Academic Writing
Chapter Three
Every Picture Tells A Story
Noun and pronoun references
What is a noun? A noun is a word that names a person, place,
animal, thing, or idea.
What is a pronoun? A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun to
avoid repetition.
Subject pronouns: He, she, it, they, we, you, I
Object pronouns: Him, her, it, them, us, you, me
a) Hakim is an English teacher. He is really hard-working.
b) Hakima is a scientist. She is really curious about the world.
c) I talked to Mahmood. I really like him.
d) I argued with Halima. I really do not like her.
Use your imagination to describe people
When you look at someone’s picture, you use your imagination
to form ideas about that person.
Your imagination is your ability to create ideas or pictures in
your mind.
What do you think about this man?
Sample paragraph about the man in the picture
The man in the photo is a hardworking man. His name is
Ryan Murphy. He lives in Dallas, Texas. He is single. He lives
with his older brother. Ryan works in an international company.
He works the second shift five days a week. He does not like
his job. He wants a better job, so he goes to school. He is a
part-time college student. He has classes three mornings a
week. His classes are not easy. He words hard in school. In his
free time, Ryan goes running and works out. On weekends, he
plays basketball with friends. He leads a busy man.
When should you repeat a noun?
A pronoun refers to the noun closest to it. Therefore, if another noun
is mentioned after our focus subject, we should use the focus subject
in the next sentence.
The man in the photo is a hardworking man. His name is Ryan
Murphy. He lives in Dallas, Texas. He is single. He lives with his older
brother. Ryan works in a factory. He works the second shift five days
a week. He does not like his job. He wants a better job, so he goes to
school. He is a part-time college student. He has classmates three
mornings a week. His classes are not easy. He words hard in school.
In his free time, Ryan goes running and works out. On weekends, he
plays basketball with friends. He leads a busy man.
Answer the questions now!
1) What ist the topic of the paragraph?
2) What is the writer’s main idea about the topic?
3) What information shows Ryan is hardworking?
4) What verbs did the writer use in these sentences?
a) He ____________ in Dallas, Texas.
b) He ____________ single.
c) Ryan __________ in a factory.
d) He __________ classes three mornings a week.
e) His classes __________ easy.
Use adjectives to describe people!
An adjective is a word that gives more information about a
noun.
Two patterns:
1. article + adjective + noun
Hakim is an intelligent student.
2. noun + be verb + adjective
Hakim is intelligent.
Describe the woman in 10 words! Then write a
paragraph!
Academic Organization of Paragraphs
A paragraph has three basic components:
1. Topic Sentence: It comes at the beginning of a sentence. It
gives the writer’s main idea about the paragraph.
A topic sentence has two parts:
a) Topic: says what the paragraph is about.
b) Controlling idea: limits the scope of the paragraph.
2. Supporting ideas: Supports the controlling idea through
examples or details.
3. Concluding sentence: It comes at the end of a paragraph and
puts an end to the paragraph.
Sample academic paragraph
Why I Like Classroom Discussions
I enjoy my classroom discussions for several reasons. First, I
like to listen to my classmates talk. There are some really
interesting people in my class, and I like to hear their ideas and
opinions. Second, I like to practice speaking English. Classroom
discussions help me learn to speak better and fluently. Third,
they make time in class go by fast. During discussions, I
completely lose track of time. These are just a few of the
reasons why I love class discussions.
Remember!
- When you write a paragraph, the topic sentence should not
refer back to the topic.
- Do not start your topic sentence with a pronoun.
Don’t do this! Do this!
Hakim
Hakim
He is a wonderful English
Hakim is a wonderful
teacher.
English teacher.
More on topic sentence
A topic sentence has two parts:
a) topic: says what the paragraph is about.
b) controlling idea: says what the paragraph focuses on.
Usually, topic comes first and then the controlling idea.
Swimming is a difficult sport.
Teaching English is wonderful.
You must prepare carefully before going scuba diving.
You must learn good study tips to do well on a test.
Continues…
More on topic sentence
Sometimes the topic and the controlling idea can be in two
sentences.
Ali and Ahmad are brothers. They are really lazy. They are
both…
Develop this yourself!
Have variety in your writing. Describe the brothers both
individually and together.