ACADEMIC WRITING

Language Focus:
Formal grammar & Style
1. Avoid Contractions
We’ve completed the project successfully. X
We have completed the project successfully.√

They’re going to finance the construction. X

They are going to finance the construction. √

Exporters won’t pay the tax. X

Exporters will not pay the tax. √
 Language Focus:
Formal grammar & Style
2. Use the more appropriate formal negative form
The analysis didn’t yield any new results. X
The analysis yielded no new results. √

The problem doesn’t have many viable solutions. X

The problem has a few viable solutions. √

The government didn’t allocate much funding. X

The government allocated little funding . √
 Language Focus:
Formal grammar & Style
3. Use the passive voice (avoid “you” and “I”)

You can see the results in Table 1.

The results can be seen in Table 1.

We did the research under the supervision of WHO.

The research was done under WHO’s supervision.
 III. Language Focus:
Linking Verbs and Phrases
 Exercise 1: Use linking words or phrases to combine
these sentences

• Nuclear accidents can happen. Nuclear power

plants must have strict safety controls.
• Solar heating systems are economical to
operate. The cost of installation is very high.
• Ecologists know that burning fossil fuels
causes holes in the ozone layer. People
continue to do it.
 IV. Language Focus:
References
Writers often use pronouns when they do not
want to use the same noun more than one
time in a sentence.
• People go to libraries when they need
information.
• Some families have long histories, while
others knows very little about their ancestors.
 Language focus:
this + summary word
• Lecturers know that students need to
understand the difference between formal
and informal language. However, this
understanding cannot usually be acquired
quickly.
• In recent years the number of students
applying to Ph.D. programs has increased
steadily, while the number of places available
has remained constant. This situation has
resulted in intense competition for admission.
 PRINCIPLES OF
PARAGRAPH WRITING (1)
A paragraph is a series of sentences concerning
one idea called the topic. Usually a paragraph
begins with a general sentence that
introduces the topic. This sentence is called
the topic sentence. The topic sentence tells
the reader what the paragraph is about.
The function of the topic sentence:
• Introduce the topic
• State the main idea of the paragraph
• Focus the paragraph
Example of topic sentence:
Computers can make some jobs easier.
(What jobs? How do they make them easier)
 PRINCIPLES OF
PARAGRAPH WRITING (2)
Supporting sentences

To add details to the topic sentence that are
relevant to the topic sentence

• Facts
• Examples
• Physical description
• Personal experience
 PRINCIPLES OF
PARAGRAPH WRITING (3)
Patterns of Organization
• Comparison/Contrast
• Cause/Effect
• Classification
• Process
• Definition/Clarification
• Argumentation
PRINCIPLES OF ESSAY WRITING (1)
 Describing trends
Trends: changes or movements
Numerical items:
• costs
• production volume
• growth
 Trends
Three basic trends:
upward downward stable/constant
Bar Graph
Pie Chart
Line Graph
Language of trends
Describing the degree of change
Describing the speed of change
 Adjective or Adverb?
Adjective Adverb

slight slightly

sharp sharply

dramatic dramatically

steady steadily

constant constantly
The sales of computer
• Introduction of the Topic
• This graph above shows the number of computers sold in 1995
• General Statement
– The sales of computer increased dramatically from
January until March at which point there was a
moderately decreasing of sales in April.
• Description
– From January to February, the sales increased slightly,
from around 15 to 25 units. Moreover, a dramatically
growing happened from February to March, from 25
up to 85 units. The sales fell sharply from March to
April, reaching 70 unit.
The graph bellow shows the area of land from which grain was
harvested. Write a report for a university lecturer describing the
information in the graph.
• Introduction
– The graph bellow shows the total world grain harvest area in millions
of hectares between 1950 and 1996
• General statement
– In general, the total harvest area increased until 1980, at which point
there was a reduction in the area harvested due to retrenchment.
• Description
– In 1950 almost 600 million hectares of grain harvested world wide.
During the 1950s the USSR initiated Virgin Land Program which greatly
increased the area harvested to around 650 million hectares. From
this point until the mid-1970s the area harvested increased slowly,
with some fluctuations, to just over 700 million hectares. Then around
1975 the price of grain doubled and this caused a rapid increase in the
amount of land devoted to grain production until 1980. From 1980 to
1995 there was a gradual decrease in the amount of land used for
grain cultivation. After this the area harvested again began to rise.
Conclusion
In summary, it can be seen that the area devoted to grain production
was affected by both government policy and market forces.