What is an academic style?

1. Get the right “verb”(心中有動詞 挖哈哈哈哈^^)
* The preferred choice is a “SINGLE” verb whenever possible.
Examples:
help out  assist
goes up  increases
look into  investigate
bring up  raise
cut down  reduce
get rid of  eliminate
meet with  encounter

2. Avoid idiomatic language
Examples:
A lot of  numerous
Sort of  quite/somewhat
Nice  helpful/positive
Big  considerable/major
Things  event
Outside  external

3. Use “Nominalizations”
Examples:
The chances of disease are much reduced because of….
 The reduction in the chances of disease is result of
** The -ion in/of

4. Avoid contractions
Examples:
Won’t  will not
Shouldn’t  should not
(引述別人的話就無須改變)

5. Use more appropriate formal negative forms
Examples:
Not…any  no
Not…much  little
Not…many  few
6. Limit the use of “run on” expressions such as “and so forth(on)” and “etc”
Examples:
A, B, C,…..or A, B, C , and etc.
 A, B, C, and other related .
or such as a, b, and c.

7. Avoid addressing the reader as “you”
* use the passive terms
Examples:
You can apply the same principles in many educational settings.
 The same principles can be applied~~~
or use “there are/is assumption(s)

8. Consider carefully the use of “I” and “we”
 不代表不能用，只是要小心的用(用於表達自己立場時可以用，但不要一直強調自己看法，不過在argument裡，是可以用的….)

9. Limit the use of direct question

10. Avoid redundancy

11. Avoid the use of the generic “one
”
12. Use non-sexist language
Examples:
Policeman  officer
Chairman  Chairperson
Spokesman  spokesperson
He or she  s/he
Or they, their and themselves

Writing an argumentative essay

What are assessors looking for?
 To be told clearly what you have learned about a specific topic.
* When writing the essay, answer the question but ask!!
* When you are writing an argumentative essay you should
have a position/ view/ stance on the topic
* When to state your position?
 CLEARLY in the “BIGNIINIG” of the essay
it is for practical purpose : to help the markers to evaluate the essay
* AVOID “generalization” : EVIDENCES must be provide
1) examples
2) Statistics data
* How to organize?
1) State the criteria (Vertical)
2) Find out the pros and cons (Horizontal)

STEPS:
1. Position
2. Evidences(pros and cons)
3. Decision(Restate the position)
* Position can be “it depends brabra…..” but the conclusion must be clear!!