ASK WEEK Pathways to Success

18-22 November 2013

Top Tips for Clear Writing

Courtney Hopf

Academic Skills Adviser

Right to the chase

Here are your top tips 1. Make sure sentences are straightforward 2. Use accurate signposting language 3. Structure your paragraphs meticulously 4. Eliminate fluff 5. Learn to be a better editor

Shortness of breath, some feelings of nausea, and the losing of sleep were some of the symptoms the patients had on the drug which was found to be a severe issue and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) removed its approval after complaints were made by some organisations.

1. Make sure your sentences are straightforward

Ask yourself: what is my main point here?

Process

1. Identify the ‘turns’ in the sentence (conjunctions and prepositions like ‘of,’ ‘and,’ ‘but,’ ‘since,’ ‘which,’ etc.

2. Split the sentence up if necessary 3. Identify the subject and the verb 4. Rearrange to put the subject and verb as early

as possible.

Shortness of breath, extreme feelings of nausea, and persistent dizziness were some of the symptoms the patients had on the drug which was found to be a severe issue and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) removed its approval after complaints were made by some organisations.

The side effects of the drug were found to be unacceptable by consumers, and after complaints from various organisations the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) reversed its approval.

What is signposting?

2. Use accurate signposting language

However Nevertheless Although Consequently Since Similarly Because By contrast This/These ______ As such, But Similarly…

2. Use accurate signposting language

Stuck for words? Try the Manchester Phrasebank: http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/

2. Use accurate signposting language

Statement (Topic Sentence) Evidence Explanation

3. Structure your paragraphs meticulously

S E E

What is a topic sentence and what does it do?

A topic sentence… • establishes the paragraph’s main idea. • links logically from the previous paragraph. • is NOT a summary, description, or restatement of

what someone else has said. • IS your own point, and an aspect of your argument. • is quite simply the most important essay component

to master.

3. Structure your paragraphs meticulously

S

E

E

Sample paragraph:

In the tea industry, which relies heavily on reputation and taste over trend, the benefits of direct and organic marketing far outweigh the more traditional elements of the marketing mix. Direct marketing can provide a more personal service (Fill, 2005), whilst organic marketing can provide a sense of community and allows contact and the transferring of knowledge with customers (Ghambari, 2008). In considering community in marketing strategy, Booms and Bitner (1981) suggest an extended marketing mix including people as a key element. This emphasises the impact of culture on the success of the tea industry, and in turn allows for the inclusion of cultural practices in marketing strategy development.

• Watch out for wordiness

• Eliminate adverbs

• Avoid the narration trap

4. Eliminate fluff

Watch out for wordiness

‘at this moment in time’

‘take into consideration’

‘until such time as’

‘last but not least’

‘in the event that’

‘due to the fact that’

‘the way in which’

‘in order to’

now

consider

until

lastly

if

because

how

so

While it is essentially just a really long tunnel, the large hadron collider is very important to the future of basically everything we know about particle physics.

The large hadron collider is, at its simplest, a 27 kilometer-long oval tunnel, but it is essential to the progression of particle physics.

Eliminate Adverbs

Avoid the narration trap

To start off, it would be appropriate to define what is meant by ‘cosmopolitanism’ before going any further. ‘Cosmopolitanism’ refers to…

Editing vs. Proofreading

5. Learn to be a better editor

Ideas Arguments Logic Style Clarity ‘Flow’

Spelling Grammar Repetition Typos Consistency

(reference style, abbreviations, etc)

Use the ‘Say/Do’ test

5. Learn to be a better editor

What does this paragraph SAY?

What does this paragraph DO?

Can you summarise it in one sentence? If you can’t your reader won’t be able to either.

It outlines x issue It furthers my argument It provides essential

background/examples It actually just repeats what

the previous paragraph says…

Clear academic writing…

Session Summary

• Consists of clear, well-structured sentences… • that express clear logic from one to the next using

accurate signposting language. • Possesses well-structured paragraphs that make

one point. • Is not wordy. • Comes from an editing process that takes as long

or longer than the initial draft.

ASK WEEK Pathways to Success

Find these slides (and much more) on Blackboard

Organisations -> Academic Skills -> Workshop Presentations -> ASK Week Spring 2013