Writing Essays in English Language and Linguistics: Principles, Tips and Strategies for Undergraduates

by Neil Murray

• ISBN13: 9780521128469
• ISBN10: 0521128463
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-04-09
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

English language and linguistics shares many of its writing conventions with those of other disciplines, but there are certain features and expectations that distinguish it as a subject. This book is written specifically to help undergraduate students of English language and linguistics develop the art of writing essays, projects and reports. Written by an author with over 30 years' experience of lecturing in the subject, it is a comprehensive and very readable resource and contains numerous discipline-related examples, practice exercises and an answer key. It includes chapters on referencing (including plagiarism, paraphrase and guidance on referencing styles), stylistic issues that often get overlooked, and writing a dissertation. The book offers practical guidance and a layout that guides students as they work though their project. It will be an invaluable reference tool that students can read cover to cover or dip into as and when required.

Author Biography

Neil Murray is Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics and a member of the Research Centre for Languages and Cultures at the University of South Australia.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	p. xi
Introduction	p. 1
A guide to the book's icons: what do they mean?	p. 3
The basics
Writing at school and writing at university: are they really so different?	p. 7
Introduction	p. 7
Different philosophies, different writing styles	p. 9
Shifting the balance: reproduction vs critical analysis	p. 9
Originality, creativity and 'voice'	p. 9
The emphasis on research and reading extensively	p. 10
Depth of analysis and depth of argument	p. 10
Sound reasoning and the importance of evidence	p. 10
Transparency, clear organisation and accessibility	p. 11
References and bibliographies	p. 11
Appendices	p. 12
Length	p. 12
Fundamental principles	p. 14
Paragraph essentials: what is a paragraph … and when should you begin a new one?	p. 14
Good argument structure: what does it mean and how do you achieve it?	p. 17
Explaining everything and avoiding assumptions	p. 18
Supporting your statements: evidence, what it is, why it's essential, and how you provide it	p. 19
Being concise and relevant… and avoiding waffle	p. 26
Punctuation, how important is it… really?	p. 28
Getting down to writing
Analysing and answering the question	p. 45
What do assignment questions mean?	p. 45
Special features of linguistics questions	p. 48
Different forms of writing … and the language you need for them	p. 50
How to keep focused on the question	p. 69
Summary: coverage, argumentation and evaluation	p. 70
The writing process	p. 72
Information-gathering: brainstorming, researching and selecting material	p. 72
Note-taking	p. 81
Planning	p. 84
Drafting, checking and revising	p. 87
Writing an introduction	p. 89
The purpose of an introduction	p. 89
How an introduction achieves its purpose	p. 90
The thesis statement: what it is, where to place it and how to write it	p. 91
Indicating organisation and approach	p. 96
Length	p. 97
Paragraphing	p. 98
When is the best time to write an introduction?	p. 98
Handy language	p. 98
Writing the body of your essay	p. 100
What's covered in the body?	p. 100
What proportion of my essay should the body account for?	p. 100
A brief review of the essentials	p. 101
Good layout and presentation	p. 102
Writing summaries and conclusions	p. 108
What's a summary and how's it different from a conclusion?	p. 108
Are summaries always needed?	p. 110
Where should I include a summary?	p. 110
Summaries: handy language	p. 111
What exactly should I be doing in a conclusion?	p. 111
Tips for more effective conclusions	p. 113
Conclusions: handy language	p. 115
Referencing and quotations	p. 117
The importance of finding your own voice … and the need to use sources	p. 1
What is plagiarism, why should I avoid it, and how can I avoid it?	p. 118
What's the best way to paraphrase?	p. 118
Referencing styles	p. 120
In-text referencing: how should I quote my sources?	p. 121
In-text referencing: citing without quoting	p. 124
The bibliography: what is it and how should I format it?	p. 128
Increasing your efficiency: using bibliographic software packages	p. 132
Handy language	p. 134
Stylistic issues	p. 136
Concision and clarity	p. 137
The use of first person singular - æIÆ	p. 138
'All-or-nothing' language	p. 139
Using present tense to refer to others' work	p. 140
Emotive and biased language	p. 140
Vague and empty language	p. 141
Casual language: colloquialisms and slang	p. 142
Shortened forms	p. 144
Using humour	p. 145
Formatting your work - some dos and don'ts (see also section 6.4)	p. 145
Clichés	p. 146
Dealing with jargon	p. 147
Keeping your writing gender-neutral	p. 148
Using footnotes: a reminder	p. 148
Avoiding rhetorical questions	p. 149
Formatting linguistic examples	p. 149
What about Latin words and abbreviations?	p. 154
Checking and editing your work	p. 156
Writing up small-scale research projects or dissertations	p. 159
What's expected of me as an undergraduate student with no previous research experience?	p. 159
Deciding on a project: what are the important considerations?	p. 161
Tips for a stress-free project: being efficient and submitting on time	p. 177
The main components of a research project	p. 177
Presentation and submission	p. 195
Frequently asked questions	p. 198
Introduction	p. 198
Developing your own voice	p. 198
Answering the question	p. 199
Writing to time and word limits	p. 201
Citing sources/referencing	p. 203
The introduction, body and conclusion	p. 203
Using figures/illustrations	p. 204
Linguistics glossary	p. 205
Task key	p. 218
References	p. 228
Index	p. 232
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