Academic Writing Skills
Anitha Munasinghe LLB, BSN, MPH, MBA
Understanding assignment briefs
Understanding the assignment question
Researching and reading for the assignment
Assignment structure
Academic style and language
Paraphrasing, summarising and synthesising
Editing and proof-reading
Academic writing checklist
Learning Objectives
Usually you will have a title or task, and very
often this will include;
The subject
A keyword (telling you how to write your
assignment);
The aspect of the subject matter (often phrase
ending in ‘of’);
And possibly restrictions (eg., a context for
the topic);
Unpick the Title
Always need to analyse your essay title
carefully before you start to work on it.
What are you being asked to do?
What is the essay question asking you to
do?
De-construct the question.
Analysis rather than describing the
question.
Understanding Assignment Briefs
Discuss the impact of celebrity culture in
the 21st century.
What is the task?
Discuss - keyword
Impact - aspect
Celebrity culture - subject
21st Century - restriction
Example
Format?
Word limit?
Assessment criteria?
What’s the deadline?
What is the weighting?
Assignment Brief: Additional
Information
Your research will need to draw on the
work of other writers and researchers
Reading and researching are vital to
produce a good assignment
In-depth research= knowledge and
evidence
Need to develop a thesis and argument so
that you can answer the question
Research and Reading for an
Assignment
Analyse the essay question
Carry out a search for sources of
information
Read/ listen and take notes in your own
words
Plan the essay
Write the first draft (s)
Revise, edit, proof read and submit the
final version
Logical Steps in Essay Writing
Very important as it creates the first
impression on the reader
Components of an effective introduction;
Introduces the topic
Provides necessary definitions in terms of
the topic
Gives necessary background information
Provides an overview of what will be
discussed
Essay Structure - Introduction
This is your chance to analyse/evaluate/argue
a topic
Eachmain idea you listed in your outline
becomes a paragraph
Build on your paragraphs in a logical order
Essay structure – Main body
Leave your reader with a positive effect of
your work
Effective conclusions;
Summarise main points presented
Evaluate the argument/s presented
Provide a statement of writers own view on
topic
Provide reasons/suggestions to improve a
situation/recommends further investigation
Conclusions
Academic Style and Language in
Writing
Clear
Complete
Concise
Precise
Coherent
Aim to Be
Avoid repetition
Use formal and not informal language
Avoid personal language (eg., I, you, I
think)
Make the structure clear to the reader
Keep sentences and paragraphs short
Ensure that the writing is as complete as
possible for the reader
Acceptable Style in Academic
Writing
Avoid abbreviations and contractions (eg.,
you’re – you are, don’t – do not)
Avoid being too general and too certain
about what is stated
Give examples and evidence for all your
points- which includes references and
quotations
Check language errors
Acceptable Style in Academic
Writing
Trynot to keep repeating “Brown says…”
Use a wider range of verbs
Examples:
Brown argues that…
Taylor suggests that…
Both Brown and Taylor emphasise that…
http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk
Verbs for Citing Sources
What are they? (eg., agree, argue,
criticises)
Need to present coherent arguments by
linking ideas together
Point out similarities
Highlight differences
Justify statements
Provide examples and conclusions
Linking Words/Devices
Paraphrasing is writing the ideas of
another person in your own words
You need to change the words and the
structure but keep the meaning the same
You still need to reference it
Paraphrase
1. Read and understand the text
2. Mark/list the main ideas
Keep specialised vocabulary – find
synonyms for these words/phrases
3. Select the relevant information. This
depends on your purpose.
Steps for Paraphrasing
4. Change the structure of the text
Change the grammar, eg. Nouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs
Breakup/combine sentences
5. Rewrite in complete sentences
Steps for Paraphrasing
6. Check your work
Make sure the meaning is the same
Make sure the length is the same
Make sure the style is your own
Make sure the grammar is correct
Steps for Paraphrasing
Summarising
Synthesise
Final Step
