BS(CS)ENGLISH COMPOSITION

Agendas for the week:

 Academic and non academic writing.
 Formal and informal writing.
 The writing process. Made by: Javed Iqbal
Lecturer (Eng)
 Academic essay. FAST-NUCES

Reference book.
Academic Writing for Graduate Students, 3rd Edition: Essential
Skills and Tasks
By: John M. Swales & Christine B. Feak
 Academic and non-academic writing.

Task 1. Think about the following questions for a while and

answer them.

1. What is the difference between:

 Academic and non-academic writing.
Formal and informal writing.
2. Mention some of the writings you have done in your
life. Where they academic or non-academic? Why do
you think either they were academic or non-academic?
Academic and non academic writing.

Definition:
The term ACADEMIC WRITING refers to a particular form of
expression that involves argumentative, expository and problem-
solution text used by researchers, faculty, university students,
development professionals and technical consultants, etc. to
convey/define a body of information/intellectual boundaries
about a particular subject.
Academic and non academic writing.

What does academic writing include?

Research papers/articles, reports, essays,
project/programme proposals, research
thesis/dissertations, and presentations, etc.

Non-academic writing is any other mode of writing

that is not directly intended for an
academic or scholarly audience. Such as,
interview, fictions, prose, plays written for
entertainment purpose.
Features of academic writings

1. Precise, coherent, cohesive, formal/semi-formal-tone and

language, impersonal, and objective, no subjectivity
involves.
2. Written for targeted audience only.
3. Requires deep, critical and creative thinking
4. Use of the third-person rather perspective (usually).
5. There is a clear focus on the research problem/issue/topic
under investigation rather than author`s opinion.
6. Relevant word choice. Diction with it`s “literal”/denotative
meaning.
Features of academic writings

7. It is free of Grammar errors and follows a particular style of

rational formatting and organization. It follows proper
protocols/conventions, such as citations, references etc.
8. It is designed to convey agreed meaning about complex ideas
or concepts.

7. English often has two (or more) choices to express an action or

occurrence:
i). phrasal (verb + particle)-Main verb+adv- The book first came
out in 1997. OR
prepositional (verb + preposition)- he broke into his car.
ii). Single verb, the latter with Latinate origins.
Use a single verb when possible.
 Features of non-academic writings

1. Can be long as well as short, somehow coherent,

informal-tone, personal opinionated, and subjectivity/first
person involves.
2. Written for masses/lay audience, general purposes-
entertainment, awareness-news etc.
3. Requires deep, critical and creative thinking
4. It may use slangs, contractions and verbs with
prepositions i.e. come up. Colloquial words/expressions
(kids, guy, awesome, a lot, etc.)
Features of non-academic writings

5. The language can be figurative giving

connotative meaning. I.e. political commentary.

6. They do not follow proper protocols/

conventions, such as citations, references etc.
7. Writer`s name is not mentioned.
 Academic paper vs Academic essay
 Academic Paper:
Organization:
• Introduction- Gen-specific
• Method and material
• Results
• Discussion: Specific to
general
Academic essay:
Organization:
• Introduction- hook, thesis
statement
• Body- supporting arguments
• Conclusion- reference to the
hook, main points
 Academic paper vs Academic essay
Academic Paper:
Problem statement:
• Description of a situation.
• Identification of problem.
• Description of solution
R.P. is an extended analysis
based on data & evidence.
Academic essay:
Thesis statement:
• Main argument to be
defended/supported by reasons. It is
distributed into parts.
• It is a shortened form, however,
citations and references are needed.
General to specific strategy

 It is used for exam answers, assignments essay

and academic papers.
TASK: Make a statement about the given topics
using general to specific pattern.

1.Coding in computer technology.

2.internet and social media.
Factors determining the genre of
writing.

Audience
Driving
Purpose components
of essay/
Organization paper.
Style

Flow

Presentation
 Factors determining the genre of
writing.

Audience:
Your understanding of your audience will affect the content, style,
attitude and presentation in your writing.
Academic- Formal language and connections, formal tone/attitude
etc. Academic style.
Non-academics- May be informal and free of conventions- Non-
academic style.
Ask yourself:
Who you are writing for? Who will read it? who will be benefitted.
Factors determining the genre of
writing.
Purpose and strategy:
The major aim behind writing such as informing, persuading,
discovering, adding to an existing knowledge.

Audience, purpose, and strategy are typically interconnected. If

the audience knows less than the writer, the writer’s purpose is
often instructional (as in a textbook). If the audience knows more
than the writer, the writer’s purpose is usually to display familiarity,
expertise, and intelligence. The latter is a common situation for the
graduate student writer.
 Considerations in academic writing.

Organization:
Structured format that is appropriate for the particular type of text. Even
short pieces of writing have regular, predictable patterns of organization.
Examples:
• problem-solution structure,.
• Comparison-contrast.
• Cause-effect-focusing on one cause and multiple effects or vice-versa.

Organization, style, flow and presentation are dependent on purpose

and audience.
Their determination will structure your essay thus making it academic or
non-academic.
 Considerations in academic writing.

Style:
 Appropriate academic style. It should be consistent,
and suitable both in terms of the message being
conveyed and the audience. A research report
written in informal, can be considered too simplistic.
 Flow:
Establishment of a clear connection of ideas using
connective devices/phrases etc.
Task 2. worksheets

Keeping in mind the difference between

academic and no academic writings, read
the given papers and answer the questions
given in the end. Identify the features in the
text.
Writing process as a productive activity.

What is writing?

 Writing is a creative process, an act of

creating and a process of discovery.
 There are three major steps with sub-steps
which act as pieces of a chain.
 Pre-writing , writing and post writing.
 Writing process as a productive activity.

1. Pre-writing:
• Gathering of information based on observation, experience and prior knowledge.
The problem of “writing block” can be countered using pre-writing strategies.
• Pre-writing strategies help in creating an argument.
Sub-steps:
I. Description & identification of a situation/task.
First, analyze, interpret and understand the topic and identify key words (narrow
down the broad topics).
Second, determine the purpose- inform, pursued, argue narrate etc.
Third, identify the audience. It guides Content, diction, style, attitude and
presentation.
Fourth, decide the tone based on audience, topic, purpose, subject matter and
domain of writing, achieved through vocabulary, style, facts and figures.
 Pre -writing:

2. Planning: plan your essay with pre-writing strategies. Use them to generate
ideas.
i. Free writing: write down whatever comes to your mind about the
topic.
Example: I have to write something about problems faced by world today but
I have no clue what to write. I think there are several issues such as terrorism,
environmental issues and inflation etc….
ii. Brainstorming: (can be done in a group) Just like free writing, you
can list down whatever the points come to your mind i.e. terrorism,
economy, inflation, wars, pollution etc. write the title on the top and let
your mind roam freely.
Pre-writing.

iii. Clustering: It`s specific & focused thinking.

It has many names: webbing, mind-mapping, bubbling,
diagramming. Here you put a circle where you write a main idea
and then you connect it smaller circles around with sub-ideas.
Clustering
 Pre-writing.

iv. Discussion: To create and writing ideas. Read

articles, books about the topic and skim and
scan sites for more ideas.
Outlining: A map-Where to put what. Introduction, body
paragraphs & conclusion.
 Gather, analyze, break, revise, finalize and arrange
ideas in a logical order.
 Make a list of headings and sub headings based on
importance to put in paragraphs.
Task 3. Try brainstorming and clustering.

TOPICS:
Brainstorm on
1. Problems faced by world today.
Do clustering on
2. Technology today
Step two. Writing.

Composing and formatting: Rough writing-first draft.

 Using the outline, put the ideas in sentences into introduction,
body paragraphs and conclusion.
 You use arguments/reasons/ supporting details, examples and
conclusions.
 Ignore errors for now.
3. Post-writing.

i. Proofreading/Editing, Revising:
 Check for grammatical, structural and organizational
mistakes, unity, coherence and cohesion etc.
ii. Final draft writing.
After formatting and editing, write the final draft.
 The academic essay-thoughts made visible

An essay is a written composition on a single topic or theme or a

subject. It poses and idea and supports it.
KINDS:
1. Informing about a topic/process-expository-facts, statistics, example.
Argumentative, cause & effect and “how to”-process are it`s kinds.
2. Descriptive-like a painting with words, show, not tell, deep meaning.
3. Narrating something-Narrative-real-life experience, yourself,
displaying/meditating on feelings, emotions, or on an idea.
4. Convincing someone- persuasive. Evaluation, sound reasoning,
expert opinion, logic, show both the sides, examples, clarity, use
cause and effect model.

.
The academic essay-thoughts made visible

HISTORY:

Essay originally is a literary genre. The term was used by

Francis Bacon in 1597 to name his small book with ten
small prose pieces as “essays”.
In “literature”, essays give expression to ones own ideas
and opinions. In academics it as the treatment of a topic
in a neutral and objective way.
 The academic essay. Essay structure.

Introduction:
i. Hook/grabbing idea Conclusion:
ii. Thesis statement i. Allusion to hook.
ii. Restate thesis statement
iii. Essay overview iii. Mention core point.
Body paragraphs: iv. Give a global statement
i. Topic sentence
ii. Supporting details
iii. Concluding statement & transition
The academic essay.

Essentials of the academic essay:

1. Unity and focus
2. Order/rational development
3. Brevity (concise)
4. Academic style
5. General to specific paragraphing and conclusion
6. Coherence
7. Logical reasoning