EXAMINATION CARD 1

1) How is academic writing different from other forms of writing?

It is almost impossible to define good academic writing exactly. However, it is certainly possible to identify some key characteristics. The ones listed on the right are four of the most important features. Academic writing is more objective, is more complex, has a more formal structure, uses more referencing.Academic writing is more objectivePhrases such as I think, I believe and In my opinion should notbe used in academic writing. Academics are not looking for whatyou think or believe - they want to see what you can show,demonstrate and prove through evidence.Academic writing is more complexAs a general principle, academic writing is more complexthan other forms of writing. This is because academic writingoften discusses difficult, challenging ideas which can onlybe expressed with particular grammar and language. Areaswhere this complexity may be seen include: Formality language, grammatical structure, density of language. Academic writing has a more formal structureAll writing has some kind of structure. The structure of academic writing is more formal thanother types of writing. The following characteristics may be observed:The text as a whole has a specific, formalized structure - the in t r o d u c t io n , m a in bo d yandCONCLUSION.The text must have c o h e s io nand c o h e r e n c e- it must link together clearly so thatit is possible to follow the writer’s argument.Paragraphs should be roughly the same length throughout, so there is a good overallbalance.Paragraphs often follow a similar structure - topic sentence, outline of argument,supporting evidence, short conclusion and transition to the next paragraph Academic writing uses more referencingBuilding on the ideas of other people is one of the central features of academic writing. In orderto show where these ideas come from (and to avoid p lag ia r ism ),a reference system isused (note: the reference system used throughout this book is the Harvard referencing style).

2)What is plagiarism and how to avoid it? Plagiarism is the act of taking another person's writing, conversation, song, or even idea and passing it off as your own. This includes information from web pages, books, songs, television shows, email messages, interviews, articles, artworks or any other medium. Whenever you paraphrase, summarize, or take words, phrases, or sentences from another person's work, it is necessary to indicate the source of the information within your paper using an internal citation. It is not enough to just list the source in a bibliography at the end of your paper. Failing to properly quote, cite or acknowledge someone else's words or ideas with an internal citation is plagiarism.