Academic Writing - Paragraphs - English Language Support

Tips and techniques

Tips and techniques to help you with writing successful paragraphs:

Whatever you are trying to learn, it’s useful to: (i) find good models to base your own language on

(ii) repeatedly practise producing your own original language

(iii) get feedback on the language you produce

Here are some suggestions about how you can ensure that you are constantly developing your own paragraph writing:

Everything you read as part of your studies can be an excellent model of what constitutes a good academic paragraph*, always bear this in mind. In the beginning, you may find it useful to highlight in different colours, the topic sentence, the supporting details, the reference to the literature, the writer's evaluative comment, the transitions between paragraphs etc
Not all paragraphs have the same role, make sure to revise the conventions of writing introductory and concluding paragraphs, which are very different from those in the main body.
Set aside 30 minutes every day to read one academic paragraph from *your own discipline for the sole purpose of analysing how it is constructed as above in 1. This principle of ‘little but often’ really works! Your module tutors will often provide model texts to help you, don’t be afraid to ask.

Organise your own English study groups with friends to provide greater motivation.

Make full use of the excellent language learning support the university offers to answer any questions you need professional help with.

*this course will explore the generic academic paragraph. Obviously, there are variations in terms of genre and subject specific conventions depending on your discipline which it is your responsibility to explore with the help of the support available to you.

Recommended books in the library

Why not visit the library and browse the shelves for what you are looking for? Here are a couple of possibilities:

The title says it all!

Academic writing: from paragraph to essay

This contains a whole chapter on paragraph writing (and a host of other useful topics, too) and it is designed for independent study- a good starting point:

Academic writing: a handbook for international students

ISBN: 9781405086066
Academic Writing by Stephen Bailey
ISBN: 9781138048744
Publication Date: 2018-01-25
Now in its fifth edition, Academic Writing helps international students succeed in writing essays and reports for their English-language academic courses. Thoroughly revised and updated, it is designed to let teachers and students easily find the topics they need, both in the classroom and for self-study. The book consists of five parts: The Writing Process Elements of Writing Language Issues Vocabulary for Writing Writing Models The first part explains and practises every stage of essay writing, from choosing the best sources, reading and note-making, through to referencing and proofreading. The four remaining parts, organised alphabetically, can be taught in conjunction with the first part or used on a remedial basis. A progress check at the end of each part allows students to assess their learning. All units are fully cross-referenced, and a complete set of answers to the practice exercises is included. New topics in this edition include Writing in Groups, Written British and American English, and Writing Letters and Emails. In addition, the new interactive website has a full set of teaching notes as well as more challenging exercises, revision material and links to other sources. Additional features of the book include: Models provided for writing tasks such as case studies and essays Use of authentic academic texts from a wide range of disciplines Designed for self-study as well as classroom use Useful at both undergraduate and postgraduate level Glossary to explain technical terms, plus index Written to deal with the specific language issues faced by international students, this practical, user-friendly book is an invaluable guide to academic writing in English.

Recommended websites

As with all resources, you need to make sure that they are reliable and trustworthy. Most universities produce materials to support students with their academic writing skills. Here is the Hull University one which former students have found particularly clear and useful: Click here to watch

As it says, this is a bank of resources so provides links to a huge number of relevant sites dealing with all aspects of English language learning including academic writing: EAP resource bank (eapfoundation.com)

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English Language Support: Academic Writing - Paragraphs