English for Academic Research: Writing Exercises

✍ Scribed by Adrian Wallwork

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 2024
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 264
• Edition: 2
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This book is based on a study of referees' reports and letters from journal editors on reasons why papers written by non-native researchers are rejected due to problems with English (long sentences, redundancy, poor structure etc.).

The exercises in this new edition are organized into twelve chapters on:

•  punctuation and spelling
• word order
• writing short sentences and paragraphs

link words - connecting phrases and sentences together

• being concise and removing redundancy
• ambiguity and political correctness
• paraphrasing and avoiding plagiarism
• defining, comparing, evaluating and highlighting
• anticipating possible objections, indicating level of certainty, discussing limitations, hedging, future work
• using Large Language Models for writing papers, emails and presentation scripts

Some exercises require no actual writing but simply choosing between various options. In those exercises where extended writing is required, model answers are given.

The exercises can also be integrated into English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and English for Special Purposes (ESP) courses at universities and research institutes.

The book can be used in conjunction with the other exercise books in the series and is cross-referenced to:

English for Research: Usage, Style, and Grammar English for Writing Research Papers
English for Academic Research: Grammar Exercises 

English for Academic Research: Teacher’s Guide

Adrian Wallwork edits scientific papers and teaches English for Academic Purposes (EAP) to PhD students. In addition to his many books for Springer, he has written course books for Oxford University Press and discussion books for Cambridge University Press.

✦ Table of Contents

Contents
Chapter 1:: Punctuation and spelling
1.1 commas: reducing number of
1.2 commas: adding
1.3 semicolons: replacing
1.4 brackets: removing
1.5 hyphens: adding
1.6 hyphens: deciding where needed
1.7 initial capitalization: in titles
1.8 initial capitalization: in main text
1.9 various punctuation issues: 1
1.10 various punctuation issues: 2
1.11 spelling
Chapter 2:: Word order
2.1 choosing the best subject to put at the beginning of the phrase
2.2 putting the key words first
2.3 avoiding beginning the sentence with it is: 1
2.4 avoiding beginning the sentence with it is: 2
2.5 choosing the best word order to help the reader: 1
2.6 choosing the best word order to help the reader: 2
2.7 choosing the best word order to help the reader: 3
2.8 shifting the parts of the phrase to achieve optimal order: 1
2.9 shifting the parts of the phrase to achieve optimal order: 2
2.10 shifting the parts of the phrase to achieve optimal order: 3
2.11 shifting the parts of the phrase to achieve optimal order: 4
2.12 reducing the number of commas and parts of the sentence
2.13 putting sentences into the correct order
2.14 typical mistakes
Chapter 3:: Writing short sentences and paragraphs
3.1 dividing up long sentences: 1
3.2 dividing up long sentences: 2
3.3 dividing up long paragraphs 1
3.4 dividing up long paragraphs 2
3.5 dividing up long paragraphs 3
3.6 dividing up long paragraphs 4
3.7 putting paragraphs into their most logical order
3.8 writing short sentences: 1
3.9 writing short sentences: 2
3.10 writing short sentences: 3
Chapter 4:: Link words: connecting phrases and sentences together
4.1 linking sentences and paragraphs
4.2 deleting unnecessary link words
4.3 deciding when link words are necessary
4.4 choosing best link word
4.5 reducing the length of link words / phrases
4.6 shifting the position of link words expressing consequences
4.7 using link words to give additional neutral information
4.8 using link words to give additional positive information
4.9 using link words to give additional negative information
4.10 making contrasts
4.11 making evaluations
4.12 connecting sentences by repetition of key word or a derivation of the key word
4.13 describing processes
4.14 describing causes
4.15 describing effects and consequences
4.16 making contrasts, concessions, qualifications, reservations, rejections
4.17 outlining solutions to problems
4.18 outlining a time sequence
4.19 explaining figures and tables: making comparisons
4.20 making evaluations and drawing conclusions: 1
4.21 making evaluations and drawing conclusions: 2
Chapter 5:: Being concise and removing redundancy
5.1 removing individual redundant words
5.2 removing several redundant words: 1
5.3 removing several redundant words: 2
5.4 reducing the word count: titles
5.5 replacing several words with one preposition or adverb
5.6 replacing several words with one adverb
5.7 replacing several words with one word
5.8 replacing a verb + noun construction with a single verb: 1
5.9 identifying verb and noun clauses
5.10 replacing a verb + noun construction with a single verb: 2
5.11 replacing a noun phrase with a verb or can: 1
5.12 replacing a noun phrase with a verb or can: 2
5.13 replacing nouns with verbs in titles of papers
5.14 identifying whether link words could be deleted
5.15 deleting unnecessary link words: 1
5.16 deleting unnecessary link words: 2
5.17 deleting unnecessary link words: 3
5.18 unnecessary use of we and one: 1
5.19 unnecessary use of we and one: 2
5.20 avoiding redundancy in introductory phrases
5.21 avoiding redundancy in references to figures, tables etc.
5.22 rewriting unnecessarily long sentences: 1
5.23 rewriting unnecessarily long sentences: 2
5.24 rewriting unnecessarily long sentences: 3
5.25 reducing length of an abstract
5.26 reducing length of an introduction
5.27 reducing the length of the outline of the structure
5.28 reducing the length of the review of the literature: 1
5.29 reducing the length of the review of the literature: 2
5.30 reducing the length of the materials and methods
5.31 reducing the length of the conclusions section
5.32 reducing the length of the acknowledgements
Chapter 6:: Ambiguity and political correctness
6.1 repetition of words to aid reader’s understanding: 1
6.2 repetition of words to aid reader’s understanding: 2
6.3 avoiding ambiguity due to use of -ing form: 1
6.4 avoiding ambiguity due to use of -ing form: 2
6.5 disambiguating sentences: 1
6.6 disambiguating sentences: 2
6.7 pronouns and political correctness
6.8 non-use of masculine terms for generic situations: 1
6.9 non-use of masculine terms for generic situations: 2
6.10 non-use of masculine terms for generic situations: 3
Chapter 7:: Paraphrasing and avoiding plagiarism
7.1 deciding what is acceptable to cut and paste
7.2 quoting statistics
7.3 paraphrasing by changing the parts of speech
7.4 paraphrasing by changing nouns into verbs
7.5 paraphrasing by changing the parts of speech and word order: 1
7.6 paraphrasing by changing the parts of speech and word order: 2
7.7 finding synonyms: verbs 1
7.8 finding synonyms: verbs 2
7.9 finding synonyms: verbs 3
7.10 finding synonyms: nouns 1
7.11 finding synonyms: nouns 2
7.12 finding synonyms: adjectives
7.13 finding synonyms: adverbs and prepositions 1
7.14 finding synonyms: adverbs and prepositions 2
7.15 paraphrasing by changing word order
7.16 replacing we with the passive form
7.17 making a summary: 1
7.18 making a summary: 2
7.19 making a summary: 3
7.20 making a summary: 4
Chapter 8:: Defining, comparing, evaluating and highlighting
8.1 writing definitions 1
8.2 writing definitions 2
8.3 writing definitions 3
8.4 making generalizations
8.5 confirming other authors’ evidence
8.6 stating how a finding is important
8.7 highlighting why your method, findings, results etc. are important
8.8 highlighting your findings
8.9 comparing the literature
8.10 comparing contrasting views
8.11 comparing your methodology with other authors’ methodologies
8.12 comparing data in a table
8.13 questioning current thinking
8.14 evaluating solutions
Chapter 9:: Anticipating possible objections, indicating level of certainty, discussing limitations, hedging, future work
9.1 anticipating objections and alternative views
9.2 indicating level of certainty 1
9.3 indicating level of certainty 2
9.4 reducing level of certainty
9.5 discussing the limitations of the current state of the art
9.6 qualifying what you say
9.7 dealing with limitations in your own results: 1
9.8 dealing with limitations in your own results: 2
9.9 dealing with limitations in your own results: 3
9.10 toning down the strength of an affirmation: 1
9.11 toning down the strength of an affirmation: 2
9.12 toning down the strength of an affirmation: 3
9.13 toning down the strength of an affirmation: 4
9.14 direct versus hedged statements 1
9.15 direct versus hedged statements 2
9.16 discussing possible applications and future work
Chapter 10:: Writing each section of a paper
10.1 abstracts
10.2 introductions
10.3 creating variety when outlining the structure of the paper
10.4 outlining the structure of the paper
10.5 survey of the literature
10.6 methodology / experimental
10.7 results
10.8 discussion: 1
10.9 discussion: 2
10.10 differentiating between the abstract and the conclusions: 1
10.11 differentiating between the abstract and the conclusions: 2
10.12 conclusions: 1
10.13 conclusions: 2
10.14 acknowledgements: 1
10.15 acknowledgements: 2
Chapter 11:: Using AI as an aid for writing papers
11.1 How do YOU use AI?
11.2 Titles
11.3 Abstracts: writing clearly
11.4 Structured abstracts
11.5 Converting a one-paragraph abstract into a structured abstract
11.6 Conclusions
11.7 Converting a personal style into to an impersonal style
11.8 Using AI paraphrasing tools
KEYS TO EXERCISES
Chapter 12:: Using AI for writing emails and  presentation scripts
12.1 Using chatbots to generate emails
12.2 An email criticizing a colleague’s work
12.3 Generating emails based on prompts
12.4 Writing a motivational letter: part 1
12.5 Writing a motivational letter: part 2
12.6 Using a chatbot to generate a presentation scripts
12.7 Using a chatbot to generate a script to accompany your presentation slides
KEYS TO EXERCISES
Chapter 13:: Machine translation
13.1 Thinking about your own language
13.2 Testing out machine translation (MT)
13.3 Pre-editing: working on your own language before using machine translation (MT)
13.4 Write in your own language using a machine-translation friendly style
13.5 Overcoming some of the pitfalls of machine translation
13.6 Comparing the quality of different machine translators
13.7 Using machine translation to write a script for a presentation
KEYS TO EXERCISES
About this book
The English for Academic Research series
What is new in the second edition?
Structure of the book, self–study and classroom use
Instructions to the exercises
Keys to the exercises
Focus on readability
A note for teachers
How to use the exercises
Exercises new to the second edition
About the author
Acknowledgements
Index