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L~ NGQC PHUONG ANH (M.A.) BAN BI~N OICH. FIRST NEWS
Writing Academic English. Third Edition
Addison Wesley Longman. 10 Bank Street, White Plains. NY 10606 Editorial director: Allen Ascher Acquisitions editor: Louisa Hellegers Director of design and production: Rhea Banker Development editors: Arte1ia. Court, Framyoise Leffler Production manager: Alana Zelinak Production supervisor: Uza Pleva Senior manufacturing manager: Patrice Fraccio Manufacturing supervisor: Edie Pullman Managing editor: Linda Moser Production editor: Lynn Contrucci Photo research: Diana Nott Cover design: Curt Belshe Text design adaptation: Curt Belshe Electronic production supervisor: Kim Teixeira Text composition: Kim Teixeira
Photo credits: See page 269 Text credits: See page 269
LIbrary of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Oshima. Alice Writing academic English I Alice Oshima. Ann Hogue.-3rd ed. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 0-201-34054-2 (alk. paper)
5678 91D-BAH--{)3 02 0100
Preface
Writing Academic English. Third Edition. is a comprehensive rhetoric and sentence structure textbook/workbook. It has been written for intermediate to advanced col lege or college-bound international and English as a Second Language students. It can also be used by native speakers of English who need to develop their basic com position skills or to brush up on sentence structure and mechanics. The book teaches writing in a straightforward manner, using a process-oriented approach. At the same time, the structure of paragraphs and essays and their impor tant components are taught in small, learnable steps. Clear, relevant models illustrate each step, and varied practices reinforce each lesson. Sentence structure. with special emphasis on subordinated structures. is taught in a separate section. Because most academic writing is expository in nature, we have purposely limit ed the rhetorical components to exposition. The models and practices feature current and general academic topics relevant to students' interests in a rapidly changing world. Many also provide practice using English in technical, scientific. and business contexts. Other features of the book include four appendixes offering punctuation rules with exercises, a comprehensive chart of transition signals. a chart of correction sym bols. and a Ust of topic suggestions for in-class "writing under pressure" practice. Uncommon vocabulary items are glossed, and each chapter ends with a convenient review of the main teaching points and a writing or editing assignment. A Peer Editing
. CheckJist ends Chapters 2 through 8.
tbe Third • The book now has three main sections instead of four. The chapter on library Edition research has been^ delet~d.^ A revised chapter^ on^ quotvtions. summary.^ and paraphrase has been renamed Concrete Support II.
VIII
Lesson Presentation
Topic Suggestlons
In-Class WrltinJl
Finally, models have been updated, practice material freshened, and explana tions streamlined, a,lr,vays with the intention of making the material more accessible to our students. .r.
Writing Academic E'!-8iish is intended to be covered in one IS-week semester, with
II, Writing an Essay, should be taught in sequence. The sentence structure chapters in Part III should be taught alongside the chapters in Parts J and II on the paragraph and essay in order to encourage students to write a variety of complex structure$>_ Chapt:er 10, IYpes of 5entences, should be taught at the beginning of the course; subsequent chapters may be taught in any order. Wherever possible, instructors should integrate sentence structure with rhetoric. For example, adverbial time clauses in Part III m"ly be taught simu]taneous]y with chronological order in Part II.
The topics listed for each writing assignment are only suggestions. Keep an eye open for interesting topics from current events or for interesting graphs, photographs, and charts in newspapers on which to base other assignments.
Group brainstorming and in-class writing of first drafts are especially helpful in the early stages because you are available for immediate consultation. Also, you can check to make sure everyone is on the right track. Pair and group collaboration is appropriate for brainstorming and editing work; however, writing is essentially an individual task even when done in class.
Writing under Appendix C suggests topics for writing under pressure. These assignments are to be Pressure
Practice Exercises
Peer Editing
Photographs
done in class under time pressure to simulate the experience of writing essay exami nations. We feel that this is valuable practice for college-bound students.
The final practice exercises of the sentence structure chapters usually ask students to write original sentences. Because these practices prove whether the students under stand the structures and can produce them correctly on their own, we hope that you are not tempted to skip them.
Interactive Peer Editing Checklists appear with each writing assignment. One method of using these lists is to ask pairs of students to exchange books as well as first drafts
. of compositions. Each student in a pair edits the other student's work and writes com ments and suggestions about the other's composition in that student's book. A sec ond method is to provide photocopies of the checklists for peer editors to record their comments. A third method is to have each student read his or her draft out loud to a small group of classmates and then to solicit oral comments and suggestions by ask ing the checklist questions. The student who has read then writes down the group's suggestions in his or her own book. Of course, the instrucror can also respond to sru· dent wl'iting by commenting on photocopies of the checklists.
The photographs introducing each chapter of the book depict some of the forms of writ ten communication used by diverse cultures throughout the evolution of civilization.
x
~ Cac hai lu4n mdu duqc c4p nh~t, cac hai luy~n t~p duqc so~n mai
lam cho giao trlnh d~ sti dl;lng han.
,
bay cdc
sdch
Giao trlnh d\l' ki€n danh cho mQt khoa hqc 15 tuAn, hqc 5 hu5i mQt tuAn. Cac chuang a phAn I, Vi€t Bo~n Van va phAn II Viet Bai L~n phar duCJc d~y thea dung tha t\l' lien t\lc. Cac chuang v~
chudng trong phAn I va II de khuyen khich hqc vien vi€t cac lo~i cau phuc. Chuang 10, Cac Lo~i Cau, phai duqc d~y tit dAu khoa ~9C; cac chuang con l~i co the duCJC d~y theo thu t\l' tuy thich. Trong trttang hCJp co the duCJC, giao vien nen k€t hqp phAn cau truc cau vai phAn ky thu~t vi€t. Vi dl;l nhu cac m~nh d~ tr~ng ngli
v~ cach sAp xep y theo thu t\l' thai gian a phAn II.
GViy chudi
tq,i ltlp
dp lJlc
Bai luyfn
Sua bai cho nOOu
Cac chu d~ duCJc li~t ke cho nhftng hai t~p viet chi mang tinh chat d~ nghj. Hay quan sat va thu th~p cac chu d~ hay tit cac s\l' ki~n dUdng d~i ho~c cac hieu d5 hinh anh, sa d5 hay tren bao de lam chu d~ cho cac hai viet khac. Trong giai do~n dAu, vi~c hqc nhom de gop y ho~c vi€t t~i lap ral
cung co the kiem soat de chAc chAn rang mqi hqc vien di dung huang. Hinh thuc lam vi~c tUng doi va thea nhom rat thich hCJp cho cong vi~c gop y vie't bai va stia bai; tuy nhien, viet lu4n la mQt cong vi~c ca nhan cho du co duqc lam t~i lap.
bai t4P d~ng nay nen duqc th\l'C hi~n t~i lap duai ap l\l'C thai gian de luy~n t4P kinh nghi~m vi€t hai trong ky thi. Chung toi thay rAng cac hai t4P nay rat hcru ich cho sinh vien cac trttang d~i hqc. Cac hai t4P cuO'i nhftng chudng cau truc cau thuang yeu cAu h9C vi€m tl;l' viet cau. Vi cac hai ~p nay nh~m de chUng minh r~ng h9C vi en th~t s\l' hieu ro cac cau truc va co the t\l' minh vi€t dung cau truc, nen giao vien huang d§.n lap khong nen hi) qua cac hai ~p nay. Cu5i mM bai t~p viet d~u co bang huang ddn cham haL MQt trong nhftng cach sti dl;lng bang nay la yeu cAu tUng c~p hqc vien trao d6i bai nhap dAu tien. Moi hqc vien se stia bai cho b~n minh, d5ng thai ghi ro cac nh~n xet cung nhu gCJi y cua mlnh vao do. Cach thu hai la cung cap cho hqc vien cac bang gqi y cham bai de co the ghi nh~n xet vao. each thu ba la yeu cAu tUng h9C vien d9C to bai cua minh truac mQt nhom va de cac h9C vi en khac nh4n xet, gop y dva tren hang ggi y. H9c vien dQC bai se tv ghi cac gqi y cua nhom. Va di nhien, giao vien cung co the nh4n xet bai lam cua hqc vie~ thong qua han gqi y cham hai. Cac hinh anh ddu moi chudng the hi~n nhung hinh thuc giao
XI
Nhi~u nguCti thuCtng hi~u him r~ng viet hay la kha nang thien phu llla
kh6ng phai ai cling co. Cach nghI nay kh6ng hoan toan dung. B~n co tht h9C viet n1Qt cach hi~u qua neu b~n sdn sang h9C mQt vai ky thu~t va chju kho luy~n t~p. Viet tieng Anh hay doi hoi phai co kha nang viet cau hay va R5p xep chung nl{,>t cach hqp ly thanh nhUng do~n van roi thanh nhullg bat lu~n. Qua sach nay b~n se h9C cach tht!c hi~n ca hai c6ng vi~c tren. Trong do co
v.l lU1ll1 chuang se gitip b~n viet duqc nhung cau hay. Chung tcli hy v9ng rAng b~n se thfch thu vai phuong plHip dZlY Vfl 11 hl"J'ng y6u call viet lw}n fila sach dua ra. Neu b~n nghien cuu ky tung bili h9C va lanl tat ca nhung bai luy~n t~p mQt cach can th~n, thi kh6ng chi
khn nt'tng viet cua b?I1.
XIII
HSI18N3 81V\130V8V
CHAPTER
The Process of
Academic Writing
Native American symbols from Alaska
Introduction
Academic writing, as the name implies. is the kind of writing that you are required to do in college or university. It differs from other kinds of writing such as personal. lit erary. journalistic. or business writing. Its differences can be explained in part by its special audience. tone. and purpose. Whenever you write. consider your specific audience. that is, the people who wiU read what you have written. Knowing your audience will help you to communicate dearly and effectively. In academic writing. your audience is primarily your profes sors or instructors.
1
Chapter 1 The Process of Academic Writing
In addition. you should also consider the tone of your writing. which depends on your subject matter and on your audience. Tone is your style or manner of expression. It is revealed by your choice of words and grammatical structures and even the length of your sentences. The tone of a piece of writing can be, for example, serious. amus ing. personal, or impersonal. Academic writing is formal and serious in tone. Finally, the purpose of a piece of writing determines the rhetorical forml^ chosen for it. A persuasive essay will be organized in one way and an expositorr essay in
The Wrltin8. Process, stage I: Prewrltin8.
Writing, particularly academic writing. is not easy. It takes study and practice to develop this skill. For both native speakers and new learners of English, it is impor tant to note that writing is a process, not a "product." This means that a piece of writing. whether it is a composition for your English class or a lab report for your chemistry class. is never complete; that is, it is always possible to review and revise, Writing is so important (^) and review and revise again. in academic life that some (^) There are four main stages in the writing process: prewriting. planning. writing universities have on-line (^) and revising drafts, and writing the final copy to hand in. Each stage will be explained writing centerS.These (^) and practiced in Part I of this book. In this chapter. you will concentrate on prewrit sites offer extra writing (^) ing techniques, which are activities to help you generate· ideas for your writing advice and information. Ask your instructor how assignments. to find them.
Step 1: (^) Ifyou are given a specific writing assignment (such as an essay question on an exam Choosing alld ination). then.^ of^ course.^ what^ you^ can^ write^ about^ is limited.^ On^ the^ other^ hand. Narrowing when^ you^ are given a free choice^ of^ topics^ and^ can^ write^ about^ something^ you^ are _II Topic __ interested in.^ then^ you^ must^ narrow^ the^ topic to a particular^ aspect^ of^ that^ general subject. Suppose you are interested in the environment. It would be impossible to cover such a big topic in a paragraph. You would have to narrow the topic to perhaps environmental pollution. if that is your interest. Environmental pollution, however, is still too broad a topic for a paragraph. so you might even further narrow the topic to a type of environmental pollution, such as pollution of the oceans. However, writing about ocean pollution is still too broad because it would include pollution by oil. chemicals, sewage. and garbage. Therefore, you might decide to write about oil as a source of ocean pollution. Finally. you might make this topic even narrower by writ ing only about the effects of oil spills on sea life. The point is, you must narrow the subject of your paragraph to a specific focus so that you can write about it clearly and completely. The diagram on page 4 illustrates the process of narrowing a general topic to a specific one. t j'L'h>~i~Vj, I rhetorical form: organizational,form and style :!expository: explanatory; one that explains. lconvey: express "generate: produce
Chapter 1 The Process of Academic Writing
MODEL
listing
Culture Shock communication problems homeless people shocking sight poor verbal skills American students children disrespectful (^) classroom environment new language unclear expressions American family life (^) public transportation is not good families seldom eat together need a car^. lack vocabulary use first names with teachers show affection in public college professors wear jeans Americans talk too fast students ask questions they are friendly no formal dress code people are always in a hurry (^) no one takes time to cook good meals use slang and idioms professor's role families don't spend time together on children spend more time with friends weekends and holidays (^) than with ~rents children are "kings" use incomplete sentences lack confidence poor^ pronunciation American food is unhealthy Americans difficult to understand everyone eats fast food students can challenge professors
Group A (communication problem~ poor verbal skills new language lack vocabulary st.e¥( .fleRie .. il'l "tilelie Americans talk too fast !hey are .........1) 88elll. are aiwtlW iPl a hwtoy use slang and idioms lack confidence use incomplete sentences poor pronunciation Americans difficult to understand unclear expressions.
Group B t.e",eless I'eel'le !lhe.hi.., sieh' American students ~Iassroom environment) I'tilelie .... s.. e .......ie .. is Aet fee" fleed • • r use first names with teachers college professors wear jeans students ask questions no formal dress code Ae 8Ae .1_ sffle Eel eeeit ~e8 ",eals professor's role students can challenge
Group C Q'merican family Ii~ children are "kings" families seldom eat together children disrespectful families don't spend time together on weekends and holidays children spend more time with friends than with parents AMeriee.t't fe ... is I:Il'Ih8al.,. eYef')reAe eae _ feed
," .".'^ .,.;,
Part I Writing a Paragraph
PRACTICE 2
Braillslormil1,q ~1' Listill.~
MODEL Freelltrllmg 1
Now there are three lists. each of which has a central focus. The central focus in each new list is circled: communication problems. classroom em^1 ironment, and American family life. The writer can choose one list to be the basis for a paragraph.
Brainstorm by listing ideas on one of the following topics. Follow the four steps out lined on pages 4-5. How to be a good student How television is a learning tool The characteristics of a good teacher My favorite leisure-time activity Tourist attractions in your country or city One of the topics from Practice 1: Choosing and Narrowing a Topic on page 4
Freewriting
Freewriting is a brainstorming activity in which you write freely about a topic because you are looking for a specific focus. While you are writing, one idea will spark! another idea. As with listing, the purpose of freewriting is to generate as many ideas as possi ble and to write them down without worrying about appropriateness. grammar, spelling, lOgic, or organization. Remember. the more you freewrite, the more ideas you will have. Don't despair if your mind seems to "run dry." Just keep your pencil moving. Follow this procedure: I. Write the topic at the top of your paper.
II: the following model. the student is supposed to write a paragraph about one major problem at his college. The student doesn't have any idea of what to write about. so he starts freewriting about some of the problems that come to mind.
Problems at Evergreen College^ '.<^ ~.:^ • What is the biggest problem at Evergreen totlege~ Well. I really don't know. In^ ;. fact. I can't think of one particular problem although I know there are many problems. For one thing, the €Iassrooms are usually overcrowded)At the beginning of this semester. Science Hall 21 I had"~ students although there were only 3 I 5 desks. A few of the seats attached to the desks were broken. so about 20 students had to sit on the floor. 8esides.€he classrooms are poorly maintained) In several of my classes, there are broken chairs and litter on the floor. Students even leave their dirty cups and other garbage on the desks. So the rooms are messy.cthe library is) (too small and always crowded with swdents) Not all swdents really swdy in the 10 library. Sometimes they talk a lot and this is really quite distracting to me and other
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Isparlc cause to start coming to mind 2despair: be discouraged