《学术写作》英文教学课件：academic writing

1、.1Academic WritingFor Medical Students.2Outline of the workshopAn overview of the features of academic writing from the perspective of linguisticsAn introduction to a typical research articleA focus on abstract.3A. Features of Academic WritingObjective: to inform rather than entertain Linear: one ce

2、ntral point or theme with every part contributing to the main line of argument, without digressions or repetitions. The standard written form of the language .48 Central FeaturesComplexity Formality Precision Objectivity Explicitness Accuracy Hedging Responsibility .51. Complexity Written language:

3、more complex than spoken language. Whats the difference then?.6Ex. A1 (distribute the job in dif. Groups)SpokenWritten3(a) Its very common that antibiotics have been overused in medical practice nowadays. (12)3(b) Abuse of antibiotics has become a wide-spread practice in the current medical atmosphe

4、re. (13)4(a) To be healthy, one of the things you need to do is to stay mentally healthy. Thats why many people exercise. (21)4(b) Another part of the definition of health is mental health, which is one of the aspects that makes people exercise. (20)5(a) So far we can not fully understand why more b

5、lack people tend to suffer from heart failure. (17)5(b) The reason for the greater propensity for heart failure among blacks is not fully understood. (15)6(a) Why do fewer young men suffering from high blood pressure fail to receive treatment? One possible reason is that it is difficult for them to

6、have the access to medical care. (31)6(b) The reasons for low rates of treatment for hypertension among young adults may include barriers in access to medical care. (20).7Ex. A1 (distribute the job in dif. Groups)SpokenWritten3(a) Its very common that antibiotics have been overused in medical practi

7、ce nowadays. (12)3(b) Abuse of antibiotics has become a wide-spread practice in the current medical atmosphere. (13)4(a) To be healthy, one of the things you need to do is to stay mentally healthy. Thats why many people exercise. (21)4(b) Another part of the definition of health is mental health, wh

8、ich is one of the aspects that makes people exercise. (20)5(a) So far we can not fully understand why more black people tend to suffer from heart failure. (17)5(b) The reason for the greater propensity for heart failure among blacks is not fully understood. (15)6(a) Why do fewer young men suffering

9、from high blood pressure fail to receive treatment? One possible reason is that it is difficult for them to get medical care. (28)6(b) The reasons for low rates of treatment for hypertension among young adults may include barriers in access to medical care. (20).8The complexity of written languagelo

10、nger wordslexically more dense more varied vocabularyusing more noun-based phrases than verb-based phrases. shorter more grammatically complex, including more subordinate clauses and more passives.9More examples from medical textbooksEx.A2: Underline verbs in text 2(a) that are transformed into noun

11、s in text 2(b).Spoke texts: shorter sentences, longer texts, asking questions and answering them Nominalization produces more academic texts.10Ex. A3:Passive voice in the case history.Focus of writing: the patients and their physical conditions, not the doctors or nurses.Coherent .11In general this

12、means in an essay that you should avoid: colloquial words and expressions; stuff, a lot of, thing, sort of, abbreviated forms: cant, doesnt, shouldnt two word verbs: put off, bring up“ sub-headings, numbering and bullet-points in formal essays - but use them in reports. asking questions2. Formality

13、There is often a choice in English between a two word verb and a single verb. The two word verbs are normally less formal.12Ex.A4: Rewrite the following sentences, replacing the informal two-word verb with a more formal equivalent.1. A primary education system was set up throughout Ireland as early

14、as 18312. This will cut down the amount of drug required and so the cost of treatment.3. Dieters often feel that they should totally get rid of high-fat and high-sugar foods.4. Discussion of the outcome of experiments that have used this method will be put off until Chapter 7. 5. These exercises can

15、 easily be incorporated into an exercise routine, with each done again a number of times.6. This was before he had read the guidelines on how to carry out the research.establishedreduceeliminatepostponedrepeatedconduct.133. Precision In academic writing you need to be precise when you use informatio

16、n, dates or figures. Do not use a lot of people when you can say 50 million people.14e.g.Although the duodenum is a mere 12 inches in comparison with the 8 feet of the jejunum and 12 feet of the ileum, an amazing number of processes occur here. (New Medical English, p.25).154.Objectivity The basic n

17、ature of academic study and academic writing - Nobody really wants to know what you think or believe. They want to know what you have studied and learned and how this has led you to your various conclusions. In general, avoid words like I, me, myself. Avoid you to refer to the reader or people in ge

18、neral. Exception:In some social scientific writing, these pronouns are accepted to emphasize the participation of the researcher as a humanistic one, esp. when the research is related with the emotions and feelings of the researcher and the researched.16Ex. A5 Most people take drug overdoses because

19、 they find that its difficult to sort out their problems clearly. Thats why you should treat your patients in a clear way. That means you should treat your patients in a way that helps them to tell the difference between their problems and find ways to deal with them.Most overdoses are taken when in

20、dividuals are finding it difficult to sort out their life problems in a clear way. For this reason, the approach to treatment must, above all else, be a clear one; that is, one which helps the patient separate out each of his problems and plan ways of dealing with them. .175. Explicitness Academic w

21、riting is explicit in several ways.It is explicit in its signposting of the organization of the ideas in the text through the usage of different signaling words, e.g. because, however, in addition, etc. (e.g.2 in handout)It is explicit in its acknowledgment of the sources of the ideas in the text. I

22、f you know the source of the ideas you are presenting, acknowledge it. (e.g.1 in handout)different ways of citation in academic writing: reporting and direct quotationPlagiarism is taken very seriously in international academia.186.Accuracy Be accurate in your use of vocabulary. E.g. B：呵呵，所以刚才说查文献啊，

23、阅读文献可能就是 看得比较多，可是真正要来写的话A：写的话更难了B：更难了A：你像这个，我记得有一个，我们讲一个骨头肿型 劈开，劈开之后有一个内侧屏障，比如说一个内侧 一个外侧，内侧屏障我就想怎么来表达呢，我想 mediate、inside、interior，当时我想写得挺好， 后来我想想不行，要把它改成inner。.197.HedgingAn important feature of academic writing: the concept of cautious language, often called hedging or vague language. i.e., it is necessary to make decisions about your stance on a particular subject, or the strength of the claims you are making. e.g. 3Ex. A6.208.Responsibility Be responsible for demonstrating an understanding of the source text (c