Deck 22: Academic Writing

Question 1

Which of the following strategies enables a writer to examine each of the elements in academic writing?

A) Analysis
B) Illustration
C) Comparison
D) Justification

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Academic writers
E) do not generally read and evaluate what others have said.
F) do not generally seek to understand the main arguments being put forward.
G) use their knowledge, insight and experiences fully in their writings. H. do not analyse ideas to verify or critique the existing body of knowledge.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Academic writers should summarise in order to

A) explain or bring out a particular meaning.
B) provide a brief account or an abridged version.
C) demonstrate a satisfactory reason for an argument.
D) discriminate between two or more factors.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

A preface thanks mentors, colleagues or institutions who supported the project.

Question 5

The academic writing strategy that involves showing differences between two or more factors is

A) compare.
B) illustrate.
C) criticise.
D) contrast.

Question 6

The body of a document contains

A) the structural introduction.
B) the summary of the writing.
C) the research findings and the argument.
D) the elements and the conclusion.

Question 7

What is critical thinking?

A) Questioning what you read and not necessarily agreeing with it
B) Using a theory based on your own view
C) Looking for reasons for accepting something as being correct or true
D) Criticising the arguments of others and putting your own forward

Question 8

An epigraph is

A) a list of abbreviations.
B) the same as end matter.
C) a glossary.
D) a quotation at the beginning of a text.

Question 9

All academic papers should be typed single-spaced.

Question 10

What is a common mistake in writing complex documents?

A) To write using data
B) To write based on an outline
C) To interpret each part of the question before commencing
D) To write before defining and interpreting each part of the question or problem

Question 11

The best way to improve the credibility of your argument is to avoid exaggeration and present a balanced rather than a biased view.

Question 12

A précis is

A) an explanation of complex terminology.
B) a clear summary of important ideas.
C) an overview of an essay.
D) a quotation at the beginning of a text.

Question 13

In academic writing the key is to

A) prepare an essay question.
B) find existing materials.
C) identify the purpose of a question.
D) prepare an outline.

Question 14

In assessment, marks are awarded

A) primarily for the content.
B) primarily for support for the argument.
C) primarily for literary writing style.
D) for content, the writing purpose, reasoning and style.

Question 15

Critical evaluation involves

A) demonstrating an acceptable reason for an argument.
B) making a point clear through examples.
C) showing similarities and differences between two or more aspects.
D) presenting arguments for and against on both sides of an issue.

Question 16

A literature review

A) is a brief summary of previous research on a topic.
B) showcases the writer's previous research on the topic.
C) is a critical analysis of previous research on a topic.
D) is a reflective piece of writing.

Question 17

Which of the following is a technique for sound reasoning?

A) Distinguish between facts, opinions, beliefs and prejudice
B) Form subjective opinions and avoid exaggeration
C) Present advantages and avoid disadvantages and check statistics
D) Support your main ideas with statistics

Question 18

Timing organisation for academic writing is often seen as

A) 50% of time on researching, investigating, organising and planning + 20% on writing + 30% on editing, rewriting and proofreading.
B) 30% on researching, investigating, organising and planning + 20% on writing + 50% on editing, rewriting and proofreading.
C) 50% of time on researching, investigating, organising and planning + 25% on writing + 25% on editing, rewriting and proofreading.
D) None of the above

Question 19

In academic writing, the problem should be stated in the form of a thesis statement that identifies the issue, problem and gap in knowledge or some other goal to be addressed in the paper.

Question 20

Whatever the type of thinking being used, it is necessary to

A) check if we are arguing from a position of fact, opinion, belief or prejudice.
B) apply and maintain some degree of logic throughout the argument.
C) obtain peers' opinions before considering how we will argue.
D) rely primarily on beliefs and instinct.

Question 21

Transitional expressions

A) connect ideas within and between sentences.
B) express judgement and opinion.
C) are another name for topic sentences.
D) are a form of modality.

Question 22

An informal essay that creates an account of personal experience would be a(n)

A) descriptive essay.
B) narrative essay.
C) expository essay.
D) argumentative essay.

Question 23

'However, the better approach would be to …' is an example of

A) argument.
B) a linking device.
C) a transitional expression.
D) cause and effect.

Question 24

The purpose of an expository essay is to

A) argue for a position based on evaluation, description and logic.
B) focus on explaining different points of view when coming to a position.
C) make a point based on personal experience and knowledge.
D) reveal the emotions involved when coming to a position.

Question 25

Within universities, plagiarism is regarded as

A) using your own words to state others' ideas.
B) academic dishonesty.
C) creative writing.
D) critical writing.

Question 26

An abstract provides a very concise overview of what an essay or article is about.

Question 27

'Too much exercise can lead to poor health' in an essay would be a claim of

A) fact or definition.
B) cause and effect.
C) opinion and fact.
D) solutions or policies.

Question 28

An effective conclusion shows that the writer has understood the question and developed an argument to achieve the particular writing purpose.

Question 29

A topic sentence

A) is the final sentence in a paragraph.
B) signals the main point of the paragraph.
C) supports the main idea in the paragraph.
D) provides examples and evidence.

Question 30

It is unacceptable to discriminate between two or more factors in an essay.

Question 31

An argumentative essay requires

A) position, primary research and recommendation.
B) statement of identification, explanation sequences and summary.
C) thesis, different points of view, evidence, critical analysis and convincing conclusion.
D) thesis, main point of view and supporting ideas.

Question 32

Why do academic writers state the problem in the form of a thesis statement? What do good introductions do? Why should you take the time to determine an essay's purpose?

Question 33

What are you required to do when you build an argument?

A) Show you have evaluated your side of the argument
B) Anticipate and counter any opposing arguments
C) Shift the focus from your view to others' arguments
D) Present all arguments that you have researched in preparation for the essay

Question 34

Identify the elements of structure in essays. What are the differences between the abstract, introduction, body and conclusion of an essay?

Question 35

How can you identify and avoid exaggeration in academic writing?

Question 36

The conclusion of a formal piece of writing links the argument and evidence to the original premise, claim or proposition.

Question 37

The best essays

A) make links between the thesis statement, evidence and findings.
B) demonstrate clarity, reason and insightfulness.
C) are written clearly, concisely and coherently.
D) All of the above

Question 38

A conclusion is a statement drawn from evidence rather than reasoning.

Question 39

A narrative essay

A) investigates an idea and evaluated evidence.
B) uses storytelling elements.
C) explains a difficult concept.
D) describes an experience or an object.

Question 40

In essay writing, analysis refers to the process of examining each of the elements.

Question 41

Discuss three ways to develop an argument in writing.

Question 42

Plagiarism is using your ideas or words and passing them off as those of another.

Question 43

Good writers leave enough time to edit well and edit methodically by looking at different aspects such as spelling, structure and content at different passes through the manuscript.

Question 44

Academic argument involves

A) writing on an issue about which you disagree.
B) writing on an issue about which you agree.
C) writing a series of connected ideas that lead from thesis statement to conclusion.
D) writing a series of connected ideas that are controversial.

Question 45

There are several levels of editing that can be undertaken in a document. Suggested headings for an editing checklist are

A) first draft edit, second draft edit and final draft edit.
B) structure, content, style, format and mechanics.
C) writing, proofreading, spell-checking and formatting.
D) content draft, structural draft, proofreading and final edit.

Question 46

What does an effective argument do?

A) Describes and summarises the information
B) Demonstrates the relationship between sentences
C) Provides evidence and demonstrates a clear connection between the original premise and the conclusion
D) Convinces the reader by providing results from experiments

Question 47

The paragraph must fulfil the topic sentence to prevent the writer wandering away from the topic.

Question 48

Identify three techniques you can use to improve paragraph flow. What is the purpose of each of these transitional techniques? What is an example of each?

Question 49

An expository essay uses storytelling elements to make a point and is often anecdotal, experiential and personal.

Question 50

The two common standards for citations and bibliographies are the traditional note method and APA.

Question 51

What is the difference between an argumentative essay and an expository essay?

Question 52

Rewriting is the final step in the writing process.

Question 53

What MUST academic writers do when writing?

A) Gather and recall information
B) Describe the information
C) Summarise the information
D) Present an argument and show the relationships between the ideas

Question 54

If an essay describes an object, a person, a place, an experience, an emotion, a situation or an event, it is

A) a narrative essay.
B) an expository essay.
C) a descriptive essay.
D) an argumentative essay.

Question 55

Transitional expressions connect ideas within and between sentences.

Question 56

Identify at least four behaviours that are considered plagiarism and the most direct way to avoid plagiarism.

Question 57

An argumentative essay should include both supporting arguments and opposing arguments.

Question 58

In academic writing, emotional statements and subjective opinion do not have to be avoided except when they are based on past experience, values and beliefs.

Question 59

A descriptive essay investigates a topic.

Question 60

A common structure that works well in academic writing is

A) a three-paragraph structure.
B) a four-paragraph structure.
C) a five-paragraph structure.
D) a six-paragraph structure.

Question 61

Describe the ways in which academic writing is different to other forms of writing such as business reports or business communications like letters or memos.

Question 62

Writers make use of evidence in order to refute someone else's argument or create a link between a cause and an effect.

Question 63

Identify three reasons why academic writers use evidence to make arguments and provide an example of the type of evidence one could use for each reason.

Question 64

Discuss the types of evidence that are used by academic writers and the purpose of including evidence in academic writing.

Question 65

The five-paragraph structure includes two evidentiary body paragraphs.