Academic Writing

Question 1

What is academic writing?

Answer 1

• Academic writing is what scholars do to communicate with other scholars in their fields of study, their disciplines.

Question 2

What is the process of academic writing?

Answer 2

• Posing a question
• Problematizing a concept
• Evaluating an opinion
• Answering the question/s posed

Question 3

What are the purposes of academic writing?

Answer 3

• To inform
• To argue a specific point
• To persuade

Question 4

Who are the specific audience of academic writing?

Answer 4

• Teacher (for the most part)
• Peers (read and evaluate the work)
• Academic community (read the work)

Question 5

Why do you think academic writing is thinking?

Answer 5

We cannot just write anything that comes to our mind.
* Abide by the set of rules and practices in writing.
* Write in a language that is appropriate and formal but not too pretentious.
* The sentences in academic writing are often longer and more intricate than the sentences in popular magazines (Lexical density).

Question 6

What should be considered with the background of the audience?

Answer 6

• Use of jargons - if the readers belong to the same field/discipline to which the writer belongs
• Use layman’s terms - if the readers are outsiders

Question 7

What should academic writing be backed up with?

Answer 7

strong and valid evidence

Question 8

Give some differences of literary and academic text?

Answer 8

Reflective and personal Serious and impersonal

Symbolic and imaginative Formal and authoritative

Simple but may be figurative Uses specialized language of discipline

Flows freely and spontaneously
Follows a pattern of presenting ideas

To show /tell unfolding of details/events
To inform, to explain, to argue/assert

Varies, depending on complexity of text Discipline-specific

Question 9

What is academic text?

Answer 9

• A kind of text that is expected to be semi-formal/ formal, impersonal and objective.

Question 10

What is non-academic text?

Answer 10

• A text which is considered to be personal, emotional, impressionistic or subjective in nature

Question 11

What are the elements that shape writing?

Answer 11

• Topic
• Purpose
• Author’s Role
• Audience

Question 12

use of more complex words and expressions

Answer 12

Formality

Question 13

simple; language of self-expression; language used in conversation

Answer 13

• Informal

Question 14

follows accepted rules, forms and conventions of writing in particular discipline or community

Answer 14

• Formal

Question 15

Choosing expanded modal forms instead of contracted forms, such as using cannot instead of can’t and do not instead of don’t.

Answer 15

• Expanded modal forms

Question 16

Choosing one verb form over two-word verbs, such as damage instead of mess up.

Answer 16

• Two-word verbs

Question 17

Choosing expanded terms over abbreviated equivalents, such as as soon as possible instead of ASAP

Answer 17

• Expanded terms

Question 18

• Avoiding colloquial/ trite/ idiomatic expressions, such as kind of like, as a matter of fact.

Answer 18

read

Question 19

impersonal and maintains a certain level of social distance

Answer 19

Objectivity

Question 20

What are the things to avoid in objectivity?

Answer 20

Personal pronouns
Rhetorical Questions
Emotive language

Question 21

use of signposts that allow readers to trace the relationships in the parts of the study.

Answer 21

Explicitness

Question 22

What should be applied in explicitness?

Answer 22

Transitional Devices, this or these + summary word

Question 23

academic writing requires care since knowledge is built from proven theories and concepts. Therefore, _____ is needed to avoid sweeping generalizations.

Answer 23

Caution/ Hedging

Question 24

• tends, suggests, appear to be, think, believe, and indicate

Answer 24

Verbs indicating caution

Question 25

• will, must, would, may, can, might and could

Answer 25

Modal verbs

Question 26

• often, sometimes and usually

Answer 26

Verbs of frequency