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An Introduction To Academic Writing
An Introduction To Academic Writing
Olivia Valdes
Updated June 06, 2019
Most published papers also have abstracts: brief summaries of the most
important points of the paper. Abstracts appear in academic database search
results so that readers can quickly determine whether the paper is pertinent to
their own research.
The thesis statement, found at the end of the first paragraph, is a one-sentence
encapsulation of your essay’s main idea. It presents an overarching argument and
may also identify the main support points for the argument. In essence, the thesis
statement is a road map, telling the reader where the paper is going and how it
will get there.
The thesis statement plays an important role in the writing process. Once you’ve
written a thesis statement, you’ve established a clear focus for your paper.
Frequently referring back to that thesis statement will prevent you from straying
off-topic during the drafting phase. Of course, the thesis statement can (and
should) be revised to reflect changes in the content or direction of the paper. Its
ultimate goal, after all, is to capture the main ideas of your paper with clarity and
specificity.
These comments make for an enjoyable conversation, but they do not belong in a
critical essay. Why? Because they respond to (and pass judgment on) the raw
content of the movie, rather than analyzing its themes or how the director
conveyed those themes.
On the other hand, a critical essay about "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate
Factory" might take the following topic as its thesis: "In 'Willy Wonka and the
Chocolate Factory,' director Mel Stuart intertwines money and morality through
his depiction of children: the angelic appearance of Charlie Bucket, a good-
hearted boy of modest means, is sharply contrasted against the physically
grotesque portrayal of the wealthy, and thus immoral, children."
This thesis includes a claim about the themes of the film, what the director seems
to be saying about those themes, and what techniques the director employs in
order to communicate his message. In addition, this thesis is both
supportable and disputable using evidence from the film itself, which means it's a
strong central argument for a critical essay.
Characteristics of a Critical Essay
Critical essays are written across many academic disciplines and can have wide-
ranging textual subjects: films, novels, poetry, video games, visual art, and more.
However, despite their diverse subject matter, all critical essays share the
following characteristics.
1. Central claim. All critical essays contain a central claim about the text.
This argument is typically expressed at the beginning of the essay in
a thesis statement, then supported with evidence in each body paragraph.
Some critical essays bolster their argument even further by including
potential counterarguments, then using evidence to dispute them.
2. Evidence. The central claim of a critical essay must be supported by
evidence. In many critical essays, most of the evidence comes in the form of
textual support: particular details from the text (dialogue, descriptions,
word choice, structure, imagery, et cetera) that bolster the argument.
Critical essays may also include evidence from secondary sources, often
scholarly works that support or strengthen the main argument.
3. Conclusion. After making a claim and supporting it with evidence, critical
essays offer a succinct conclusion. The conclusion summarizes the
trajectory of the essay's argument and emphasizes the essays' most
important insights.
o Before You Write
o Key Elements
o Plot
o Genre
o Character
o Theme
o Symbols and Motifs
o Conflict
o Point of View
o Historical Context
byGrace Fleming
One assignment has lasted the test of time, uniting generations of students in a
common learning exercise: book reports. While many students dread these
assignments, book reports can help students learn how to interpret texts and gain
a broader understanding of the world around them. Well-written books can open
your eyes to new experiences, people, places, and life situations that you may
have never thought about before. In turn, a book report is a tool that allows you,
the reader, to demonstrate that you have understood all the nuances of the text
you just read.
What's a Book Report?
In the broadest terms, a book report describes and summarizes a work of fiction
or nonfiction. It sometimes — but not always — includes a personal evaluation of
the text. In general, regardless of grade level, a book report will include an
introductory paragraph that shares the title of the book and its author. Students
will often develop their own opinions about the underlying meaning of the texts
through developing thesis statements, typically presented in the opening of a
book report, and then using examples from the text and interpretations to
support those statements.
Before You Start Writing
A good book report will address a specific question or point of view and back up
this topic with specific examples, in the form of symbols and themes. These steps
will help you identify and incorporate those important elements. It shouldn't be
too hard to do, provided you're prepared, and you can expect to spend, on
average, 3-4 days working on the assignment. Check out these tips to ensure
you're successful:
In the body of your book report, you will use your notes to guide you through an
extended summary of the book. You will weave your own thoughts and
impressions into the plot summary. As you review the text, you'll want to focus on
key moments in the storyline and relate them to the perceived theme of the book,
and how the characters and setting all bring the details together. You'll want to be
sure that you discuss the plot, any examples of conflict that you encounter, and
how the story resolves itself. It can be helpful to use strong quotes from the book
to enhance your writing.
The Conclusion
As you lead to your final paragraph, consider some additional impressions and
opinions:
Conclude your report with a paragraph or two that covers these additional points.
Some teachers prefer that you re-state the name and author of the book in the
concluding paragraph. As always, consult your specific assignment guide or ask
your teacher if you have questions about what is expected of you.
1. Professional Writing
Professional writing is the type of writing commonly used in the
workplace to help facilitate work processes. One of the purposes
of professional writing is to professionally and courteously
communicate with other members of a group or organization, and
is done to get a reward or for profit. The use of professional
writing is also not limited to a business or organization as
professionally written works have audiences outside their group
or organization. Examples of professional essay writing are the
following:
reports
email messages
memorandum
letter examples
case studies
journals
proposals
contracts template
2. Academic Writing
When you say academic writing, you would automatically think of
writing for the sake of providing information to schools or
universities. This tells us that the audience for such type of
writing is limited within the school setting and they are the
students, professors, principals, etc. Academic writing is used to
help students learn to express themselves and what they have
learned through writing different kinds of writing papers.
thesis papers,
academic papers,
monographs,
academic books,
presentation template,
dissertation, and
research paper.
3. Technical Writing
Technical writing is similar to professional writing in the sense
that they are both used in the workplace. It is different from that
of professional writing because it focuses on the specific and
specialized technical topics, like engineering, technology,
science, and law.
Manuals or handbook
Operations guides
Installation guides
1. Organized Thought
Having an organized chain of thought will make it easy for
anyone to write clearly and be more productive. Providing a
write-up or an output that has an organized way of conveying
information is very important in professional writing. Readers will
find the content easy to understand and follow. you can also
see One-Page Writing Samples & Templates.
2. Good Communication
Since communication is one of the main uses of professional
writing, this is why good communication is one of the core skills
being required. Good communication does not only mean good in
the language use, but it also means being able to connect and
convey the information across the entire organization. you can
also see Employment Writing Samples and Templates.
Are you interested to learn more about writing styles? If so, then
you might want to check out these wonderful articles we are
offering for free on our website like Informative Writing Samples
and Templates, Argumentative Writing Samples and Templates,
and Commentary Writing Samples and Templates.