BMAL-590 WRITE AND CITE EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS LATEST UPDATE
Academic writing should be characterized by:
clarity, logic, and direction
It sets forth its theory, model, and results in non-confusing terms.
Bad academic writing examples:
involves the increasing presence of the informal language and tone of social media and text speak in
assignments, resulting in unprofessional submissions.
This is a recent phenomenon, as students have become accustomed to leaving out punctuation and
capitalization, using technological shorthand for common words ("u" and "ur" in place of "you" and
"your") or adding emoticons to their emails, discussion posts, and assignments.
Even in less formal discussions, a writer must observe the rules of grammar, spelling, capitalization, and
punctuation when addressing the professor or fellow students.
The second type of bad writing has become a hallmark of academia: the tendency to use obscure
verbiage that clouds the argument and results in papers that are unpleasant to read and difficult to
follow.
While prevalent in academic journals, this style of writing was the subject of an annual Bad Writing
,Contest, with "prizes" awarded to the most bloated and incomprehensible research papers published
each year.
Active voice:
The active voice is more direct and concise than the passive voice.
Brevity and clarity lead to more convincing writing.
Consider the audience. Good papers are:
Devoid of egocentrism.
Written to enlighten and explain the concept to someone unfamiliar with the subject.
The reader has not performed your research. Even if a step seems obvious to you, it can be an unfamiliar
leap for the audience.
"zombie nouns"
In his book The Sense of Style, Steven Pinker describes the existence of "zombie nouns" wandering
lifelessly through academic papers.
They are ambiguous nouns taking the place of more active verbs, and using them makes an idea more
abstract.
Instead, use active verbs:
,Affirming an idea
Postponing an event
Rather than nominalizations:
Effect its affirmation
Implement a postponement
Certainty
Do not weaken your writing by hedging.
The use of qualifiers lends doubt to your writing.
Strike any words that do not enhance the understanding of the subject.
Explain with examples:
Technical terms without explanation confuse the reader.
To paint a clear picture, make liberal use of the phrases as in, such as, or for example.
If technical terms are unavoidable, use the ones most understandable to the reader.
References
Unsupported statements do not belong in academic writing.
No argument, however logical, can be taken as a given premise.
, Include the appropriate reference to back up each stage of your writing, making a clear path to the
conclusion.
Identify the type of writing error in the following sentence: The delay in the ceremony's
commencement was caused by a sudden downpour on the front lawn.
Passive voice. Use the active voice for direct, concise writing.
Identify the type of writing error in the following sentence: I agree with your discussion post its alot
harder to fix human resource problems when they're aren't any systems in place.
Incorrect grammar or punctuation. All academic writing must adhere to the rules of grammar, spelling,
capitalization, and punctuation.
Identify the type of writing error in the following sentence: The validation-seeking approach employed
by many social media users can lead to the alienation of others in the social circle.
Zombie nouns. Turning active verbs into awkward adjectives makes ideas more abstract.
Identify the type of writing error in the following sentence: The results seem to indicate that there
could be a minor shift in the way social media is used in organizations.
Hedging. Qualifiers lend doubt to your writing. Strike extra words that do not contribute
meaning.Correct!
Omit the qualifiers for stronger writing: "The results indicate a shift in the way social media is used in
organizations."
Identify the type of writing error in the following sentence: The reduction in hostilities by the rebel
forces resulted in the ratification of a peace treaty by the government.
ANSWERS WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS LATEST UPDATE
Academic writing should be characterized by:
clarity, logic, and direction
It sets forth its theory, model, and results in non-confusing terms.
Bad academic writing examples:
involves the increasing presence of the informal language and tone of social media and text speak in
assignments, resulting in unprofessional submissions.
This is a recent phenomenon, as students have become accustomed to leaving out punctuation and
capitalization, using technological shorthand for common words ("u" and "ur" in place of "you" and
"your") or adding emoticons to their emails, discussion posts, and assignments.
Even in less formal discussions, a writer must observe the rules of grammar, spelling, capitalization, and
punctuation when addressing the professor or fellow students.
The second type of bad writing has become a hallmark of academia: the tendency to use obscure
verbiage that clouds the argument and results in papers that are unpleasant to read and difficult to
follow.
While prevalent in academic journals, this style of writing was the subject of an annual Bad Writing
,Contest, with "prizes" awarded to the most bloated and incomprehensible research papers published
each year.
Active voice:
The active voice is more direct and concise than the passive voice.
Brevity and clarity lead to more convincing writing.
Consider the audience. Good papers are:
Devoid of egocentrism.
Written to enlighten and explain the concept to someone unfamiliar with the subject.
The reader has not performed your research. Even if a step seems obvious to you, it can be an unfamiliar
leap for the audience.
"zombie nouns"
In his book The Sense of Style, Steven Pinker describes the existence of "zombie nouns" wandering
lifelessly through academic papers.
They are ambiguous nouns taking the place of more active verbs, and using them makes an idea more
abstract.
Instead, use active verbs:
,Affirming an idea
Postponing an event
Rather than nominalizations:
Effect its affirmation
Implement a postponement
Certainty
Do not weaken your writing by hedging.
The use of qualifiers lends doubt to your writing.
Strike any words that do not enhance the understanding of the subject.
Explain with examples:
Technical terms without explanation confuse the reader.
To paint a clear picture, make liberal use of the phrases as in, such as, or for example.
If technical terms are unavoidable, use the ones most understandable to the reader.
References
Unsupported statements do not belong in academic writing.
No argument, however logical, can be taken as a given premise.
, Include the appropriate reference to back up each stage of your writing, making a clear path to the
conclusion.
Identify the type of writing error in the following sentence: The delay in the ceremony's
commencement was caused by a sudden downpour on the front lawn.
Passive voice. Use the active voice for direct, concise writing.
Identify the type of writing error in the following sentence: I agree with your discussion post its alot
harder to fix human resource problems when they're aren't any systems in place.
Incorrect grammar or punctuation. All academic writing must adhere to the rules of grammar, spelling,
capitalization, and punctuation.
Identify the type of writing error in the following sentence: The validation-seeking approach employed
by many social media users can lead to the alienation of others in the social circle.
Zombie nouns. Turning active verbs into awkward adjectives makes ideas more abstract.
Identify the type of writing error in the following sentence: The results seem to indicate that there
could be a minor shift in the way social media is used in organizations.
Hedging. Qualifiers lend doubt to your writing. Strike extra words that do not contribute
meaning.Correct!
Omit the qualifiers for stronger writing: "The results indicate a shift in the way social media is used in
organizations."
Identify the type of writing error in the following sentence: The reduction in hostilities by the rebel
forces resulted in the ratification of a peace treaty by the government.
