CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS Cambridge , New York, Melbourne , Madrid , Cape Town , Singapore , São Paulo, Delhi , Tokyo, Mexico City Cambridge University Press 79 Anson Road , #06-04/06 , Singapore 079906 www.org This is the revised and expanded edition of Academic Writing Skills and Strategies 1, ISBN 978-4-903049-14-4 first published in Japan by Waseda University International Co. in 2007 @ Cambridge University Press 2012 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 2012 Printed in Singapore by Craft Print International Ltd ISBN 978-1-107-63622-4 paperback Student’s Book 1 ISBN 978-1-107-64293-5 paperback Teacher ’s Book 1 Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication , and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain , accurate or appropriate.
References and information relating to people , bodies corporate , places, e-mail addresses and Web sites (with the exception of the Cambridge University Press Web site) in this publication may be fictitious or have been fictionalised , are for illustrative purposes only, are not intended to be factual and should not be relied upon as factua l. Contributors: Joseph Garner, Adam Gyenes , Christopher Pellegrini , Dean Poland Editor: Sean Wray Cover photo: @iStockphoto.com/pablohart Academic Writing Skills has been developed by the Research and Development team at Waseda University International Co. How t ljis book is organized IV Introd,ùction to academic writing v UNIT 1 Writing a Paragraph 2 Part 1 Getting ready to write H Paπ 2 Writing a paragraph 낀 Paπ 3 Writing a coherent paragraph 좌 Part 4 Editing a paragraph UNIT 2 Writing an Essay %갱 Part 1 From a paragraph to an essay n4 Part 2 Writing an essay % Part 3 Editing an essay UNIT 3 Paraphrasing , Summarizing and Citing Information Part 1 Paraphrasing and summarizing 72 Part 2 Citing the sources of information 81 UNIT 4 Writing a Research Essay Part 1 Developing and organizing a research essay 92 Part 2 Supporting arguments 106 Part 3 Editing a research essay 112 Appendix A Capitalization rules 119 Appendix B Conjunctions 120 Appendix C Transitional expressions 121 Appendix D Using information from 122 。 utside sources (summary) 111 How is book is organized Academic Writin때 Skills 1 introduces the essential skills and strateg ies required to compose acad뻗 mic essays. There are four unifs-i n the textbook: • Unit 1: how to strùçture a paragraph - the basic building block for essays.
• Unit 2: from writi ri'g paragraphs to composing longer pieces of work (essays). • Unit 3: how to pa폐hrase and summarize , and use information from outside sources. I • Unit 4: how to wri! e a research essay, with partic 비 ar focus on presenting opinions and supporting them with evidence. Each unit presents explanations, examples, exercises, and model paragraphs and essays to help you attain a level of academic writing expected of university students.
Academic Writing Skills 1 also includes sections focusing on grammar and stylistic aspects of academic writing , such as how to use: • conjunctions. Studying these sections will enable you to express your thoughts accurately using appropriate language for academic writing. The book also focuses on using sources and citation - one of the most important skills in academic writing. The information and exercises presented will help you learn how to: • quote, paraphrase and summarize information from outside sources.
• effectively integrate this information in your essays. • identify the sources of information in your essays using the appropriate format. To maximize the use of this book, you should: • read the information in each unit thoroughly. • take notes in the page margins of ideas and explanations from your teacher, classmates, or your own thoughts.
• complete all the exercises. Dedicated study of Academic Writing Skills 1 will prepare you with the basic but necessary skills and strategies to successfully write academic essays. IV Introduction to academic writing What is academic writing? Regardless of their major, university students are required to compose different types of writing, such as term papers or exam answers, throughout their studies. "Academic writing" is a general term that refers to all writing created for the purpose of study.
University students are evaluated largely based on their writing , so writing skills are essential for academic success. Academic writing is different from other types of writing in several ways. Purpose The main purpose of academic writing is to demonstrate knowledge of a topi c. Certain writing tasks , however, have more specific purposes , such as: • to explain a subject.
• to report research findings. • to analyze and evaluate a subject. • to express an opinion about an issue and persuade the reader t。 accept it. Audience “ Audience" refers to the reader of your writing.
In academic writing , your audience is usually the instructor of the course , who reads your essay and evaluates it. However, whenever you write, it is often useful to imagine that you are writing for a larger audience. This audience might: • not know about the topic as thoroughly as your teacher does. • have a background different from yours (e.
, is from another country) and thus not have the same values or experiences as you. Keeping this audience in mind will help you write so that your message is communicated clearly and powerfully. Evidence Evidence is an important feature of academic writing. Any claim or opinion from the writer must be supported with evidence, such as: • examples.
Without evidence, the writer ’ s ideas might be considered unreliable or even biased. If your evidence is information from outside sources , you must acknowledge the original source in your essay - in other words, use citation. Not citing outside information in your essay is called plagiarism. Plagiarism is considered stealing and is strictly forbidden.
Style In academic writing, you are expected to write in a certain style, which includes: • presenting ideas clearly and logically. • having organized paragraphs. • writing from a third person ’ 5 point of view. • using formal language.
The process of writing Successful academic writing often cannot be achieved in one try. Certain steps should be followed before and after writing to ensure that ideas are presented effectively. A complete writing process might look like the following: @ Ui@&i iUjTiJ I I • Think about the topic and generate ideas. • Research the topi c.
• Make an outline. • Review the first draft, make changes. ;r • (l f possible) ask someone to proofread the / / draft. I l 、 、 」 、 、 • Write the second draft.
Becoming competent in each step of the writing process will lead to better writing. In fact, many writers repeat the last two steps (editing and rewriting) and write a third or fourth draft before completing the final version. VI UNIT Writing a Paragraph Part 1 Getting ready to write Part 2 Writing a paragraph Part 3 Writing a coherent paragraph Part 4 Editing a paragraph The goals of this lesson: • Identifying the structure of a paragraph • Generating ideas for writing • Writing a topic sentence • Choosing supporting points • Making an outline What is a paragraph? A paragraph is a group of sentences about a topi c. Every paragraph should have one topic, which is usually presented in the first sentence called the topic sentence.
AII the other sentences in the paragraph must develop and support the topi c. When you write a paragraph , keep the topic in mind and try not to include sentences that are irrelevant (not directly related) , which could confuse the reader. Read the model paragraph on the next page and answer the questions. What is the topic of the paragraph? 2.
The paragraph has two irrelevant sentences. Find them and cross them out. 2 Unit 1 • Part 1 - • - ”때 뼈 聊 n k u r Mnhu. ·--- l n ”u ”u ----‘n ”’” J ‘ After graduating from high schoo l, many students go on to university, but their reasons for entering higher education vary.
Firs t, many students attend university to study a particular subject in depth. Unlike high schools , which require students to take a wide range of classes , university curriculums allow students to choose a major. In each m jor, a number of ‘ specialized courses are offered , and they are taught by experts in the fields. universities have various research facilities that help students learn.
Another common reason for going to university is that a college education often leads to a better career in the future. In many countries , people with university degrees tend to find better-paying jobs than those without them. In addition , some universities provide their students with opportunities to acquire practical skills that can be useful in the real world , such as accounting , using computers , and speaking foreign languages. However, in spite of these opportunities , some students cannot find a rewarding job after graduation because of unfavorable economic conditions.
Finallι for some students , making friends and enjoying an active sociallife can be a sufficient reason to stay in school for another four years. In universities , students have chances to meet people who come from different places with diverse backgrounds. Furthermore , universities have a variety of student organizations where students can meet others with similar interests and spend time with them. Sometimes students make friends through part-time jobs too.
To sum up , students go to university for a variety of reasons: to study a particular field , to find a good job , or to make friends. - • - 3 The structure of a paragraph A paragraph is made up of three components: the topic sentence, the supporting sentences (body) , and the concluding sentence. Topic sentence • The first sentence in a paragraph • Presents the topic and the controlling idea (an important idea about the topic) of the paragraph Supporting sentences • The main part of the paragraph • Provide several supporting points that explain the controlling idea of the paragraph • Provide details that explain each supporting point Concluding sentence • The last sentence in a paragraph • Restates the controlling idea and summarizes the supporting points Exercise 2 Look at the model paragraph on page 3. Identify the three components: the topic sentence , the supporting sentences, and the concluding sentence.
Answer the following questions. What is the controlling idea of the paragraph? b. How many supporting points are there in the paragraph? What are they? 4 Unit 1 • Part 1 Generating ideas for writing - brainstorming When you are given a writing task , the first thing you sho 비 d do is to think about the topic and find ideas for yourtask. This activity is called brainstorming.
Brainstorming can take many forms. You can brainstorm: • on your own by writing down ideas on paper. • with other people by discussing the topi c. Brainstorming is usef비 for timed essays , such as in tests , or for a writing task which does not require research.
Below are some pop 비 ar techniques for brainstorming. Li sting Li sting is an activity where you think about the topic and make a list of your ideas. When listing , remember: • You can put all the ideas into a list like the one below, or you can classify them in groups. • Do not reject any idea at this point because it might turn out to be useful later.