Students must write : a guide to better writing in coursework and examinations

Library	Item Barcode	Call Number	Material Type	Item Category 1	Status
Searching... PSZ JB	30000010132553	PE1478 B37 2005	Open Access Book	Book	Searching... Unknown
Searching... PSZ JB	30000010197121	PE1478 B37 2005	Open Access Book	Book	Searching... Unknown

Summary

The third edition of this well-respected guide will help students of all subjects to write more clearly and more effectively, with valuable advice on how to:

make good notes find information, cite sources and list references write better coursework assignments achieve higher grades in tests and examinations prepare a well-organised dissertation, long essay, term paper, project report or thesis write effective letters and applications.

Written by an esteemed author with many years of experience of helping students improve key writing skills, this text also includes straightforward guidance on word choice and the new challenges and opportunities afforded by the use of computers. Exercises are also provided for students to put the theories into practice, either individually or in group work.

Author Notes

Robert Barrass has many years' experience of helping students on degree and diploma courses at the University of Sunderland to improve their writing and other key skills. His other highly successful books, also published by Routledge, include Writing at Work, Scientists Must Write and Study!

List of figures and tables	p. x
Preface	p. xiii
Acknowledgements	p. xiv
1 Judged by your writing	p. 1
Effective writing as the basis for success	p. 1
Could you improve your writing?	p. 6
Some key skills	p. 7
2 Four reasons for writing	p. 11
Writing helps you to remember	p. 11
Making good notes	p. 11
Writing helps you to observe	p. 15
Making notes in practical work	p. 16
Writing helps you to think	p. 17
Capturing your thoughts	p. 17
Writing helps you to communicate	p. 18
Improve your writing	p. 19
Listen and note	p. 19
Observe and describe	p. 19
Think and write	p. 19
Read good prose	p. 20
3 How students should write	p. 21
Use words to convey your thoughts	p. 21
Essential characteristics of scholarly writing	p. 21
Present the results of your own thinking	p. 23
Originality	p. 23
Improve your writing	p. 25
Prepare a set of instructions	p. 26
Read critically	p. 26
Practise writing	p. 29
4 Answering questions in coursework	p. 31
Think about the question	p. 31
Analyse the question	p. 32
Stimulate your thoughts	p. 32
Plan your answer	p. 34
Select effective headings	p. 34
Prepare a plan of your answer: a topic outline	p. 34
Maintain order	p. 36
Write your answer	p. 39
Write in your own words	p. 39
Write at one sitting	p. 40
Check your answer	p. 41
Assess your answer	p. 44
Improve your writing	p. 45
Always work to a topic outline as you write	p. 46
Learn from successful writers	p. 46
Discuss your written work with other students	p. 47
Benefit from your assessor's criticisms	p. 49
Prepare every composition in four stages	p. 50
5 Thoughts into words	p. 51
Vocabulary	p. 51
The meaning of words	p. 54
Some words that many people confuse	p. 54
Some words that many people misuse	p. 58
The words of your subject	p. 63
Abbreviations, contractions and acronyms	p. 65
Improve your writing	p. 66
Choose words with care	p. 66
Use your dictionary	p. 66
Understand the words used in questions	p. 67
Prepare definitions	p. 68
6 Using words	p. 69
Words in context	p. 69
Position your words with care	p. 69
Repeat a word if necessary	p. 70
Use standard English	p. 71
Avoid ready-made phrases	p. 71
Superfluous words	p. 72
Reasons for verbosity	p. 75
Improve your writing	p. 79
Be clear and concise	p. 79
Read to understand	p. 79
Read to summarise	p. 80
Edit the work of others	p. 82
7 Using numbers, tables and illustrations	p. 85
Use numbers when you can be precise	p. 85
Using numbers in written work	p. 85
Using International System units	p. 86
Use tables and illustrations to help you explain	p. 88
Tables	p. 88
Illustrations	p. 90
8 Helping your readers	p. 101
Write for easy reading	p. 102
How to begin	p. 102
Control	p. 102
Emphasis	p. 102
Rhythm	p. 105
Style	p. 106
How to end	p. 106
Capture and hold your reader's interest	p. 107
Improve your writing	p. 107
Write for your readers	p. 107
Make your writing interesting	p. 108
Write good English	p. 108
Read good English	p. 109
9 Finding and using information	p. 114
Think before you read	p. 114
What to read	p. 115
Make good use of local libraries	p. 115
Use resources available via the internet	p. 123
Use other resources available in libraries	p. 126
How to read	p. 125
Evaluate each source of information	p. 125
Read to find just the information you need at the time	p. 126
Make good notes as you read	p. 127
Improve your writing	p. 131
Use your notes	p. 131
Cite sources of information	p. 132
List your sources of information	p. 134
10 Answering questions in tests and examinations	p. 135
Taking tests as part of coursework	p. 135
Answering questions in tests	p. 136
Taking examinations	p. 137
Learn from other students' mistakes	p. 138
Answering questions in a theory examination	p. 147
Answering questions in a practical examination	p. 150
11 Writing a dissertation, long essay, term paper, project report or thesis	p. 152
Agree your terms of reference with your supervisor	p. 153
Find out how your work will be assessed	p. 153
Organise your work	p. 155
Write from the start	p. 157
Search the literature	p. 160
Review the literature	p. 163
Improve your writing	p. 165
Work on your first draft	p. 165
Check your composition	p. 166
12 Writing letters and applications	p. 168
Writing a good letter	p. 168
Communicating by electronic mail	p. 176
Improve your writing	p. 178
Applying for employment	p. 178
13 Your computer as an aid to writing	p. 182
Using your computer	p. 182
Improving your keyboard skills	p. 182
Word processing	p. 182
Making more use of your computer	p. 187
Desk top publishing	p. 187
Preparing presentations	p. 187
Using spreadsheets	p. 188
Preparing and using a database	p. 188
Looking after your documents	p. 189
Looking after yourself when using a computer	p. 190
Purchasing a computer	p. 191
14 What is the point? A quick guide to punctuation	p. 193
Using punctuation marks to make your meaning clear	p. 194
Using punctuation marks to ensure the smooth flow of language	p. 194
Using conjunctions to contribute to the smooth flow of language	p. 195
Using capital letters	p. 195
Punctuation marks that end a sentence	p. 196
Full stop, question mark and exclamation mark	p. 196
Punctuation marks used within a sentence	p. 197
Comma	p. 197
Brackets and dashes	p. 199
Colon and semicolon	p. 199
Other essential marks	p. 199
Apostrophe	p. 199
Hyphen	p. 200
Quotation marks	p. 201
Improve your writing	p. 202
15 Spelling check	p. 203
Some reasons for poor spelling	p. 203
Some rules to remember	p. 204
Improve your writing	p. 207
Read good prose	p. 207
Spelling test	p. 207
Take an interest in etymology: the study of the origins of words	p. 208
Keep a good dictionary on your bookshelf	p. 208
References	p. 209
Dictionaries	p. 209
Further reading	p. 209

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Author Notes

Table of Contents