1.3 Course Outcomes
At the end of this course we hope that you will not only have a sound grasp of what the term, Academic Writing, is but will have acquired the skills of an academic writer in being able to present an argument coherently, succinctly and convincingly.
At the end of Part 2 you will:
- know how academic writing is different from other forms of writing
- know the purpose of academic writing
- understand the difference between "good" and "poor" quality writing
- recognise the distinctive features of academic writing
At the end of Part 3 you will:
- appreciate the importance of diction, concision and precision in academic writing.
- realise that sentences and paragraphs have definite structures and purposes and will know how to construct them.
- know how to make your writing cohesive, impersonal, balanced, unconvoluted, with the language of your argument tentative/definite (as required).
- know what kind of language and vocabulary is used in an academic essay and the underpinning reasons.
At the end of Part 4 you will:
- know what an argument is in writing and how to formulate it
- know how to formulate a thesis statement and construct an academic essay
- be familiar with the language of argumentation and the use of reporting verbs
- understand terms like: discursive writing, analytical writing, descriptive writing and when and where they are used
By the end of Part 5 you will:
- know how to write a paraphrase and a summary
- realise that the frequent use of lengthy direct quotations are inadmissible in an academic essay and why they must be avoided
By the end of Part 6 you will:
- know and understand how essential the writer’s voice is in an academic essay
- know when and where the writer’s voice occurs in the essay
- know how to include reliable evidence and why it must be included
- know how to argue your thesis statement
- feel confident to try your own hand at writing an academic essay