GOLLIS UNIVERSITY, BURAO CAMPUS

ACADEMIC WRITING SKILLS

Chapter 1
ELEMENTS OF WRITING
Business & Economics, ICT & Engineering
Semester 3 .

Lectured by: Mr. Dauda W. Jamada

 Chapter Learning Objectives
• After studying this chapter you should be
able to:
– Understand what is a paragraph and its basic
parts.
– Understand purpose, audience, clarity, unity &
coherence of writing
– Use clear, descriptive language
– Understand clear pronoun references

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1_Elements of Writing
 What is a Paragraph?
 A Paragraph is a group of sentences that
develops one central point.
 A writer often directly states this point in a
sentence at the beginning or near the
beginning of the paragraph; this statement
is called a Topic Sentence, The writer then
develops the topic sentence more fully
within the body of the paragraph.
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What Makes a Good Paragraph
The basic parts of a paragraph
– • Topic sentence
– • Supporting sentences
– • Concluding sentence

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Example of a Paragraph showing the 3 basic parts:

My Most Treasured Possession:

My most treasured possession is an old-fashioned gold pocket
watch. My father gave me this watch when I left home to come to the
United States to study. When I open the cover of the watch, I see the
clock face with its numbers written in faded black roman numerals; I,
II, III, and so forth. After I snap the cover shut, I look at the scratched
and gull gold cover. Then I can faintly see the engraved picture of a
bird in flight on the watch’s cover. As I hold the watch in my hand, it
reminds me of my grandfather Ahmed, who first owned the watch.
Most of all, it makes me think of my father, who with tears in his eyes,
placed the watch lovingly in my hand as I prepared to make my first
flight from home.

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Five (5) Elements of Good Writing
 The following are the Five (5) Major
Elements of good writing:
 Purpose
 Audience
 Clarity
 Unity
 Coherence

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Element 1: Purpose
 This explains the reasons that a writer is
writing a particular paragraph
 The three most common goals of academic
writing are;
To inform the readers
To persuade the readers
To entertain the readers

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Analyzing a Paragraph:
 Read Sample Paragraph 1 above: My Most Treasured Possession

 Post Reading:
1. What is the writer’s purpose for writing this
paragraph?
2. Does the writer stay focused on one idea or topic? If
not, explain where the writer gets off the topic.
3. Do you think the writer achieved his/her goal for
writing this paragraph?

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Purpose Statement:
 Writers often create a purpose statement
before they begin writing.
– A purpose statement is a short sentence
that clearly defines the point of the
paragraph.
– Purpose statements are simple & to the
point.

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Chapter 1_Elements of Writing
Writing Purpose Statements:
 Topic: Your craziest experience in a
restaurant.

 Purpose statement: The purpose of this

paragraph is to tell about the time that my
sister started a food fight in a restaurant.

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Chapter 1_Elements of Writing
Element 2: Audience
 The second element of good writing is to keep
your audience in mind as you write.
 The term audience refers to the readers.
 Good writers know who their audience is before
they start writing.
 Good writers keep their audience in mind as they
write every sentence in their paragraph.

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Relating to your Audience:
 Consider these two main elements in
relating to your audience;
1. Viewpoint or person (first, second, or third)
2. Formal or informal writing

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Person:
 Writers can choose one of three different
persons, or point of view, when writing.

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 The first person refers to the person who is
speaking.
 Paragraphs written in the first person use
first-person pronouns (i.e., I, we, me, etc.)
or first-person possessive adjectives (i.e.,
my, our, etc.).

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 Paragraph that explain personal experiences
often use the first person.

 Example;
– Yesterday I went to the beach with my cousins.

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 The second person refers to the person who
is being spoken to.

 Paragraphs written in the second person use

second-person pronouns (i.e., you, yours,
etc.) & the second-person possessive
adjectives (i.e., your, etc.)

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Chapter 1_Elements of Writing
 It is generally used to give directions or
instructions.

 The second person is often used for informal

writing.
 Example;
– After filling the sink, you must then add
detergent.

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Chapter 1_Elements of Writing
 The third person refers to the person or
thing that is being spoken about.
 Paragraphs written in the third person use
their-person pronouns (i.e., she, he, etc.) &
third-person possessive adjectives (i.e., his,
her, etc.).

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Chapter 1_Elements of Writing
 Think of the third person as someone telling
a story about another person or thing.
 Most academic paragraphs use third person.
 Example;
– He turned quickly and saw them leaving the
theater.

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Chapter 1_Elements of Writing
Element 3: Clarity
 Clarity refers to how easy it is for the reader
to understand your writing.
 Good writers explain their points clearly.
 Clear sentences are not vague or indirect;
they get the point across to the reader by
using specific, concise language.

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 Here are two ways that you can improve
clarity;
1) Use descriptive or precise words
2) Use clear pronoun references

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Importance of using clear & descriptive language

1. Using clear, descriptive language improves

clarity in a paragraph.

2. It helps the reader see accurately the person

or thing the writer is describing.

3. Avoid vague and unclear words. Instead

choose clear & precise words.
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Examples of Clarity in Sentences
1. The guy went to the store.-Ahmed went to the
hardware store to purchase a power drill.

2. Naima took her things with her when she went out.-
Naima took her sun-block, glasses, and a towel when
she went to the beach.

3. The house was dark.-The house was dimly lit; the only
source of light was a candle in the hallway.

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Element 4: Unity
 Unity in a paragraph means that all the
sentences are related to the topic sentence
and its controlling idea.
 Good writers stay on topic by making sure
that each supporting sentence relates to the
topic sentence.

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 Problems of paragraph unity are
common with students.

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Element 5: Coherence
 Cohesion means joining a text together with
reference words (e.g. he, theirs, the former)
and conjunctions (e.g. but, then) so that the
whole text is clear and readable.

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 This element of writing has to do with
coherent arrangement of material. It
involves keeping the reader oriented to the
central and subordinate ideas. Good
organization is logical and sequential.
 It guides the reader between divisions of
the material.

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 Introduction orients the reader to the central idea and
the line of reasoning.
 Material is arranged in a logical and coherent
sequence; subordinate ideas are effectively identified.
 Transitions are clear and helpful.
 Conclusion or closing summarizes the argument,
emphasizes the central idea, and leaves the reader with a
sense of completion.

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Chapter 1_Elements of Writing
 Assignment 1 (5 Marks):
 Question: What is your most treasured
possession and why is it special to you?

 Write a paragraph about your most prized

possession. Include specific details to
describe the possession and explain to your
reader why it means so much to you.
 Submit your Assignment by: Wednesday 24th June 2020 through
my email: jamadadauda@gmail.com
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 END OF CHAPTER
QUESTIONS PLEASE!!!