Linguistic Conventions of North American Academic Written Discourse

Linguistic Conventions of North American Academic Written Discourse



In academic writing, the following linguistic conventions are often assumed, but they are almost never explained to the students clearly, especially non-native speakers of English. The chasm between North American English writing instructors' hidden agenda and English as a Second Language (ESL) learners' notion of structuring information in an academic essay can lead to frustration and student failure. If you are an ESL student, following these conventions in your written work:

The introduction: The introductory paragraph of an academic essay generally contains a thesis statement, a central idea, which gives the reader a clear sense of the primary focus of the essay. The thesis statement does not have to be the last sentence of the introduction, but it must appear somewhere in the first paragraph, The first paragraph should not be a one-sentence intro- duction, nor should it be an empty introduction without a thesis statement.

The body paragraphs: Each body paragraph usually begins with a topic sentence that states the controlling idea to be developed in the paragraph. The purpose of the topic sentence is to explain and support the thesis statement.

Discuss only one idea in a body paragraph: A body paragraph generally focuses on one idea, which is developed by using supporting details. Resist the tendency to discuss more than one idea in the same body paragraph. If you must discuss another idea, begin a new paragraph.

The conclusion: The concluding paragraph usually summarizes the main points of the essay, restates the thesis, and leaves a lasting impression on the reader by making a clear call to action or an emotional appeal, especially if it is a persuasive essay. Remember that the concluding paragraph should not provide new information to the reader.

SAY WHAT YOU MEAN: After you have written a preliminary draft of your academic essay, revise it carefully to make sure that there is no chasm between what you have written and your intended meaning. Revision can involve significant rewriting and reorganization. Ensure that your thesis clearly states your main idea; reread your topic sentences to check that that each supports your thesis; read each paragraph to make sure you have pro- vided adequate support for your topic sentences; evaluate your organization; include transitions to ensure unity and cohesion; review your word choices; and proofread for grammar, spelling, and mechanics.

No contractions: With the exception of the genitive case, also called the possessive case, do not use contractions in essay form. Instead of writing don’t, didn’t, and can’t, write do not, did not, and cannot. Jamie’s height is acceptable.

Substantiate claims with evidence: All claims must be substantiated with facts. Novice writers tend to make lofty claims without providing concrete evidence to support them. In academic writing, it is imperative that the writer support claims with empirical evidence.

Define technical terms: Rather than using jargon frequently and assum- ing your reader knows what the technical terms mean, provide a definition each time you introduce or refer to a new term. The tendency to simply use a technical term and ignore the definition is called the assumption of knowledge. A better assumption is that the reader does not know anything about your topic. The burden of clarity is upon the writer, not the reader.

Be specific: Avoid being vague and be specific about your references to researchers and scholarly work throughout your academic essays. Do not say “Some researchers believe ...” and “many theories have...” The reader might want to know who the researchers are and what the theories postulate. Refer to specific scholars (Johnson, 1992) and theories (Chomsky’s theory of Universal Grammar). The same goes for “many issues” or “several problems.” If you are not specific, the reader might wonder what issues/prob- lems you are referring to.

Formal writing: Avoid using spoken forms of language, slang, and idiom- atic expressions in an academic essay. If your paper reads like you are speak- ing to someone in person, there is a good chance that there are instances of spoken forms of communication in the essay. Rather than saying, “come up with, figure out, or find out,” use academic vocabulary and say, “findings of this study indicate that...”