Tips – Key points are highlighted for easy reference and provide useful revision summaries for the busy student.
Glossary – Difficult words are glossed in boxes next to where the text appears in the chapter. There is also a comprehensive glossary at the back of the book.
Remember section – This is a summary of key points for revision and easy reference.
Authentic academic texts
The book uses excerpts from academic essays, written by students who study a variety of subjects, so that you can apply what you learn to your own academic context.
Glossary boxes
Where we feel that a word or phrase is difficult to understand, we have glossed this word or phrase. All definitions provided in the glossary boxes have been taken from the Collins COBUILD Advanced Dictionary. At the end of the book there is a full alphabetical list of the most difficult words from the book for your reference.
Using Writing
You can either work through the chapters from Chapter 1 to Chapter 11 or you can choose the chapters and topics that are most useful to you. The Contents page will help in your selection.
Study tips
Each chapter will probably take between three and four hours. Take regular breaks and do not try to study for too long. Thirty to sixty minutes is a sensible study period.
Regular study is better than occasional intensive study.
Read the chapter through first to get an overview without doing any exercises. This will help you see what you want to focus on.
Try the exercises before checking the Answer key. Be an active learner.
When writing your own essays, refer back to the appropriate sections and exercises in the book. If possible, ask a more experienced writer to give you feedback on your essay drafts.
All university departments are different. Use the information in the book as a guide to investigating your own university department.
Read carefully any information you receive from your department about what and how to write.
Don’t think of an essay as a finished product, but as a learning process. It is an opportunity to show that you can find out information about a subject, develop your own ideas about it, organize your thoughts and communicate your understanding to others. Don’t rush this process, but find out what works best for you. Adapt the suggestions in this book to suit your learning style and context.
With practice, writing will become easier, and your confidence will grow so that you can show your tutors your true ability and potential. We wish you every success in your academic career.
Other titles
Also available in the Collins Academic Skills Series: Research, Lectures, Numbers, Presenting, and Group Work.
1 
Aims
understand what academic writing is
understand the purpose of essays
Quiz
Self-evaluation
For each statement below, circle the word which is true for you.
| 1 I understand what academic writing is. | agree | disagree | not sure |
| 2 I understand the purpose of essays. | agree | disagree | not sure |
| 3 I know the academic meaning of instruction words in essays. | agree | disagree | not sure |
| 4 I can find key words in essay titles to help me understand what I am expected to write. | agree | disagree | not sure |
| 5 I can analyse the structure of an essay question to give a full answer and include the right information. | agree | disagree | not sure |
| 6 I know who to go to at my university if I need advice about an essay. | agree | disagree | not sure |
Tip
When you start your degree, you will come across a lot of new words which are specific to your new environment but everybody seems to think you already understand them. Don’t worry about this, but look them up as soon as possible. In this book, the words are explained in the glossary boxes and they are all in the glossary at the back.
What is academic writing?
Academic writing is writing which is done by scholars (students or academics) for other scholars to read. It can take many forms: journal articles, textbooks, dissertations, group project reports, etc. Although students are increasingly being asked to write different types of academic text, the essay still remains the most popular type of assignment.
Essays are written by students and are likely to be read by one person only: their tutor. The essay can be set as a coursework assignment to assess a student’s understanding of a module, or as an exam question.
For more information on some other types of academic writing, see Chapter 11.
Glossary
dissertation (dissertations) N-COUNT A dissertation is a long formal piece of writing on a particular subject, especially for a university degree.
The purpose of essays
Essays are a common form of assessment, for example in disciplines such as Business, International Relations, Law, History, Geography, Theology, Communication Studies, Education and Economics.
Glossary
discipline (disciplines) N-COUNT A discipline is a particular area of study, especially a subject of study in a college or university.