English for Academic Research: Writing Exercises (eBook)

Adrian Wallwork is the author of around 30 ELT and EAP textbooks. He has trained several thousand PhD students from 35 countries to write and present academic work.

Preface 6
Contents 12
Section 1:: Punctuation and spelling 18
1.1 commas: reducing number of 19
1.2 commas: adding 20
1.3 semicolons: replacing 21
1.4 brackets: removing 22
1.5 hyphens: adding 23
1.6 hyphens: deciding where needed 24
1.7 initial capitalization: in titles 25
1.8 initial capitalization: in main text 26
1.9 various punctuation issues: 1 27
1.10 various punctuation issues: 2 28
1.11 spelling 29
Section 2:: Word order 30
2.1 choosing the best subject to put at the beginning of the phrase 31
2.2 putting the key words rst 33
2.3 avoiding beginning the sentence with it is : 1 34
2.4 avoiding beginning the sentence with it is : 2 35
2.5 choosing the best word order to help the reader: 1 36
2.6 choosing the best word order to help the reader: 2 39
2.7 choosing the best word order to help the reader: 3 41
2.8 shifting the parts of the phrase to achieve optimal order: 1 42
2.9 shifting the parts of the phrase to achieve optimal order: 2 43
2.10 shifting the parts of the phrase to achieve optimal order: 3 45
2.11 shifting the parts of the phrase to achieve optimal order: 4 46
2.12 reducing the number of commas and parts of the sentence 47
2.13 putting sentences into the correct order 48
2.14 typical mistakes 49
Section 3:: Writing short sentences and paragraphs 50
3.1 dividing up long sentences: 1 51
3.2 dividing up long sentences: 2 53
3.3 dividing up long paragraphs 1 55
3.4 dividing up long paragraphs 2 57
3.5 dividing up long paragraphs 3 59
3.6 dividing up long paragraphs 4 60
3.7 putting paragraphs into their most logical order 62
3.8 writing short sentences: 1 63
3.9 writing short sentences: 2 63
3.10 writing short sentences: 3 63
Section 4:: Link words: connecting phrases and sentences together 64
4.1 linking sentences and paragraphs 65
4.2 deleting unnecessary link words 66
4.3 deciding when link words are necessary 67
4.4 choosing best link word 68
4.5 reducing the length of link words / phrases 69
4.6 shifting the position of link words expressing consequences 70
4.7 using link words to give additional neutral information 71
4.8 using link words to give additional positive information 72
4.9 using link words to give additional negative information 73
4.10 making contrasts 74
4.11 making evaluations 75
4.12 connecting sentences by repetition of key word or a derivation of the key word 76
4.13 describing processes 77
4.14 describing causes 78
4.15 describing effects and consequences 78
4.16 making contrasts, concessions, quali cations, reservations, rejections 79
4.17 outlining solutions to problems 80
4.18 outlining a time sequence 82
4.19 explaining gures and tables: making comparisons 83
4.20 making evaluations and drawing conclusions: 1 84
4.21 making evaluations and drawing conclusions: 2 84
Section 5:: Being concise and removing redundancy 85
5.1 removing individual redundant words 86
5.2 removing several redundant words: 1 87
5.3 removing several redundant words: 2 89
5.4 reducing the word count: titles 91
5.5 replacing several words with one preposition or adverb 92
5.6 replacing several words with one adverb 93
5.7 replacing several words with one word 94
5.8 replacing a verb + noun construction with a single verb: 1 95
5.9 identifying verb and noun clauses 96
5.10 replacing a verb + noun construction with a single verb: 2 98
5.11 replacing a noun phrase with a verb or can : 1 99
5.12 replacing a noun phrase with a verb or can : 2 100
5.13 replacing nouns with verbs in titles of papers 101
5.14 identifying whether link words could be deleted 102
5.15 deleting unnecessary link words: 1 103
5.16 deleting unnecessary link words: 2 104
5.17 deleting unnecessary link words: 3 105
5.18 unnecessary use of we and one: 1 106
5.19 unnecessary use of we and one: 2 107
5.20 avoiding redundancy in introductory phrases 108
5.21 avoiding redundancy in references to gures, tables etc. 108
5.22 rewriting unnecessarily long sentences: 1 109
5.23 rewriting unnecessarily long sentences: 2 110
5.24 rewriting unnecessarily long sentences: 3 112
5.25 reducing length of an abstract 113
5.26 reducing length of an introduction 114
5.27 reducing the length of the outline of the structure 115
5.28 reducing the length of the review of the literature: 1 116
5.29 reducing the length of the review of the literature: 2 117
5.30 reducing the length of the materials and methods 118
5.31 reducing the length of the conclusions section 118
5.32 reducing the length of the acknowledgements 119
Section 6:: Ambiguity and political correctness 120
6.1 repetition of words to aid reader’s understanding: 1 121
6.2 repetition of words to aid reader’s understanding: 2 122
6.3 avoiding ambiguity due to use of - ing form: 1 123
6.4 avoiding ambiguity due to use of - ing form: 2 124
6.5 disambiguating sentences: 1 125
6.6 disambiguating sentences: 2 127
6.7 pronouns and political correctness 128
6.8 non-use of masculine terms for generic situations: 1 129
6.9 non-use of masculine terms for generic situations: 2 130
6.10 non-use of masculine terms for generic situations: 3 130
Section 7:: Paraphrasing and avoiding plagiarism 131
7.1 deciding what is acceptable to cut and paste 132
7.2 quoting statistics 133
7.3 paraphrasing by changing the parts of speech 134
7.4 paraphrasing by changing nouns into verbs 135
7.5 paraphrasing by changing the parts of speech and word order: 1 137
7.6 paraphrasing by changing the parts of speech and word order: 2 138
7.7 nding synonyms: verbs 1 139
7.8 nding synonyms: verbs 2 140
7.9 nding synonyms: verbs 3 141
7.10 nding synonyms: nouns 1 142
7.11 nding synonyms: nouns 2 143
7.12 nding synonyms: adjectives 144
7.13 nding synonyms: adverbs and prepositions 1 145
7.14 nding synonyms: adverbs and prepositions 2 146
7.15 paraphrasing by changing word order 147
7.16 replacing we with the passive form 148
7.17 making a summary: 1 150
7.18 making a summary: 2 151
7.19 making a summary: 3 152
7.20 making a summary: 4 152
Section 8:: De ning, comparing, evaluating and highlighting 153
8.1 writing de nitions 1 154
8.2 writing de nitions 2 155
8.3 writing de nitions 3 155
8.4 making generalizations 156
8.5 con rming other authors’ evidence 157
8.6 stating how a nding is important 158
8.7 highlighting why your method, ndings, results etc. are important 160
8.8 highlighting your ndings 161
8.9 comparing the literature 162
8.10 comparing contrasting views 165
8.11 comparing your methodology with other authors’ methodologies 166
8.12 comparing data in a table 167
8.13 questioning current thinking 168
8.14 evaluating solutions 169
Section 9:: Anticipating possible objections, indicating level of certainty, discussing limitations, hedging, future work 170
9.1 anticipating objections and alternative views 171
9.2 indicating level of certainty 1 172
9.3 indicating level of certainty 2 173
9.4 reducing level of certainty 174
9.5 discussing the limitations of the current state of the art 175
9.6 qualifying what you say 175
9.7 dealing with limitations in your own results: 1 176
9.8 dealing with limitations in your own results: 2 177
9.9 dealing with limitations in your own results: 3 178
9.10 toning down the strength of an af rmation: 1 179
9.11 toning down the strength of an af rmation: 2 180
9.12 toning down the strength of an af rmation: 3 181
9.13 toning down the strength of an af rmation: 4 182
9.14 direct versus hedged statements 1 183
9.15 direct versus hedged statements 2 184
9.16 discussing possible applications and future work 186
Section 10:: Writing each section of a paper 187
10.1 abstracts 188
10.2 introductions 189
10.3 creating variety when outlining the structure of the paper 189
10.4 outlining the structure of the paper 190
10.5 survey of the literature 190
10.6 methodology / experimental 191
10.7 results 192
10.8 discussion: 1 192
10.9 discussion: 2 193
10.10 differentiating between the abstract and the conclusions: 1 194
10.11 differentiating between the abstract and the conclusions: 2 195
10.12 conclusions: 1 196
10.13 conclusions: 2 196
10.14 acknowledgements: 1 197
10.15 acknowledgements: 2 197
Acknowledgements 198
About the Author 198
Editing Service for non-native researchers / Mentorship for EAP and EFL teachers 198
Index 199