Madrid Writing by Numbers by H.G

7/24/2019 Madrid Writing by Numbers by H.G

1/21

Writing by Numbers:

becoming an active reader

Hilary Glasman-Deal 2015

Good prose is like a window pane. (George Orwell)

1


2/21

THE TEMPLATE-BASED APPROACH:

IMRaD

HOW TO WRITE AN INTRODUCTION

LANGUAGE AND WRITING ISSUES:

INFORMAL LANGUAGE AND BABY LANGUAGE

ACADEMIC VOCABULARY ORGANISING INFORMATION

GRAMMAR

GENERAL WRITING TIPS

OVERVIEW

2


3/21

Analyse target texts to create template models. Use their structure, grammar and vocabulary as your

writing input.

Good organisation helps to compensate for language

errors.

Informal English cannot convey precise meaning.

You dont need to learn much English .

Do not plagiarise.

Writing is much easier than it looks!

KEY MESSAGES

3


4/21

4

THE TEMPLATE-BASED APPROACH: ARECOGNISABLE FACSIMILE


5/21

painting by numbers guaranteesimmediate success

and gratification, encouraging the painter to try untilfeeling secure and confident enough to discard the

training wheels of Paint by Numbers and (go) "solo"

for the first time.

http://www.hofcraft.com/paintbynumbersets.htm

5

THE TEMPLATE-BASED APPROACH
http://www.hofcraft.com/paintbynumbersets.htmhttp://www.hofcraft.com/paintbynumbersets.htm


6/21

6

IMRaD

Results

Method

Abstract

Discussion

Introduction


7/21

Text organization of published articles in the British Medical Journalfrom 1935 to 1985

7

IMRaD Adoption


8/21

1 ESTABLISH THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TOPIC

PROVIDE BACKGROUND FACTS AND INFORMATION

PRESENT THE GENERAL PROBLEM AREA

2 EXISTING RESEARCH : THE RESEARCH MAP

3

LOCATE A GAP IN THE RESEARCH and/or DESCRIBE THE

PROBLEM YOU WILL ADDRESS and/or PRESENT APREDICTION/HYPOTHESIS

4 DESCRIBE YOUR PAPER/STUDY

WRITING AN INTRODUCTIONHow do I start the Introduction? Whatshould I include? How do I finish it?

8


9/21

EXTEND YOUR RANGE OF LITERATUREREVIEW VERBS.

9

achieveaddress

adopt

analyse

apply

argue [that]

assumeattempt [to]

carry out

challenge

choose

claim [that]

classifycollect

compare

confirmconsider

contradict

deal with

debate

define

demonstratedescribe

design

detect

determine

develop

discoverdiscuss

enhance

establishestimate

evaluate

examine

explore

extend

findfocus on

generate

identify

imply

improve

indicate [that]interpret

introduce

investigate

maintain [that]modify

note

observe

offer

overcome

perform point out

predict

present

produce

propose

proveprovide

put forward

realise

recogniserecommend

record

report

reveal

revise

review show

solve

state [that]

study

support

suggesttest

use

verify


10/21

10

INTRODUCTION AND DISCUSSION

Introduction

Discussion

Revisit your work

Response to the gap

Map to existing research

Contribution to the field

Importance of the

field/topic

Existing research

Locate a gap

Describe your work


11/21

AVOID SIMPLE VERBS make/go/get/put/thing/interesting/proper/big/special/lots/spread/pick

get = obtain, achieve, reach

pick = select, choose

keep = retain, maintain

AVOID EMPTY PHRASES

many people in the world/most people in the world . where else?

special, interesting.. in what way?

AVOID SPOKEN ENGLISH IT SUGGESTS A BROKEN LINK TO YOUR READING

Loads of information can be found on the internet. (A great deal of information)

AVOID EMOTIONAL/DRAMATIC LANGUAGE AND JOURNALESE

there is still a spark of faith

INFORMAL LANGUAGE AND BABYLANGUAGE

11


12/21

ACADEMIC VOCABULARY ISSUES

12

THESAURUS USE: the thesaurus is NOT YOUR FRIEND!

noticeable is not the same as conspicuousand

notoriousis not the same as well-known.

KEEP TERMINOLOGY CONSISTENT. A toolshould not

become a strategyand then a device and then an

approach and then a technique.

WATCH OUT FOR L1 TRANSFER.

ERROR:extorting the meaning


13/21

The way you start a sentence helps the reader

to process the content.

CONNECTING SIGNALSConnect sentences using overlapping repeats, pro-forms or signalling connectors BUT

if you begin a sentence or clause with a connector like therefore, is it really a

consequence or result of the previous sentence?

If you begin a sentence or clause with in other words,is it really the same thing in

other words?

STRONG SENTENCE STARTUP

Try to avoid beginning sentences or clauses with -ing forms or prepositional adverb

phrases (especiallyfor and with).

ORGANISING INFORMATION

13


14/21

ORGANISING INFORMATION

14

PARAGRAPHING

Avoid clusters of single-sentence paragraphs and whole-page

paragraphs.

ORDER OF INFORMATION

Dont put the background needed to understand a statement

AFTER the statement.


15/21

DETERMINERS (articles)

Check for singular countable nouns: I am English teacher

Check for so-called uncountable nouns that you are using countably, e.g., food,

environment, technology

Watch out for invisible errors : This effect may hide a/theconnection between X

and Y.

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT, grammatical and logical.

Check singular/plural agreement

Check whether the subject can actually perform the action of the verb.

PARTS OF SPEECH

Check whether the word you are using is an adjective, adverb or noun: due to the

bore curriculum [in Spanish schools].

GRAMMAR

15


16/21

REFERENCE Add a noun to This/These(e.g. This model/theory), especially if

more than one noun is possible.

Check that the referent of This at the start of a sentence is

clear. This result was significant and is in line with results inprevious studies. This suggests that swearing has a beneficial

effect on pain tolerance.

VERB TENSEVerb tense identifies the function of the information:

We found that x occurred.

We found that x occurs.

GRAMMAR

16


17/21

PREPOSITIONS

Wrong preposition may = wrong meaning: evidence

of vs.evidence for

Consider replacing the preposition with real words With has a range of meanings; consider replacing it

with using, having, in combination with, together

with, as a result of

GRAMMAR

17


18/21

The referent of you/one/weis not always clear:

This technique gives you/us the possibility to improve

the design of the app.

Agentless passives (was done, was studied) may

cause confusion about who did the verb, so identify

the agent. Here/in that study/in our model/in their

approach/in the method proposed here.

YOU/WE/ONE or a PASSIVE?

18


19/21

IDENTIFY IMPORTANT INFORMATION/THE VALUE OF YOUR CONTRIBUTION

Clearly identify information that is highly relevant or important: It is

important to remember that/It should be emphasized that

PUNCTUATION

Dont use a comma before adding a new thought

Dont overuse parentheses

SENTENCE LENGTH AND DENSITY

STRENGTH OF CLAIM

Make sure that your statements are an accurate reflection of their truth.

Do theyprove/provide evidence of/demonstrate/confirm/ indicate/suggest/corroborate/support or show something?

Do you need a citation reference?

Watch out for hyperbole (the most dangerous problem for human beings

in the world nowadays is.)

GENERAL TIPS

19


20/21

MAP THE ORGANISATIONAL PATTERNS OF THE REPORTS/RESEARCHPAPERS/TEXTS YOU ARE READING AND USE THEM AS MODELS.

IDENTIFY THE PARAGRAPH FUNCTIONS OF THE REPORTS/RESEARCH

PAPERS/TEXTS YOU ARE READING AND USE THEM AS MODELS.

LOOK AT THE VOCABULARY IN THE REPORTS/RESEARCH

PAPERS/TEXTS YOU ARE READING AND USE THAT VOCABULARY.

LOOK AT THE SENTENCE STRUCTURES IN THE REPORTS/RESEARCH

PAPERS/TEXTS YOU ARE READING AND USE THEM AS MODELS.


20


21/21

uses authentic academic input rather than relying on creativewriting madness

increases writing speed

means that conventional patterns can compensate for

language errors

reduces the effect of the gap between language ability and

intellectual ability

results in better reading as well as better writing

is reliable and has high face validity because it is descriptive

rather than prescriptive

creates a bridge between reading and writing that actively

feeds writing21


Madrid Writing by Numbers by H.G

Documents

Transcript of Madrid Writing by Numbers by H.G