Academic Writing Made Easy

by Vnaya Education Best Online Tutoring

A professional writer is an amateur writer who did not quit. -Unknown

Just as how human tendency inevitably and unknowingly drifts to judge a person walking into a room by the clothes worn, similarly, in a workplace or in an academic institution similar identities are created and are identified by the person’s writing- a.k.a. Written Skills. The importance of writing springs up from the fact that it is the essential basis upon which communication, record-keeping, history and art has begun with. It is the entire framework of communication. Being pliable, it can be used to give or receive information, opinionate, question or give away rhythmic poetry. Words show the person’s personality and individuality. Communications are transmitted more through writing than any other type of media. For the best official example could be the documents, contracts and the arguments that are irrevocable and legal are written back and signed.

Since it can be perceived that just how important written skills are for an integral part of a good communication chair, it also is very helpful in communicating a message with clarity and use for a proper audience through face to face telephone conversations or internet calls. Oxford dictionary defines writing as the activity or skill of marking coherent words on paper and composing texts. Having the ability to write is a skill that is learnt on an acquired basis. Writing daily on different platforms, including that of the social media, we have started to take it as a much abused and taken for granted medium. Academic writing doesn’t come across that easy, even if one may have dabbled in for essays and papers at school.

If one has to demarcate the boundaries between different kinds of writing, it can be broadly categorized into two parts – Academic and Professional. Let’s take up the Academic Writing, to begin with.

Academic Writing

Academic Writing mostly comes with assignments marked with specific topics and such tasks come with specific instructions. To be an academic writer, having an academic tone, while adhering to the specific instructions is very vital. Sections of importance have been broken down below:

1) Analytical Thinking

The aim of Academic Writing is to take an informational snippet, analyse it, present it in a sort of communicational way for better and easier understanding. Opinions on the same can be formed afterwards.

2) Structuralise it

Just how a good building to sustain depends on a good structure, similarly, such a good form is appreciated when comes the evaluation of writing skills. If it flows and drifts anywhere like water, it cannot be claimed as a piece of good writing.

3) Honing Research Skills

If you want to write, you can’t get away with writing absolute gibberish, which means that you have to research and create a good content; and regular similar practice can sharpen one’s research focus.

ADVANTAGES

1) Helpful for getting a job-
Due to the evolution of information technology, writers are in demand to create digital content, and therefore, such digital marketing companies need writers. News websites need writers and many IT related or non-IT companies need other writers to help them, through digital marketing channels, such as advertisements, social media posts etc.

2) Useful in starting Part-time/Full-time Working Business
If writing skills are well marketed, one can easily become a freelance writer and work from within the comfort of home. With a website and internet, one can showcase, promote and run his/her own business.

Professional Writing

Professional Writing holds its strong position in the contexts and matters of just as much Academic Writing does. Writing e-mails, taking care of business communication through official channels of chats, messaging, interviews, interactions etc. has deemed Professional Writing skills to a position never as before. Following are a few of the avenues that exemplify such practices.

1) Helps to learn about Office Life Writing Techniques-
Without having a proper structure and technique attached to it, one cannot really write an academic paper, let alone on a professional platform. People good at Academic Writing from the beginning tend to have a natural flair for it. Best LinkedIn recommendations have a technical pattern going on about them. Once the structure is understood, one can easily adjust to the needed requirements.

2) Professionalism-
Just the mere act of practicing writing can teach one to be professional. Learning how to be and sound professional early on, is only going to make life much easier career-wise. Good writing skills are paramount especially when the job at hand involves a lot of writing. E.g., in the case of journalists, reporters and people in the public relations department.

3) Work Ethics-
Learning good work ethic is important and it cannot be taught too early. When faced with a topic one knows nothing about it, it can seem to be overwhelming. The challenge is to self educate enough to be able to form an objective opinion. And this is just not the final step, but multiple steps which give a start to a lot many follow up processes, that all combined together do take up quite an amount of time and effort. When the project is completed, it is hard not to feel impressed and proud. This entire programming successfully establishes the understanding that to feel accomplished, one needs to get some constructive and productive work done.

Blogging-

There is another type of writing which has been making its presence felt in the widely used social media and that is blogging. There is something behind every writer and not everyone who can write becomes a writer. Blogging can consist of personal experience or stories pertaining to careers, businesses, lifestyle, hobbies etc. So through these writing skills one can easily help someone, probably even thousands of miles away, transforming lives gradually.

Good writing skills are paramount especially when the job at hand involves a lot of writing. E.g., in the case of journalists, reporters and people in the public relations department. When somebody is employed to write, having excellent writing skills is a requirement for the job. But today, more professions need good writing skills than ever before. In order for a person to make sense and be understood in e-mails, or reports, then it should be clear to write in a manner that is well understood with thoughts carefully and clearly organised.

ADVANTAGES-

1) Makes a good impression-
There is an old cliché about never getting a second chance to make a good first impression. This is true even when the first impression is via the written word. When an e-mail, letter or a text message is well written well organized and grammatically correct, the reader will form a good opinion of the writer. On the other hand, misspelling, poorly organized thoughts and grammatical errors could make the writer appear unintelligent and unprofessional. In a business context, bad writing in external communications may reflect poorly on the company.

2) Good Writing Demonstrates Courtesy-
Good Business Writing demonstrates that the writer values the readers’ time. When a writer is able to organize his thoughts and concerns, and present them in a way that is easily understood, the reader benefits. On the contrary, poor writing forces the reader to spend some time and energy to try to understand what is being communicated.

3) Improvement in Communication Skills-
Writing filters your knowledge and brain to the point of value. It is about communications to the point that is important to others. It definitely does not necessarily mean about speaking 1000 words simultaneously, it is about communication with the readers or listeners one by one so that each one gets the highest value of time.

4) Creativity, Imagination and Knowledge-
Writing is like gymming for the brain, which ends up using and exercising every part of the organ, memory and cells. The past memories, knowledge, lessons, pains, incidents, successes, failures, present or failure situations etc. everything comes out in the writing. It increases knowledge, improves memory, makes an individual sharp and increases creativity and imagination. And these characteristics stand out to be successful in either careers or businesses.

5) Speech and Debating-
To be successful in debates and speeches, not only one needs facts and figures, but also the effective ways to present these to the audience. And writing skills come in handy for that. Writing skills improve vocabulary. Either ten words or five different types of sentences can be used to point out facts but it’s not possible if the vocabulary is not strong.

6) Writing improves focus and self-connection-
Effective writing cannot be successful unless and until it connects the words to a heart and a brain. And it transforms a person into a much deeper level of focus, intelligence and consciousness find it reflecting in the personality.

7) Expression-
Writing is one of the most important ways of expressing thoughts, communicating ideas and views to others. Writing is especially beneficial for them who do not express verbally.

8) Judgement of a person-
Often a person is judged by the quality of writing produced. Writing has become a yardstick to assess one’s knowledge and intellectuality. When one comes across a person who is prim and proper, we immediately make an impression about that person being careful, almost instantly, we make an impression about that person being careful, responsible and sincere. Similarly, if the writing is devoid of mistakes, we tend to create a good impression of the writer.

9) Maturity-
Since jotting down expressions is an art, practising it for a longer time is going to add maturity to one’s character.

10) Serves as a Record-
Writing skills are important to write our ideas and experiences for future references, e.g., scientific and technological accomplishments cannot be communicated verbally. They have to be written in a specific form such as scientific journals and research papers. Science would have not existed, had the scientists not recorded each and every experiment in a proper written format.

11) Mass Communication-
Good writing skills allow you to communicate a message with clarity with ease and can reach to a much larger audience as compared to face to face communication. Poor writing skills on the other hand, especially where communication with management is concerned can be a red flag that an employee is not good enough for the management positions and such can be a hindrance to promotion. Further, people with poor writing skills appear to have a lower level of intelligence.

12) Credibility-
Employees with excellent writing skills are generally viewed as a hot commodity. Companies around the world are using hefty amounts of money to train their employees and improve their writing skills. If an e-mail is received typo and grammar errors, this means that the sender was ignorant and did not bother to proofread. So it is thus clear that who so ever wants to succeed in their career needs to have their writing skills for good career growth.

Ways to improve English Writing Skills

Now after having discussed the significance and the scope of the writing skills in the English language which has now become such quintessential subject, following are few of the tips and tricks to up the game of good writing skills. With these techniques, one can improve their written mannerisms in no time.

1. Concise Concepts- Write in simple language with less complex word structure.

A simple written sentence which gives out a conspicuous meaning would carry more weight than its counterpart which has been adorned with uncalled verbosity. Sentences that are simple and carry out just the effective meaning with less complex word structure strike out as more aesthetically appealing and is also easier on the minds to configure.

2. Outlining complex-

Difficult plots or subjects should be outlined properly to help the reader understand the sense clearly and completely. It should not confuse resulting in a wrong impression and interpretation of the text.

3. Anticipating reader’s questions-

A good writer while writing the piece always knows the possible queries that should arise within and in reflection to the subject of the text. And it should be always be taken well care of while putting the pieces together. The reader is not going to the rate the writing in a good ranking if it leaves the response with disappointment coupled with dis-contentedness and dejection.

4. Explain adequately-

The beginning or introduction in order to be catchy can be forgiven for its incompleteness or shyness to open the details and contents of the subject right away. But if the same sentiment continues to go on even through the end, then that is the stepping stone for a sheer mistake. A well-written piece of text is always adequately explanatory that which should not taint the reading experience with any shadows.

5. Use less of jargon-

Sometimes it is believed that putting a lot of jargon in the text may give away the impression that the person who has written it could be no less of a scholar. Well, truth be told, any overdo is always unwelcome. Unnecessary fillers may just ruin out the complete essence of it, destroying the entire effect.

6. Transcribe yourself-

The process of transcription involves writing the heard or the listened portions of a particular subject. This generally helps the building of reliable coordination of speech and hearing. Also, it will be helpful to improve the writing skills as well.

7. Dissect admirable writing-

Cut out open and analyse in depth the writing that you enjoy reading the most. Refer to good writers and books written by them to learn from good examples.

8. Research well-

It should go without saying that any good content produced is always backed up with good research and thorough background study. Not only it eradicates the wrong basis of factual misinformation, but also is instrumental in the assistance of the most effective information that has been craftily drafted for maximum deliverance.

9. Improve Grammar-

Grammar could be given the status of salt in a dish, without which even the best of the ingredients can fail t outcome. Following are few of the most basic grammatical errors which should not be ever made friends with-

a) Going too hard with prepositional phrases-
Prepositional phrases should be used moderately and modestly, just when they are required. Reading extra words is not only just time consuming but is also energy absorbing.
b) Tenses and Punctuation-
One can just not go wrong with this one. Having the text with correct and good punctuations and tenses is just as important as having the text itself. Be sure not to get them mingled and confused interchangeably with each other.
c) Avoid repetition-
Nobody likes to have the same food every single day of their life. Similarly, no one can read the same words or text again and again. To keep it welcoming and refreshing extensive vocabulary and varying tones should be used to avoid the monotony and dullness.
d) Master vocabulary-
Mastering vocabulary is very important as it is the way to deliver the most effective and efficient textual message. To expand it, one should read regularly and keep note of the new terminologies and words learnt to reapply them appropriately later.

10. Focus on good content, good styles-

For inspiration, one must count on good styles to seek inspiration from and should attempt at never having to compromise on the quality of content. For that, different samples of varied forms of texts can be referred to.

11. Draft and Edit-

Make the rough draft and it should be proofread to one’s best of ability. A writer has famously written- Write drunk and edit sober; and he has written this with good reason. Editing is exclusively emphasized and proofreading of the same is a must. One is advised to keep up with the good practice and work on the feedback, continually, constructively and positively.

Online courses to help with Writing Skills-

* Vnaya Education
(for English writing tutoring)

* Skillshare
(for writing skills)

* Grammar and Punctuations
University of California, Irvine via Coursera

* How to write an essay
University of California, Berkeley via edx

* English Composition
Duke University via Coursera

* Advanced Writing
University of California, Irvine via Coursera

* English for Journalism
University of Pennsylvania via Coursera

* Adventures in Writing
Stanford University via Stanford Open edx
* Tell your story in English: Reading and Writing Skills for Language Learners
Skillshare

*How to make a Poem

Manchester University via Futurelearn

For all the peeping pairs who come across to read this article, I would hope that this articulated piece of carefully accumulated and grafted information will either help you or help somebody through you. Having great written skills is an art and can be developed through years and years of good practice with consistent efforts, dedication teamed up with motivation. Till this attainable goal is achieved, Happy Writing!

-By Toshali Mandal
English Area Expert at Vnaya Education