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Tamilia Abrams

Megan Keaton

ENG 111-08

9 July 2013

Good Academic Writing

In high school my favorite subject was English. I can remember my eleventh grade

English teacher Mrs. Shepherd who would give weekly writing assignments. We were instructed

to write a one page paper that would include a thesis, body, and conclusion. Mrs. Shepherd

informed us that is was so important that a paper consist of each of these elements because it

demonstrates the correct form of writing. It gives direction, and order. When writing a paper, the

writer should consider a number of things, the purpose of the paper, the audience, and the topic

that will be discussed. Over the years throughout school I have developed this knowledge

through trial and error, writing a paper or essay, turning in my final draft, and receiving feedback

from the instructor. I have always appreciated feedback from all my teachers in the past because

with each teacher, I was able to take away something new that I learned and apply it to becoming

more successful in writing. One of the most important things that was taught to me by Mrs.

Shepherd is when writing a paper, the writer should be sure that the paper is clear and concise. It

is important that the paper makes sense and that it appeals to the reader. There are a few steps the

writer can take to insure good academic writing. In this essay I would like to share based on what

I have been taught and learned, my definition of good academic writing.

Good academic writing includes brainstorming. When you brainstorm it helps create

ideas to write about. If you already have a topic, brainstorming can help you create ways to put

all your ideas into paper format. You can use it as a guide to writing a good essay. When we are

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given a writing assignment, there are a number of thoughts that go through our head. We ask

ourselves, what will the topic be? What will I include in the paper? Do I need to research? If so

what resources will I use? All of these thoughts start the writing process. If we write our thoughts

on paper and add to them, to form a subject, topic, and figure out the structure of the paper, this

would be a form of brainstorming. In my opinion brainstorming makes it easier to write. This is

because when you allow yourself time to brainstorm all your ideas by writing or typing them, if

or when you reach a road block you can always refer back to the original brainstorming exercise

to gather ideas or information that may assist you in writing a better paper. Brainstorming also

puts you in the mood to write. When I am done brainstorming I am motivated to write something

and for me this makes writing easier.

Once the brainstorming process is over, now it’s time to start putting your ideas into

paper format. An essay that reflects good academic writing will start with a thesis statement. A

thesis statement is at the beginning of your paper that will include the “gist” of what the paper

will be about. Think of it as looking at a preview for a new movie. The preview gives you an

introduction as to what to expect when you go see the movie. Your thesis statement is your

preview. In the thesis statement you want to focus on the main points that will be discussed in

the paper and the knowledge the reader will have by the time they are finish reading the paper.

Your thesis statement should be strong and it should grasp the attention of the reader so that they

want to continue reading more. The reason why good academic writing should reflect a thesis

statement is because you are setting the reader up for what they can expect to read.

The body of the paper should support everything you stated in your thesis statement. In

good academic writing the writer will include detailed evidence to support their claims.

Including this evidence will establish creditably. It is important for the reader to know that you

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know what you are talking about. Anyone can just write something about anything. However

when you show proof, your audience is more like to trust the information. A good paragraph will

start with a topic sentence or idea that was stated in your thesis, and throughout the paragraph

you should discuss in detail, facts about the topic sentence. This should take place throughout the

body of the paper. You want to make sure you cover everything you stated in the thesis. To sum

it up, when writing the body of the paper, the writer should, focus on the direction of the paper,

get more specific, and show data. To me this displays good academic writing. This is because

you don’t want the reader to be confused or feel as if the paper has no beginning or end.

Structure is the key to good academic writing.

Other important factors of good academic writing are spelling, grammar, comprehension,

and organization. When writing a paper it is extremely important that your paper includes proper

spelling and grammar. We want the reader to be able to understand what they are reading.

Misspelled words can often confuse a reader and you may lose your audience in the process.

Always be sure to check the spelling before presenting a final draft for your work. With grammar

and comprehension, be sure that the reader comprehends your paper. Do not use slang or

improper English when writing. Read it out loud, have a friend look it over, and get feedback

before you turn in your final draft. Organization is very important as well. Be sure that your

paper is in order. Focus on one topic at a time. Avoid jumping from one subject to another. Good

academic writing will display work that is clear and organized. Remember, throughout your

paper you want to consider your audience. Ask yourself “if I include this here, will my reader get

confused?” Set your paper up so that it is flowing from beginning to end.

Another point to remember when writing a paper is to adhere to the terms of the

assignment. Be sure to follow the directions you were given. If you are writing a paper for school

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and your instructor ask you to prove a theory, or compare and contrast, or write a persuasive

essay, make sure you follow those directions. Good academic writing is not just the format or the

way your write your paper, it also means doing what is asked by giving the audience exactly

what they wanted. Satisfy your reader so that they look forward to reading more of your work.

Every paper that displays good academic writing will have a conclusion. In your

conclusion you are summing up everything you discussed in your entire paper, and also

reiterating on the facts of your findings. After stating your thesis or introduction, and getting

specific supporting details, the conclusion will include general information that restates the

points you discussed in your body. It’s a recap of what you talked about. The conclusion is your

closing. I believe that a thesis and a conclusion go hand in hand. You set your audience up for

what they can expect in the thesis, and then you sum up all the information of what they read in

the conclusion. The conclusion is set up so that you are not leaving your reader wondering what

happened at the end of the paper, or asking questions. This conclusion gives you the opportunity

to answer any unanswered questions that the reader might have.

In this paper I have discussed “my” definition of good academic writing. However

everyone is different and has their process of what they think good academic writing is. Whether

a writer brainstorms, or just sits at the computer and starts typing, as long and their work appeals

to the audience, is readable, clear and has structure they can produce work that is considered to

be good academic writing. If the writer includes all the major points I have focused on they will

produce work that will reflect good academic writing.