teacher should be

clear.

The teacher is completely responsible for any information that he conceals,

including the name of the possible perpetrator from the contact person. The

response and the actions of the child protective agency following the reports may

have a wide range. The teacher has to be ready in case the parent requests details

about the reasons the child abuse report was made. Only a small amount of people

have access to the report details – and they always are designated reporters such

as CARE Program SCAN Team members. The main role of the teacher is to make

the report legally right, according to the local abuse-reporting plan. Any illegal

action, incorrect information that does not coincide with the reality and is

subjective attitude is a law violation and the teacher takes responsibility for false

evidence.2

2 http://english120.pbworks.com . Accessed : 27/09/2015 12.23 AM