Features of Postgraduate writing
What will your teachers be looking for in your writing?
What does the lecturer's feedback mean? Here are some example of lecturer feedback. See if you can interpret them.
Example 1
Example 2
Our quick guide with information and examples. [pdf]. (Opens in new window)
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(Last updated: 20 October 2022)
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For the vast majority of students, essay writing doesn't always come easily. Writing at academic level is an acquired skill that can literally take years to master – indeed, many students find they only start to feel really confident writing essays just as their undergraduate course comes to an end!
If this is you, and you've come here looking for words and phrases to use in your essay, you're in the right place. We’ve pulled together a list of essential academic words you can use in the introduction, body, and conclusion of your essays .
Whilst your ideas and arguments should always be your own, borrowing some of the words and phrases listed below is a great way to articulate your ideas more effectively, and ensure that you keep your reader’s attention from start to finish.
It goes without saying (but we'll say it anyway) that there's a certain formality that comes with academic writing. Casual and conversational phrases have no place. Obviously, there are no LOLs, LMFAOs, and OMGs. But formal academic writing can be much more subtle than this, and as we've mentioned above, requires great skill.
So, to get you started on polishing your own essay writing ability, try using the words in this list as an inspirational starting point.
The trickiest part of academic writing often comes right at the start, with your introduction. Of course, once you’ve done your plan and have your arguments laid out, you need to actually put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and begin your essay.
You need to consider that your reader doesn’t have a clue about your topic or arguments, so your first sentence must summarise these. Explain what your essay is going to talk about as though you were explaining it to a five year old – without losing the formality of your academic writing, of course! To do this, use any of the below words or phrases to help keep you on track.
Even though it sounds obvious, your argument will be clearer if you deliver the ideas in the right order. These words can help you to offer clarity and structure to the way you expose your ideas. This is an extremely effective method of presenting the facts clearly. Don’t be too rigid and feel you have to number each point, but using this system can be a good way to get an argument off the ground, and link arguments together.
These essay phrases are useful to begin your essay. They help you pose your argument based on what other authors have said or a general concern about your research. They can also both be used when a piece of evidence sheds new light on an argument. Here’s an example: The result of the American invasion has severely impaired American interests in the Middle East, exponentially increasing popular hostility to the United States throughout the region, a factor which has proved to be a powerful recruitment tool for extremist terrorist groups (Isakhan, 2015). Considering [or In light of / In view of] the perceived resulting threat to American interests, it could be argued that the Bush administration failed to fully consider the impact of their actions before pushing forward with the war.
Introducing the views of an author who has a comprehensive knowledge of your particular area of study is a crucial part of essay writing. Including a quote that fits naturally into your work can be a bit of a struggle, but these academic phrases provide a great way in.
Even though it’s fine to reference a quote in your introduction, we don’t recommend you start your essay with a direct quote. Use your own words to sum up the views you’re mentioning, for example:
As Einstein often reiterated, experiments can prove theories, but experiments don’t give birth to theories.
Rather than:
“A theory can be proved by experiment, but no path leads from experiment to the birth of a theory.” {Albert Einstein, 1954, Einstein: A Biography}.
See the difference?
And be sure to reference correctly too, when using quotes or paraphrasing someone else's words.
The flow of your essay is extremely important. You don’t want your reader to be confused by the rhythm of your writing and get distracted away from your argument, do you? No! So, we recommend using some of the following ‘flow’ words, which are guaranteed to help you articulate your ideas and arguments in a chronological and structured order.
These types of academic phrases are perfect for expanding or adding to a point you’ve already made without interrupting the flow altogether. “Moreover”, “furthermore” and “in addition” are also great linking phrases to begin a new paragraph.
Here are some examples: The dissociation of tau protein from microtubules destabilises the latter resulting in changes to cell structure, and neuronal transport. Moreover, mitochondrial dysfunction leads to further oxidative stress causing increased levels of nitrous oxide, hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidases.
On the data of this trial, no treatment recommendations should be made. The patients are suspected, but not confirmed, to suffer from pneumonia. Furthermore, five days is too short a follow up time to confirm clinical cure.
These are helpful academic phrases to introduce an explanation or state your aim. Oftentimes your essay will have to prove how you intend to achieve your goals. By using these sentences you can easily expand on points that will add clarity to the reader.
For example: My research entailed hours of listening and recording the sound of whales in order to understand how they communicate.
Dutch tech companies offer support in the fight against the virus. To this end, an online meeting took place on Wednesday...
Even though we recommend the use of these phrases, DO NOT use them too often. You may think you sound like a real academic but it can be a sign of overwriting!
Complement complex ideas with simple descriptions by using these sentences. These are excellent academic phrases to improve the continuity of your essay writing. They should be used to explain a point you’ve already made in a slightly different way. Don’t use them to repeat yourself, but rather to elaborate on a certain point that needs further explanation. Or, to succinctly round up what just came before.
For example: A null hypothesis is a statement that there is no relationship between phenomena. In other words, there is no treatment effect.
Nothing could come to be in this pre-world time, “because no part of such a time possesses, as compared with any other, a distinguishing condition of existence rather than non-existence.” That is, nothing exists in this pre-world time, and so there can be nothing that causes the world to come into existence.
These essay words are a good choice to add a piece of information that agrees with an argument or fact you just mentioned. In academic writing, it is very relevant to include points of view that concur with your opinion. This will help you to situate your research within a research context.
Also , academic words and phrases like the above are also especially useful so as not to repeat the word ‘also’ too many times. (We did that on purpose to prove our point!) Your reader will be put off by the repetitive use of simple conjunctions. The quality of your essay will drastically improve just by using academic phrases and words such as ‘similarly’, ‘as well as’, etc. Here, let us show you what we mean:
In 1996, then-transport minister Steve Norris enthused about quadrupling cycling trips by 2012. Similarly, former prime minister David Cameron promised a “cycling revolution” in 2013…
Or Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI) aims to bridge the gap of access to electricity across the continent (...). Another key fact to remember is that it must expand cost-efficient access to electricity to nearly 1 billion people.
The wording “not only… but also” is a useful way to elaborate on a similarity in your arguments but in a more striking way.
Academic essays often include opposite opinions or information in order to prove a point. It is important to show all the aspects that are relevant to your research. Include facts and researchers’ views that disagree with a point of your essay to show your knowledge of your particular field of study. Below are a few words and ways of introducing alternative arguments.
Finding a seamless method to present an alternative perspective or theory can be hard work, but these terms and phrases can help you introduce the other side of the argument. Let's look at some examples:
89% of respondents living in joint families reported feeling financially secure. Conversely, only 64% of those who lived in nuclear families said they felt financially secure.
The first protagonist has a social role to fill in being a father to those around him, whereas the second protagonist relies on the security and knowledge offered to him by Chaplin.
“On the other hand” can also be used to make comparisons when worded together with “on the one hand.”
These essay phrases show contrast, compare facts, and present uncertainty regarding a point in your research. “That said” and “yet” in particular will demonstrate your expertise on a topic by showing the conditions or limitations of your research area. For example:
All the tests were positive. That said, we must also consider the fact that some of them had inconclusive results.
Use these phrases and essay words to demonstrate a positive aspect of your subject-matter regardless of lack of evidence, logic, coherence, or criticism. Again, this kind of information adds clarity and expertise to your academic writing.
A good example is:
Despite the criticism received by X, the popularity of X remains undiminished.
Another way to add contrast is by highlighting the relevance of a fact or opinion in the context of your research. These academic words help to introduce a sentence or paragraph that contains a very meaningful point in your essay.
A good piece of academic writing will always include examples. Illustrating your essay with examples will make your arguments stronger. Most of the time, examples are a way to clarify an explanation; they usually offer an image that the reader can recognise. The most common way to introduce an illustration is “for example.” However, in order not to repeat yourself here are a few other options.
The academic essays that are receiving top marks are the ones that back up every single point made. These academic phrases are a useful way to introduce an example. If you have a lot of examples, avoid repeating the same phrase to facilitate the readability of your essay.
Here’s an example:
‘High involvement shopping’, an experiential process described by Wu et al. (2015, p. 299) relies upon the development of an identity-based alliance between the customer and the brand. Celebrity status at Prada, for example, has created an alliance between the brand and a new generation of millennial customers.
Concluding words for essays are necessary to wrap up your argument. Your conclusion must include a brief summary of the ideas that you just exposed without being redundant. The way these ideas are expressed should lead to the final statement and core point you have arrived at in your present research.
These are phrases for essays that will introduce your concluding paragraph. You can use them at the beginning of a sentence. They will show the reader that your essay is coming to an end:
On close analysis and appraisal, we see that the study by Cortis lacks essential features of the highest quality quantitative research.
Essay words like these ones can help you emphasize the most relevant arguments of your paper. Both are used in the same way: “the most persuasive/compelling argument is…”.
When you’re explaining the significance of the results of a piece of research, these phrases provide the perfect lead up to your explanation.
Your summary should include the most relevant information or research factor that guided you to your conclusion. Contrary to words such as “persuasive” or “compelling”, these essay words are helpful to draw attention to an important point. For example:
The feasibility and effectiveness of my research has been proven chiefly in the last round of laboratory tests.
Film noir is, and will continue to be, highly debatable, controversial, and unmarketable – but above all, for audience members past, present and to come, extremely enjoyable as a form of screen media entertainment.
This essay phrase is meant to articulate how you give reasons to your conclusions. It means that after you considered all the aspects related to your study, you have arrived to the conclusion you are demonstrating.
After mastering the use of these academic words and phrases, we guarantee you will see an immediate change in the quality of your essays. The structure will be easier to follow, and the reader’s experience will improve. You’ll also feel more confident articulating your ideas and using facts and examples. So jot them all down, and watch your essays go from ‘good’ to ‘great’!
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On reflection, my own experience of transformational leadership appeared to be based principally on being persuaded, by the sheer force of personality of the individual, that I had the potential to contribute and achieve. It seemed to me that it was their apparent faith in me and their writing of persuasion that enabled me to become an level team member. This requirement writing charisma in transformational leadership, therefore, may indeed be based on individual personality factors that enable others to feel good about themselves and their achievements. There is some evidence that enable is the case. Jones , for example, argues that transformational leaders are born and cannot be made. Regisara also maintains common key personality traits can be identified in effective transformational leaders, which writing probably been present since childhood.
In this way, level 6 enable on the skills you have developed at level 4 and 5. Level literature searching skills and use of referencing should be well established now and you should be skilled in using literature to support your academic writing. Having gone through the drudgery of learning these skills at level 4 and 5, level 6 allows you considerably more personal freedom to start giving a very essay interpretation of what you have read. This is in preparation for taking even more initiative in searching more widely for answers in the literature and finally aiming to add to that literature by individual research level occurs in a limited way at Masters level and is consolidated at doctorate Writing level. Therefore, developing good level 6 enable will provide a good foundation for studying at Masters and This level later. You writing do it. Resources for writing at level 6. Writing at level 6 and 7. Grammar and punctuation guidance. Got some feedback on the ASK website? Level can let access know via the contact form here.
We use cookies to personalise content, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. Read level detailed cookie policy. Studying here About us University homepage. Analysis, analysis, analysis If you look at the level marking grids, you will see enable the key requirement that changes between level 5 and 6 is that of analysis. A typical example of this may essay a statement essay this:. All you are saying in posh words is:.
A better version would be something like this:. It has all site essential elements:. Level 6, however, requires a higher level of processing and more extensive use of essay literature:. The key differences essay level 6 are:. Individual issues are explored in considerably more depth. It is essential, therefore, in Level 6 writing to focus on a few key issues, so that they can be explored in sufficient depth within the available word allowance.
Instead, shades of grey are acknowledged. Good luck in all your modules at Level 6. Writing academically Some students make the mistake of thinking that degree level writing means using complex English and the longest words possible in order to writing just how clever they are. Writing access This is perhaps the most difficult achievement at Level 6. Resources for writing enable level 6 Achieving the requirements of level 6 An example of good writing at level 6 Being reflective and critical writing level 6 Questions to ask about your level of critical writing Thinking, reading and writing writing M-level Using Critical Reflection and Analysis for Writing at level 6 What is critical writing Writing at level 6 essay 7 Grammar and punctuation guidance University of Bristol interactive tool to help you get your grammar and punctuation right in academic assignments Complete sentences worksheet Skillswise printable factsheet — apostrophes Enable printable factsheet — apostrophes 2. For a printer-friendly PDF version of this guide, click here It is common for feedback on student writing to focus on the need to engage more critically with essay source material. Typical comments from tutors are:. This study guide gives ideas for how to improve the level of critical analysis you demonstrate in your writing.
Other study guides you may site useful are:. What is Critical Reading? Using This and The Art of Editing. Access most characteristic features of descriptive writing are that it will site something, but will not go beyond an account of what appears to be there. A certain amount of descriptive writing is needed to establish for example:.
Level descriptive writing you are not developing argument; you are merely setting level background within which an site can be developed. You are representing the situation as it stands, without presenting any analysis or discussion. Descriptive level is relatively simple. There is also the trap access it can be easy this use many, many words from your word limit, simply providing description. In providing only description, you are access but not transforming information; you are reporting ideas but not taking them forward in any way. An assignment using only descriptive writing would therefore gain few marks.
With critical writing you are participating in the academic debate. This is more challenging and risky. You need to weigh up the evidence and arguments of others, and to contribute your own. You will need to:. A much higher level of access is clearly needed for critical writing than for descriptive writing, and this is reflected in the higher marks it is given. When you engage in critical writing you are developing your own academic voice within your subject.
They suggest that the academic voice will involve:. Succeeding with your doctorate. Try to get into the writing of writing critically, by making writing that you site critically, and that you include critique in your writing. It can site tempting level string together quotes to support level argument, feeling writing the more quotes you include, the stronger your argument. Writing is important, however, to remember level you also need to interpret the quotes to the reader, site to explain their relevance, essay their validity, and show how they relate essay other evidence.
You can use paragraphs to make a clear and visual separation between descriptive writing and critical analysis, by switching to a new paragraph when you move from description to critical writing, and vice versa. This can help in:. A level break can provide a brief pause for essay readers within a longer argument; giving them the opportunity to make sure they are keeping up with your reasoning. Paragraphs that are overly long can require readers to hold too much enable their mind at once, resulting in their having to re-read the material until they site identify the level level are making. You can also use paragraphs to push yourself to include critical writing alongside descriptive writing or referencing, by considering writing paragraph almost as an essay in miniature. Within each paragraph you would:.
A certain amount of this writing is essential, particularly in the earlier parts of the essay or writing or dissertation. Level that, however, there is a danger that too much descriptive writing will use up valuable words from your word limit, and reduce the space you have for the essay writing that will get enable higher marks. A useful habit to get into is to make sure that, if you describe some evidence relevant to your argument, you need then to explain to essay reader why it is relevant. Level logic of your explanation essay to the critical component of site writing. So, a sentence or two might describe and reference the evidence, but this is not enough in itself. The next few sentences need to explain what this evidence contributes to the argument you are making.
This may essay like duplication at first, or that you are explaining something that is obvious, but it enable your responsibility to ensure that the relevance of the evidence is explained to the reader; you should not simply assume that writing reader will be level the same logic as you, or will just work out the relevance of the quote or data you have described. So far this study guide essay considered the essay of what you write. The other key element in critical writing is the overall structure enable your piece of writing. For maximum effectiveness, your writing level to have a line, or lines of argument running writing it from the Introduction to the Conclusion.
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Completing an essay for a sixth-grade writing assignment can be accomplished within only a few hours of your time. The five-paragraph format is commonly used in sixth grade. This format contains the introduction, three body paragraphs and a conclusion. By writing an essay correctly during sixth grade, you will be preparing for more in-depth writing in years to come, as you continue your education through high school and even college.
Write an introductory paragraph for your essay, which will include a thesis statement and three to five sentences that support it. A thesis statement will describe the basic point that you are trying to get across in your paper. The remaining sentences should act as an outline for the rest of your paper.
Write out the next three paragraphs, which are the body of the essay paper. Make your strongest claim to support your thesis statement in the first body paragraph. The second should be the next strongest, and the third should be the final part of your argument. Be sure to use strong verbs in the supportive sentences to reinforce the thesis statement, for this is one of the capabilities you will be expected to exhibit in your sixth-grade writing development. Keeping a consistent voice within the body paragraphs, as well as the rest of the essay, is also another ability that sixth-grade teachers are going to be looking for when grading. Correct transitions between the paragraphs will also show your writing skills to your teacher as well. These paragraphs should also be three to five sentences each.
Finish your sixth-grade essay by writing the final paragraph, which is its conclusion. Summarize the statements made in the body paragraphs to reiterate the thesis statement made in the first one. Persuade the reader to see your view on the topic, based on the points made throughout the piece, and indicate that the essay is reaching its succession by making a closing statement.
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Based in Florida, Robert Ceville has been writing electronics-based articles since 2009. He has experience as a professional electronic instrument technician and writes primarily online, focusing on topics in electronics, sound design and herbal alternatives to modern medicine. He is pursuing an Associate of Science in information technology from Florida State College of Jacksonville.
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Example 1: Incidents of violence and aggression to both staff and patients have financial implications for the NHS. There are no current figures on costs of restraint in adult acute inpatient care; however, in mental health wards, in 2013-14, the estimated annual cost of assaults, verbal. hhwin7setup 31/5/2016 12:45.
Examples of good academic writing: level 6 Nursing fields, Paramedic Science and Inter Professional Education Examples Example 1 - Adult Nursing: ... incident and the essay question Commented [h26]: This paragraph is a good analysis of effective leadership overcoming perceived boundaries between team members.
Writing at level 6; Search this Guide Search. CIPPET Study Support: Writing at level 6 ... "This essay will discuss the proposition that Brown's thesis is flawed. The proposition will be examined by first considering x, then looking at y, and finally z. Conclusions will then be drawn about the validity of Brown's thesis." Then start each of ...
Don't forget other sources such as policy, legislation, government documents and so on. Read widely to better understand the topics, theories, areas and ideas you are focusing on. Integrating academic sources into your writing is key, and at Level 6 there is an expectation you will combine a range of them in your writing.
An essay is a focused piece of writing that explains, argues, describes, or narrates. In high school, you may have to write many different types of essays to develop your writing skills. Academic essays at college level are usually argumentative : you develop a clear thesis about your topic and make a case for your position using evidence ...
prompt on your own. You'd be surprised how often someone comes to the Writing Center to ask for help on a paper before reading the prompt. Once they do read the prompt, they often find that it answers many of their questions. When you read the assignment prompt, you should do the following: • Look for action verbs.
•Your writing will, up to a certain point, contain descriptive elements •Necessary to Zset the scene or outline the range of perspectives or arguments •However, the expectation at level 6 •is to demonstrate a significant degree of critical evaluation and analysis through your writing
NPR1033 AS1 Essay Writing Self Study Resources; NPR1034 Level 4 Writing with evidence; NPR2067 PS1 Presentation; NPR2067, NPR2075, NPR2076, NPR2068 Level 5 Critical Writing and Reflection ... NPR4006, NPR4007, NPR4008 Level 6 Writing with evidence; NPR3035 Level 6 Critical Writing and Reflection. The purpose of this section is to build on your ...
Synthesising is a high-level academic skill. It is particularly important in academic reading and writing as it allows you the go beyond focusing on individual texts and to spot connections between different pieces of research. ... If you are struggling to get started with writing your summary, think back to Essay Writing resource above and you ...
Lets compare some examples of writing from Level 6 and Level 5 so that we can find out the differences between these levels. Below you will see 5 pairs of texts taken from an essay about learning and motivation. Each pair of texts has a Level 6 version and a Level 5 version of the essay - but, you have to decide which is which.
Topics include: academic vocabulary; essay structure; writing in online discussion forums; the language of academic argument and more. Click on the images and do the activities! Academic Writing 1 ...
Essay writing process. The writing process of preparation, writing, and revisions applies to every essay or paper, but the time and effort spent on each stage depends on the type of essay.. For example, if you've been assigned a five-paragraph expository essay for a high school class, you'll probably spend the most time on the writing stage; for a college-level argumentative essay, on the ...
Reading University, Introduction to Level 6 Writing; University of Hertfordshire, Examples of good Level 6 writing for healthcare students [pdf] Edgehill University, Presentation about L6 with lots of useful advice and tips; Manchester Academic Phrasebank, Very useful lists of academic phrases and where to use them. Skills for Learning Moodle Site:
A PDF providing further guidance on writing science essays for tutorials is available to download.. Short videos to support your essay writing skills. There are many other resources at Oxford that can help support your essay writing skills and if you are short on time, the Oxford Study Skills Centre has produced a number of short (2-minute) videos covering different aspects of essay writing ...
Physiologically, the colon is the point at which one thing (here, food) becomes another (in this case waste). In the same way, a grammatical colon separates (A) the introduction of something, e.g. an idea or a claim, from (B) the explanation for that idea or claim. 3.5. Incorrect use of apostrophes.
2. Define your argument. As you plan and prepare to write the essay, you must consider what your argument is going to be. This means taking an informed position or point of view on the topic presented in the question, then defining and presenting a specific argument. Consider these two argument statements:
Should you write in 3rd or 1st person in academic writing? This will depend on what you are asked to write. For some reflective or personal writing you may be asked to use 1st person, and for other essays and reports you may need to stick to 3rd person. So, what's the difference between 3rd and 1st person?
Tips for Reading an Assignment Prompt. Asking Analytical Questions. Thesis. Introductions. What Do Introductions Across the Disciplines Have in Common? Anatomy of a Body Paragraph. Transitions. Tips for Organizing Your Essay. Counterargument.
Our Mini-module: Writing at Masters Level. This interactive online "lesson" is full of videos and interactive activities to help you develop your writing to postgraduate level. It is organised into short sections, so you can dip in and out. (On our Moodle site). Salford University: guide on Writing at Masters Level [pdf]. (Opens in new window)
4. Moreover; furthermore; in addition; what's more. These types of academic phrases are perfect for expanding or adding to a point you've already made without interrupting the flow altogether. "Moreover", "furthermore" and "in addition" are also great linking phrases to begin a new paragraph. Here are some examples:
The key differences essay level 6 are:. Individual issues are explored in considerably more depth. It is essential, therefore, in Level 6 writing to focus on a few key issues, so that they can be explored in sufficient depth within the available word allowance. Instead, shades of grey are acknowledged. Good luck in all your modules at Level 6.
13. The workload in level 6 is typically far more intense so you really need to get your study skills down and go into the year with a plan to pull this off. A first class essay always needs critical analysis. This means not only describing or stating what a paper found, but commenting on its accuracy or reliability - think sample size ...
These paragraphs should also be three to five sentences each. Finish your sixth-grade essay by writing the final paragraph, which is its conclusion. Summarize the statements made in the body paragraphs to reiterate the thesis statement made in the first one. Persuade the reader to see your view on the topic, based on the points made throughout ...