General FAQ
Q. What referencing style do we use in this course?
A. We use a modified APA (see pp. 36-37 of your textbook (part 1)). The formatting is different, but otherwise all other APA guidelines on this website apply. You may use a different one in other courses. APA is used in Psychology and Linguistics. Always check with your lecturer/tutor to find out what system they prefer. This site assumes APA is used; links to other systems here.
Q. What is academic style?
A. There are no rules as such, but here are some common features of it.
Q. Can I cite stuff I found on the Internet?
A. Yes, but as with citing anything (printed or digital) you need to check that it's a credible source, and provide as much information about the source as possible. Don't cite crap! Follow the correct citation format, as per APA or any other referencing style. Check your referencing guide for details.
Q. How do I know redundant words are redundant?
A. Would the meaning change substantially if you deleted the word? If no, then it's redundant. This is part of the editing process. Here's some advice from The Economist.
Q. How do I ensure that my writing is coherent (i.e. flows nicely) and doesn't go all over the place?
A. Have a clear purpose and thesis in mind. Understand the structure that is required. Plan with an outline and edit carefully before you submit your paper. Use cohesive devices (e.g. linking words) where necessary.
Q. Must I be completely objective and unemotional in academic writing?
A. Not at all. Sometimes, especially in descriptive writing, emotion can help the reader put themselves in your shoes. We all have our biases too. However, it would only be fair to acknowledge explicitly where you are subjective and possibly biased, so that the reader can take that into account.
Q. What does it mean to have a purpose when writing?
A. Why are you writing? And by extension why should the reader read it? If this isn't clear right from the start, the reader is likely to just stop reading. The next time you read an article, a blog post, an email, etc. as yourself if the writer has made their purpose clear and how. In academic writing, the purpose usually comes in the introduction, even before the thesis statement appears.
Q. How do I know if my writing is 'academic' enough?
A. To some extent this is subjective and dependent on the field you are writing in. The only way to know the 'acceptable' range is to read extensively so as to develop a better instinct for it. (Linguistics students may be interested in reading about Genre Studies.)
Q. What's the difference between descriptive, analytical, persuasive and argumentative writing?
A. Here's a succinct summary of each, highlighting some of the differences (you may take 'critical' writing here to refer to argumentative writing).
Descriptive essays (Purdue OWL)
Writing a descriptive essay (Butte College)
Recording ethnographic observations: Six useful frameworks
Samples:
FAQ
Q. How do I know if I've written well? Isn't it subjective?
A. To a certain degree, yes, it's subjective. But there are some commonly agreed on criteria, and this is reflected in our assessment criteria.
For Assignment 1, the criteria are:
Task fulfilment
Organisation & audience
Grammar, sentence structure & vocabulary
With regard to Task fulfilment, it's important to read the assignment brief carefully and refer to the qualities of good descriptive writing as discussed in class. It's always advisable to get feedback from a critical friend!
Q. How do I decide on the scope of my descriptive writing? How should I organise it?
It very much depends of the purpose/audience/context of your writing. Is it better served by describing a large area more generally, or a smaller area in detail? If you want to focus on a smaller area, you could consider using the 'funnel' method of organising essays, i.e. moving from broad (overview of the area) to narrow (zooming in on the chosen area). Whatever you decide, the structure should have an internal logic that makes sense to your intended audience (i.e. 'user-friendly').
Q. How common is descriptive writing in academic writing?
A. It depends on the discipline and the kind of academic text required. When we report on our observations, we need to describe in detail, so that the reader can imagine themselves in your shoes. (In qualitative research, this is called 'thick description'.)
Q. How do I start a piece of descriptive writing?
A. There is no one method. As descriptive writing seldom stands alone in academic writing, the usual rules of academic writing (introduce by setting purpose, context, and making thesis statement) can be applied. In the case of our assignment your 'thesis statement' could state the purpose of your descriptive piece (i.e. explain why the reader should want to read it).
Q. How do I not overlook easily overlooked details?
A. Practice! If you could isolate your senses, what would you see/hear/smell?
Q. Is it ok to use literary devices like similes, analogies and metaphors?
A. They can be very helpful when explaining abstract and hard to describe things. However, this can have the opposite effect if the analogy is obscure and likely to be outside your reader's experience. Beware too of using clichés -- they make your writing trite and forgettable.
Q. What's the difference between narrative and descriptive writing?
A. In real life, we seldom write purely narrative or purely descriptive pieces; it's more likely to be a combination. According to Purdue OWL, descriptive writing 'asks the student to describe something—object, person, place, experience, emotion, situation, etc.', while narrative writing is storytelling and includes 'an introduction, plot, characters, setting, climax, and conclusion' (think of your typical fairy tale). Is your writing more of the former or the latter? Even when you describe action in descriptive writing, it doesn't follow a plotline, because it isn't a story.
Q. How do I know if my language is too 'flowery'?
A. Google and you'll find plenty of advice on avoiding 'purple prose'. If your writing slows the reader down needlessly, or if your use of vocabulary obscures rather than illuminates, you may have strayed into purple prose. Flowery language is not 'user-friendly'; it confuses the reader, and strains their patience and credulity. Aim to be clear and to-the-point. Strict editing is helpful.
Q. But what style is appropriate for descriptive writing?
A. No one style is right; it depends on purpose, audience and context (think Yap vs Chee in the textbook).
Q. How do I come up with a purpose or focus in descriptive writing?
A. Whether standalone or part of a longer text, there must be a reason you are describing something. What might be the question that your writing is attempting to answer? Why might the reader be interested in knowing the answer?
Analytical writing (U of Sydney)
Critical and analytical writing (Open Polytechnic NZ)
FAQ
Q. What's the difference between an analytical essay and an argumentative essay?
A. An argumentative essay requires that you take a strong position and defend it. There are usually 2 opposing views. In an analytical essay, while you do begin by presenting your point of view (i.e. the thesis), you are expected to explore the different aspects of the issue. This might be helpful. Remember too that analytical paragraphs are the building blocks of an argumentative essay.
Q. How do I present my own view?
A. You can support it with either credible sources (i.e. views of experts in the field) and/or analysed data of your own.
FAQ
Q. What's the difference between persuasive and argumentative writing?
A. A persuasive essay gives only one view of the issue (the view that you wish your reader to agree with), while an argumentative essay provides the opposing view as well.
Q. How much evidence is enough evidence?
A. Consider evidence to the contrary. When presented with both, which would be more convincing?
Q. How do I know my argument is strong?
A. There will always be people who disagree -- that's what makes it an argument. Is your evidence credible? Read as much as you can and ask a critical friend for their opinion.
Q. What tone should I use in persuasive writing?
A. You may have heard of the rhetorical appeals Ethos, Pathos and Logos. We often find 'pathos' strongly influencing the tone of persuasive essays. However, as logic and objectivity tend to be more greatly valued in academic writing, it is advisable to go with the impersonal tone more commonly found in argumentative writing.
Essay writing (this site)
Questions about Assignment 2? You can ask them by annotating the assignment brief and its marking rubric.
FAQ
Q. I don't know where to start with this topic!
A. Topics generally have to be narrowed down by the author, i.e. you have to decide on the scope because you cannot cover everything related to the topic. The word limit should guide this.
Q. How do I write a good thesis statement?
A. This should help.
Q. How do I balance my own opinions and citations?
A. Writing an academic piece has been likened to entering an ongoing conversation. You want to acknowledge what others have said in this conversation, but you don't want to simply regurgitate what you've read. You may wish to use these sentence frames to help you.
It's often easier to position your view first, before synthesising relevant sources. Non-integral citation (i.e. citation/s at the end of a sentence in brackets) is a good strategy here.
Q. How do I ensure that my argument is strong (especially when addressing counter-arguments)?
A. There are some good strategies here. You may find the Toulmin Method useful. You should also avoid logical fallacies in your argument.
Q. Should I write my arguments first or counter-arguments first?
A. There are 2 general ways to organise your main points (see structuring argumentative essays), and either can come first. It depends on your content/argument.
Q. Must I have an equal number of main points for argument and counterargument? More points for the former than the latter?
A. Not really. Quality and strength of argument is more important than the number of points.
Q. How do I know when I have to cite?
A. Imagine there's an annoying little devil on your shoulder. (This is the same devil who's always arguing with you and has a rebuttal for everything.) This devil is always asking 'How do you know that?' in response to everything you write. Your citation is your response. Of course certain things seem commonsensical, but they may only be commonsensical to you. When in doubt, always cite! You cannot cite too much, only too little.
Q. Can I cite newspaper articles?
A. They are generally ok, but it's advisable to evaluate each one individually. Use a variety of sources; if you cite only newspapers, your argument may come off as being rather superficial.
Q. Can I use personal experience as supporting evidence?
A. Yes, but it would not be sufficiently convincing on its own; evidence in the form of published studies, expert opinion, etc. should also be included and cited. Your personal observations never have to hold up an argument on their own.
Oral presentations (this site)
Marking rubric (Assignment 3)