English for Academic and Report Writing

UEW 2044
MALAYSIA UNIVERSITY of
SCIENCE and TECHNOLOGY

ASSIGNMENT ONLINE DISCUSSION

NAME MUHAMMAD HADI AZFAR BIN ALI BAHRUN

STUDENT ID B22020030

PROGRAMME BBA

LECTURER’S NAME MISS SUNDARY RAJAGOPAL

STUDENT’S SIGNATURE

26/5/2023
DATE OF SUBMISSION

LECTURER’S SIGNATURE

MARKS
DO AND DON’TS

Writers frequently wonder if and when they can use personal pronouns like "I," "we," and
"you." This is an excellent question, but there is no clear answer. According to Björk, Knight,
and Wikborg (1992), the informal choice is to use I, us, and you. However, certain fields may
tolerate or recommend that these pronouns be used solely in the start and conclusion of the
text. It is advisable to check for style rules before beginning any writing process to avoid
misunderstandings. It is vital to examine the departmental rules for instructions and/or read
widely within the institution to get a sense of the decisions discipline specific academics make.

The chart below lists the conventional DOs and DON'Ts of academic writing at university.
Some of these things may differ depending on your writing style and departmental rules.
Before beginning the writing process, always check for style guidelines to ensure that there
are no additional style requirements or preferences.
 DO DON’TS

Use formal language Do not use slang, jargon, colloquialisms, or

sexist language.

Use the full verb form instead, e.g. they Do not use shortened verb forms
are, is not, cannot (contractions), such as they're, isn't, can't.

Make more formal word choices, such as Do not use common vocabulary, such as
have discovered, a great lot, appealing/ have got, a lot, nice, the other thing
beneficial, the other issue / problem / notion
/ idea / topic, and so on.

Conversational terms should be avoided. Do not use conversational opening phrases,

Make use of the proper connectors and such as Well, you see, Yes…, Let's move on.
introduction words.

Take out Eric (2008), for example, argues Do not write I think - especially not at the
that global warming will... beginning of a sentence, i.e. do not write, for
example, I think James (2008) believes that
global warming will…

Be non-personal, for example, "Everyone Do not use personal pronouns

should be able to compete." e.g. I, you, we (unless specifically required),
i.e. do not write We think that you should be
able to compete.

In subject sentences, state important ideas Do not use sweeping generalisations

clearly and simply in your own words.

use complete sentences and link these into Do not use bullet points or lists, unless it is
logical paragraphs. in a report.

Be objective. Avoid making assumptions or giving your

opinion (unless specifically asked).

Be clear and concise. Avoid waffling or repeating yourself.

 When you express something that is not Do not plagiarize (see the AWELU section
your own, include references (see the on'Academic Integrity').
AWELU sections 'Academic Integrity' and
'Sources and
Referencing').

Check your spelling, grammar, and Do not take for granted that the spell check
punctuation, among other things. Use a on your computer is accurate or will spot all
dictionary and proofread your work. Request spelling mistakes, since for example, your
that someone proofread your text for you. spell check will not pick up on whether vs
weather.

Convert questions into statements, such as, Do not pose (direct) questions in the
The feasibility of lowering carbon emissions running text, that is, do not write, for
is dubious. instance Can carbon emissions be
reduced?

Use words for numbers nine and below Do not mix words and numbers
and numbers for 10 and above. unsystematically.

Björk, Knight, and Wikborg (1992) provided some of the data in the table above.

• Problems that occur frequently and how to avoid them

Accurate grammar is required for academic writing. The sections that follow provide rules and
examples for the most common problematic areas of English grammar in writing.

• Introduction

Writing in university should ideally be described as formally correct. This means that, while
alternative grammatical options may be acceptable in informal writing or speech, the formally (and
prescriptively) right option is most favoured in academic writing. As a result, some guidelines must
be followed in your work. There is a distinction between descriptive and prescriptive approaches
to grammar. When writing academically, you should pay greater attention to grammarians'
prescriptive norms than you do when speaking or writing in English.

• Many or a lot? Concerning the use of quantifiers

Quantifiers are words and expressions used to show the quantity of something, which is usually
expressed by a noun. Quantifiers are frequently classified as pronouns in terms of word classes,
even though this classification may not be apparent to everyone. Please keep in mind that
(cardinal) numbers (e.g., seven, twelve) are numerals, not quantifiers. In the parts that follow, you
can learn about the two most important English quantifiers, many and much, as well as other
quantifiers that have roughly the same application and meaning as many and much. You can also
look at a table that is meant to describe the quantifier situation in English.

You will also be guided to contrastive information and other AWELU areas where you may study
up on crucial issues such as the distinction between countable and uncountable nouns and the
grammatical implications of this distinction.

Adverbs and adjectives

Adverbs and adjectives serve diverse functions in phrases and sentences. Adjectives change
nouns and give properties to the subject or object of a clause, whereas adverbs modify adjectives
and adverbs. Adverbs also serve as clause-level adverbials. Adjectives are frequently used in
adverbial functions in informal spoken English. This usage, however, is not appropriate in
professional writing.

Thus, the usage of adjectives in examples such as the following is typical of informal speech and
would be considered errors in a formal written environment (as well as cautious speaking):

You must use extreme caution not to touch the wire. [In academic writing, the adverb is really
employed to modify the adjective cautious.]

Bill did an excellent job on the task. [In academic writing, the adverb well would serve as the way
adverbial.]

Coherence

Coherence is sometimes referred to as cohesiveness, while some argue that the two phrases
refer to phenomena that are definitely connected but clearly distinct. Coherence refers to both the
degree to which a text "hangs together" and the many linguistic and structural techniques of
obtaining this coherence. There are logical relationships between the words, phrases, and
paragraphs of a cohesive writing. The phrase is derived from the Latin verb co-haerere, which
meaning 'to stick together' (OED).
Another approach to describe coherence is as good and seamless text flow. A writer must make
a work as clear and logical as feasible in order to optimise understanding. There are several
approaches to produce coherence. Oshima and Hogue (2006) recommend the following four:

a) Using important nouns over and again

b) Consistent use of pronouns
c) Using transition signals to connect concepts
d) Putting your thoughts in a logical order

Starting with the last point, because it is the most important, any academic writing will be
incomprehensible unless the concepts contained in it are organised logically. There are various
types of logical order, but three of the most common are chronology, importance, and contrast.
Chronology, first and foremost, is concerned with time, and in terms of logic, events are ordered
in a sequential order. Second, importance indicates that concepts are presented in a specific
order, implying a growing or decreasing order of importance.

Third, contrast is concerned with organising thoughts by contrasting or comparing them. The final
component - transition signals (also known as connecting words or linking adverbials) - is
concerned with the usage of certain words and phrases that elicit links and transition between
ideas. As previously said, there is no replacement for logically organising the many concepts and
elements of a work. Even when this is accomplished satisfactorily, there is frequently a need to
improve the organisational pattern of a text passage by incorporating logical markers.There are
several words and phrases like these, and they can be classified into different classes based on
their function. The following link will lead you to a list of transitional and connecting words.

The point about utilising consistent pronouns is about effectively substituting nouns for pronouns.
A writing that does not use pronouns in some way will appear overly repetitive. When using
pronouns, it is critical to remain consistent by utilising the same person and number throughout
the paragraph or sentence. To see a comparison of a text with and without pronouns, click on the
link below.

The fourth approach to improve textual coherence is to repeat essential terms. Even though
nouns are normally the words that should be repeated, words from other word classes can be
repeated if they are relevant to the text's content. There is no clear guideline for how many times
a significant term can be repeated; the guiding concept must be clarity and avoiding giving the
reader the impression of excessive repetition. Instead of repeating a key noun, use another noun
that has the same, or at least extremely similar, meaning: a synonym. Click on the link below to
see an example of effective key noun repetition.

Focus on Vocabulary

Because of its uniqueness, vocabulary knowledge is essential for academic writing. This section
focuses on the vocabulary style and kind that is appropriate for academic writing, as well as
suggested word and phrase banks.

You will encounter new words at university and learn to recognise their prevalence in texts and
other kinds of conversation, especially as you get more enclosed in texts and specialise in a
subject. Aside from knowing standard English, having a thorough understanding of how language
is created, as well as knowledge of the terminology used in certain areas, is vital when writing at
university.The sections that follow address the most typical challenges encountered in academic
writing.

a) Vocabulary Development
b) Words and phrases that are useful
c) Making Use of Abbreviations

There will be subheadings under each of the following headings to help guide you through the
various vocabulary structures.
REFERENCE

1. https://tamararesearch.com/dos-and-donts-of-academic-writing/
2. https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:808012/FULLTEXT01.pdf
3. https://www.awelu.lu.se/language/register-and-style/dos-donts/