Faculty of Applied Engineering and

Urban Planning

English I
(Technical Writing)

Lecture 1: Academic Phrases

2016
Introduction
Academic phrases aims at strengthening text with
examples of some of the phraseological ‘nuts and
bolts’ of writing.

Phrases are has several communicative functions of

academic writing.

In using phrases you are not stealing other people’s

ideas and this does not constitute plagiarism.

Adapted from:
http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/
How to use them
1. List your ideas.

2. Turn them into complete simple sentences.

3. Join the sentences properly, and as necessary, by

the conjunctions.

4. Add the academic phrases to the text properly.

Academic Phrases
Used for:
Describing Trends
Describing Quantities
Being Critical
Being Cautious
Classifying and Listing
Compare and Contrast
Defining Terms
Explaining Causality
Giving Examples
Signalling Transition
Writing about the Past
 Describing Trends

• The graph shows • Slight • Growth

that there has been • Gradual • Increase
a • Slow • Rise in the number of
• Steady • Decrease divorces in England
• Figure 2  reveals • marked • Fall and Wales since 1981.
that there has been • Steep • Decline
a • sharp • drop
Describing Trends
Describing high and low points in figures
Oil production peaked in 1985.
Gas production reached a (new) low in 1990
The peak age for committing a crime is 18.
The number of births reached a peak during the
Second World War.
 Describing Trends: Projecting trends

Fall

grow
is projected to
The number of Xs increase
is expected to
The amount of Y level off after 2020.
is likely to
The rate of Z remain steady
will probably
decline steadily

drop sharply
Example
Describe the trend of data behaviour in the figure that is shown below.
Step1: List your ideas
No effect of temperature below 80oF
increased for temp greater than 80 oF
Step2: Turn them into complete sentences

Figure shows no effect of temperatures

below 80oF on the number of UFO
sightings.

UFO Sightings increase for temperatures

greater than 80oF
Step 3: Use conjunctions
Figure shows no effect of temperatures
below 80oF on the number of UFO
sightings. However, Sightings increase for
temperatures greater than 80oF.
Step 4: Use Academic Phrases
Example 1:

Figure shows insignificant effect of

temperatures below 80oF on the number of
UFO sightings. However, a sharp increase
in the sightings was noticed for
temperatures greater than 80oF.
Step 4: Use Academic Phrases
Example 2:

Temperatures below 80oF were found to

have no marked effect on the number of
UFO sightings. However, a steep rise in the
sightings was noticed for temperatures
beyond that limit.
Group Work
Highlightthe maximum and minimum
number of UFO sightings.

Describe an expected projection of the

number of UFO sightings for
temperatures greater than 80oF.