UNIT1

Academic Writing Style....................................1

Warm-up...................................................................................2

Sample Reading........................................................................2

What Are the Key Characteristics of Academic Writing?...................2

Language Focus........................................................................7

A. Word Choice........................................................................................7

B. Formal Grammar and Style...............................................................9

C. Linking Words and Flow...................................................................11Academic Writing Skills........................................................12

A. Recognizing Different Styles............................................................12

B. Choosing Appropriate Styles............................................................13

UNIT2

Research Proposal...........................................17

Warm-up.................................................................................18

Sample Reading......................................................................18

Writing a Research Proposal.................................................................18

Language Focus......................................................................27

A. Personal Pronouns............................................................................27

B. Nominalization.................................................................................30

Academic Writing Skills........................................................33

A. Selecting a Topic.................................................................................33

B. Formulating the Focus.....................................................................34

C. Establishing a Working Title............................................................35

UNIT3

Introduction & Literature Review..................37

Warm-up.................................................................................38

A. Introduction...................................................................................... 38

B. Literature Review.............................................................................. 38

Sample Reading...................................................................... 39

Sample 1: The Application of Swales¡¯ Model in Writing a

Research Article Introduction......................................................... 39

Sample 2: Poverty and Environmental Degradation:

A Review and Analysis of the Nexus...............................................40

Language Focus...................................................................... 43

A. Tenses in Citation..............................................................................43

B. Citing Verbs....................................................................................... 44

Academic Writing Skills........................................................ 47

A. Citing Previous Research..................................................................47

B. Relating Literature to Your Research.............................................. 48

C. Avoiding Plagiarism.........................................................................50

D. Writing a Literature Review.............................................................53

UNIT4

Methodology Description...............................55

Warm-up................................................................................. 56

Sample Reading...................................................................... 57

Parental Phenol Exposure and Spontaneous Abortion in Chinese

Population Residing in the Lower Reach of the Yangtze River.......57

Language Focus...................................................................... 59

A. The Passive Voice............................................................................... 59

B. Sequential Markers............................................................................63

UNIT 5

Academic Writing Skills........................................................64

A. Identifying Information Elements................................................. 64

B. Ordering Methodology Elements................................................... 66

C. Gathering Information for a Method Section............................... 67

D. Describing Methodology................................................................. 69

E. Designing a Questionnaire..............................................................70

UNIT5

Results & Discussion.......................................73

Warm-up................................................................................. 74

Sample Reading...................................................................... 74

The Role of Language for Thinking and Task Selection

in EFL Learners¡¯ Oral Collocational Production............................74

Language Focus...................................................................... 81

A. Comparison and Contrast................................................................81

B. Cause and Effect............................................................................... 84

Academic Writing Skills........................................................85

A. Describing the Graphic Information.............................................. 85

B. Strengthening or Weakening a Claim............................................88

C. Outlining the Results and Discussion Section...............................91

UNIT6

Research Conclusion.......................................95

Warm-up.................................................................................96

Sample Reading......................................................................96

Parental Phenol Exposure and Spontaneous Abortion in Chinese

Population Residing in the Lower Reach of Yangtze River......... 96

Language Focus......................................................................99

A. Summarizing.................................................................................... 99

B. Paraphrasing................................................................................... 102

Academic Writing Skills...................................................... 104

A. Using Sentence Patterns................................................................ 104

B. Restating the Research Objective...................................................105

C. Writing a Conclusion Section........................................................107

UNIT 7

Abstract & Documentation............................111

Warm-up................................................................................112

Sample Reading.....................................................................112

The Self-Promotion of Academic Textbooks in the Preface

Section: A Genre Analysis............................................................... 112

Language Focus.....................................................................115

Verbs, Sentence Patterns, and Verb Tenses....................................... 115

Academic Writing Skills.......................................................119

A. Preparing for Writing an Abstract................................................. 119

B. Outlining an Abstract..................................................................... 120

C. Drafting an Abstract Together with Keywords........................... 128

D. Making a Reference List.................................................................129

UNIT 8

Acknowledgements & Submission............... 133

Warm-up............................................................................... 134

Sample Reading.................................................................... 134

Sample 1: Acknowledgements.............................................................134

Sample 2: Submission Cover Letter................................................... 135

Language Focus.....................................................................137

Politeness............................................................................................... 137

Academic Writing Skills...................................................... 140

A. Writing a Submission Cover Letter.............................................. 140

B. Writing a Reply to the Decision Letter......................................... 140

Appendix 1 A Sample Proposal...................................................... 143

Appendix2 A Suggested Schedule for a Short-Term Research......155

Appendix3 Paper Processing Cycle.............................................. 157