Logical Academic Writing Damian Heywood 010 4871 1066

Logical Academic Writing Damian Heywood 010 -4871 1066 A 1014 n 01487477@gmail. com

Where are we going? Paragraphs Essays Group of sentences. 3 Parts: Topic sentence, body, concluding sentence. Group of paragraphs. 3 Parts: Thesis Paragraph, Body Paragraphs, Concluding Paragraph. Research Persuasive Argumentative

Example (Simple) Paragraph Busan is a great place to live. The local cuisine is incredible. It includes spicy street food, raw seafood, and smoky pigs feet. It is also a beautiful place, with majestic mountains and warm, sunny beaches. And the people are so friendly. Complete strangers often stop to chat with foreigners or ask them if they need help. This happened to me. These are just some of the reasons I think Busan is a fantastic place to live.

Break it down. . . • Write the Topic sentence. (main idea) ____________________ 3 main supporting ideas: (link to topic) 1. 2. 3. Conclusion (summary, argument(opinion) or connector to next paragraph) – What type was this?

5 elements of good writing: • Purpose -> inform, persuade or entertain. • Audience : Who are you writing for ? How are we writing for them? • Clarity -> clear, unambiguous. • Unity -> same goal, aim or focus. • Coherence -> sticks together.

Purpose -> inform, persuade or entertain. • Making a purpose statement might help in your writing. (pre-topic sentence exercise) • Topic: The effects of insufficient sleep. • Purpose statement: Is to tell the negative effects or results of not getting enough sleep. • Topic: how to play dominoes. • Purpose statement: The purpose of this paragraph is to explain to the reader how to play the game called dominoes.

Audience and viewpoint. • viewpoint (1 st-3 rd Person) • First – (I, we, me, us, mine, ours) – personal exp. • e. g. • Second(you, your(s)) – informal writing, instructions • e. g. • Third (he, she, it, they, him, them, his, her, theirs || his, her, its, their) – academic • e. g. • formal or informal.

Clarity - “Clean, clear and naked. ” fighter pilot • Clarity = clear and concise. So the reader can understand your writing through clear points. • Sentences aren’t vague or indirect. • Specific and concise language is used. • Improved through: 1. Descriptive (precise) words. 2. Clear pronoun references.

Clarity • Use: a. Descriptive or precise words. - good / nice / fun -- • I met my friends. • My holiday was nice. • Teaching is difficult. b. Clear pronoun usage. Make sure that every pronoun relates to a specific noun. If the exact meaning or reference of the pronoun is not clear, then you should repeat the noun or use a synonym of the noun.

Unity (part of coherence)“Stay on Topic” • Unity = same ideas within the one paragraph. No disjointed or ideas out of place. • So, all the sentences are related to the topic sentence and its controlling idea. • Find the sentence that doesn’t belong. . . Cleaning your room is not difficult if you follow some simple guidelines. First, you must pick up all of your clothes off the floor. Then you need to decide which clothes are dirty and which clothes are clean and put them in their appropriate places. It is important to wash your clothes with good-quality laundry detergent to keep them looking neat and clean. After that, you should put away any items that are out of place. The next step is to dust of all your furniture, such as your nightstand or dresser. The final step is to mop or vacuum the floor, depending on its surface. Once you have finished these steps, you can relax as you think about your good work.

Does this paragraph have unity? Exercise is really good for one’s physical and mental health. It is proven that aerobic exercise is good for the heart, which is very important to overall health. I used to run every day, but now I go to dance classes to get my aerobic exercise. Strength training is important for maintaining muscle mass and improving bone density. Both muscle mass and bone density can decrease as we age, so improving them through strength training is important. My grandmother broke a hip last year because her bones were so fragile. All kinds of exercise have been shown to relieve depression, anxiety, and stress.

• Rules of Thumb for Writing Unified Paragraphs – Be sure your paragraphs focus on one idea and state that idea in a topic sentence. – Place your topic sentence effectively within your paragraph. Let the purpose of your paragraph and the nature of your evidence guide you. – Let your paragraph's evidence--the selected details, the examples--illustrate or clarify the idea expressed in your topic sentence. – Make sure you explain the relationship between your evidence and your idea so that it is clear to readers. – Think about unity among paragraphs when writing essays. Be sure your paragraphs are related, that they fit together and clarify your essay's idea. (R. Di. Yanni, Scribner Handbook for Writers. Allyn & Bacon, 2001)

Coherence – connecting ideas. Coherence: when all of its parts are organized and flow smoothly and logically from one idea to the next. This is so the reader can follow along more easily. • "Do not confuse unity and coherence. Coherence involves the clear movement of thought from sentence to sentence or paragraph to paragraph; unity means staying on the topic by staying within the focus. " (Lee Brandon and Kelly Brandon, Paragraphs and Essays With Integrated Readings, 12 th ed. Wadsworth, 2012) Features of coherence: 1. Logical order. 2. Repetition of key words or phrases is necessary to maintain reader focus. To avoid unnecessary repetition use of appropriate pronouns and synonyms is needed. 3. Use of transitional words and phrases. • Achieved by: • Use transitions and logical order. • use nouns and pronouns consistently throughout a paragraph • repetition of key words and parallelism. (I won’t be covering…) • Put Your Ideas into Some Kind of Logical Order, such as logical division of ideas.

Transitions – connecting ideas. 1. I met a girl _____ fell in love. ____ we got bored and broke up. 2&3. My ex-girlfriend was great. _____ my new partner is great too, ____ she’s different to my ex. 4&5. My ex-girlfriend was great. ____ she cheated a lot. ______ she kissed my best friend once! 6. There are many elements to good relationship, ________ unity, coherence and cohesion are essential in finding love. 6. She was always doing nice things for me. _________ she often brought me lunch when I was too busy. _____ she was wonderful. 7. ________, I should never have broken up with her. 8. Tell your partner an anecdote or something that has happened recently using time sequencing. . .

Nouns and pronouns. • For example, if you begin with plural noun such as students, don’t change to singular. In addition, don’t change pronouns; don’t switch from you to they or he for no reason. Be consistent! • Awkward: An employee must wear his or her ID badge at all times. • Better: Employees must wear their ID badges at all times.

Repetition & logical order • Key words used to keep the reader focused on the topic. • Sequencing or through division of ideas. • You can use logical division to organize many kinds of topics, for example: • Reason for owning an i. Pad/blackberry/PDA, for exercising/not exercising, for learning English, for being a teacher, etc. • Kinds of teachers/foods /drivers/friends/students/bosses etc. • Types of books/movies/music/TV program I like/don’t like etc. • Advantages or disadvantages of living in a small town/big city/college dormitory, of being the youngest child/twin, etc. • Quality of a good boss/good employee/good friend/teacher/parent etc.

How do we make sure we have the 5 basic elements working for us? Planning and preparation The Writing Process. . . Brainstorming and narrowing the topic. (write topic sentence) Develop an outline. Rough draft. Editing (Peer review) Second draft. Final Copy.

Brainstorming Feel good V other Easy to peel convenient Oranges Delicious Sweet snack No mess Vit C nutritious nutrient

Oranges I love oranges (as they are convenient, nutritious & delicious/ for a number of reasons). One reason I love oranges is because they are so convenient. They are quick to peel and you don’t need a bowl or a spoon so there is no mess to clean up. I also like oranges because they are nutritious. Oranges are high in vitamin C, which can keep you from being sick. They are also a good source of nutrients shown to prevent skin cancer and even wrinkles. But the best reason for eating oranges is because they are so delicious. The sweet, fresh taste of ripe orange makes it a perfect snack. And unlike a candy bar or potato chips, an orange makes you feel good when you eat it. I think that oranges are quite possibly the perfect food.

Topic Sentences • Is the most general sentence about the P. • Contains a topic and a controlling idea. Driving on freeways requires skill and alertness. Gold, a precious metal, is prized for two important characteristics. • Subject, verb and usually a complement. • Usually the first sentence of a paragraph. • Does not give specific details. But is not too general either.

Topic Sentences – Topic and Controlling Idea • Convenience foods are easy to prepare. • The native foods of America’s immigrant population are reflected in American Cooking. • The average American teenager consumes enormous quantities of junk food.

Pick the bad topic sentence(s). • Make sure it has a main subject and controlling idea. 1. 2. 3. 4. Teaching can be used in many different situations. Teaching has changed enormously in the last 10 years. Different teaching methods can appeal to different people. Teaching has been around for a long time. Pick one (1 -3) ABOVE and tell your partner what the paragraph will be about.

Write topic sentences for these • A paragraph about: • The possible causes of student misbehaviour in class. • The suicide rate amongst young Koreans. • Teenage promiscuity and drinking. Discuss. . .

In summary – topic sentences. • • It is important to think, first about the topic and then what you want to say about the topic. Most often, the topic is easy, but the question then turns to what you want to say about the topic which is the controlling idea. It will provide you, the author, the means to stay focused on your objective & will provide readers with the tools they need to clearly understand what you have to say. It acts as a signpost for the argument of the paper as a whole, but it also defines the scope of the paragraph itself. Like a thesis statement, a topic sentence makes a claim of some sort. As thesis statement is the unifying force in the essay, so the topic sentence must be the unifying force in the paragraph. Topic sentences make a point and give reasons or examples to support it. It should guide the whole paragraph. It should not be a well known fact. It needs to be specific but not too specific. It must contain a controlling idea.

Conclusions • A concluding sentence serves 2 main purposes: 1. It signals the end of the paragraph. 2. Logical conclusion by: a. It summarises the main points of the paragraph or restating the main idea. b. Offering a suggestion, opinion or prediction. End of paragraph signals: Comma No comma Finally, As a result, In conclusion, We can see that. . . Indeed, In summary, In brief, Therefore, It is clear that. . . In short, Thus, These examples show that. . . There can be no doubt that. . . The evidence suggests that. . .

Typical Paragraph Review Topic Sentence: - first sentence of the paragraph - states the subject of the paragraph Supporting Sentences: - there should be at least three main supporting ideas. - all supporting sentences should refer back to the topic sentence; if it does not connect to the topic sentence, it belongs in a separate paragraph -These three main supporting sentences should have supporting evidence or examples. Concluding Sentence: - last sentence in the paragraph - It signals the end of the paragraph, gives a logical conclusion or in larger essays provides a thesis statement. Cats are the perfect animal. Not only are they cute and fluffy, but they also love to play. Feeding and caring for a cat is easy, because they are not picky eaters and they do not need to be walked. Cats are extremely loving, and they are very loyal companions. In every way, a cat is a wonderful animal to have as a pet. NB* This is still not perfect … Can you tell why?

Some Formatting Issues • Topic Sentences, Body & Conclusions. • Formatting Does: • • Indent for the first line of the paragraph. Only indent the first line. Have sentences grouped together without line ends. Use capitals, periods and other grammatical conventions. Eg. Damian_Para 1. doc

Not like this. . . My hometown brisbane is known for its relaxed atmosphere, its climate and favourable location. Firstly, brisbane has a relaxed atmosphere. This is due to the locals attitudes to work and leisure time. Also there are many outdoor eating and recreational areas. For example, the Riverside has cafes and bars, etc. Its climate is also fabulous. People enjoying swimming and outdoor activities year round. But you can do these things in Sydney too if you want to visit other places. Brisbane is located close to the Sunshine coast and gold Coast. It has a favourable location being so close to them and these cities are popular with tourists. Australia is a great place to visit.

Work Time. . . • Using clarity, unity and coherence, write a paragraph on ONE: • 1. Why you'll be a good teacher. • 2. What makes a good teacher? • 3. What elements make a good writer? • 4. What is your main concern about becoming a teacher? • 5. What is your philosophy of teaching? • 6. The steps in writing a paragraph. (OR) • Smoking / drinking • Prejudice • Pollution • Teaching • Work / dream job • Korea (specifically) • Sport – – • • • First narrow down the topics Then brainstorm some specifics After that think of some topic sentences for all of them and then choose the one you like. Then fill in the support and examples you’ll use. I will allow 1 st or 3 rd Person. But it might be better to try 3 rd. Remember to plan your paragraph first. Due next Wed ; -)