4. Writing

You are prepared to begin writing once you have examined your assignment question, located, read, assessed, and taken notes from reliable sources.
It is necessary for you to combine your ideas with those from your sources, making sure to acknowledge (cite) the contributions of others. Recall that there are frequently multiple approaches or interpretations of a given subject. After you have written a little, you must go back to your original research method and revise your thesis statement (your argument).

This module’s sections will provide you with details on the different types of assignments you might be required to write, including case studies, essays, reports, reflective tasks, and literature reviews. To locate the information that is important to you, use the headings at the top of the page. 

Assignment type and objectives

Essays

Types of Essays
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Types of Essays

Writing an essay entails presenting a case — also referred to as an “argument” — for a specific standpoint,analysis, interpretation, or collection of data or guidelines.

Essays come in a variety of forms. Below is a list of some of the most common types:

Argumentative
This kind of essay assignment is the most typical one you may encounterin university. You will present your reader with an argument in answer to the essay question, which you willthen support throughout the essay.

Descriptive
Descriptive essays concentrate intensely on a single subject or problem.For instance, if your essay was on dogs, you would go into as much detail as you could about the manybreeds, the history of the species, typical characteristics, and so on.

Narrative An essay that tells a story is called a narrative essay. You can write in thefirst or third person and utilise expressive, descriptive language in this kind of essay.

Compare and contrast
As the name suggests, you are examining the parallels anddiscrepancies between two or more events, objects, or problems in this kind of essay.

Analytical
A detailed analysis or critique of anything is done in an analytical essay.You may, for instance, examine a play to determine the themes, characters, and language that are employed tocommunicate meaning.

Essays can take many different forms, but they all aim to convey and convince the reader of a position orsubject.

Thesis statements
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Thesis statements

? The thesis statement, found at the end of the introduction, summarizes the main idea of the project inone or two sentences. It previews the paper’s content and guides the reader on what to expect.Recognizing thesis statements in textbooks or articles helps understand their structure and sets thetone for the discussion by combining various aspects of the subject and stating the author’s position orconclusions.

You will need a thesis statement for any kind of essay you write.

You might already know the remark you’re going to make before you begin your project. This draft statementshould be easily accessible while you conduct research, read, take notes, and start drafting your middleparagraphs. By using your thesis statement as a guide, this helps you stay on track. Tohelp your reader understand where you are taking them with this assignment, you keep improving yourthesis statement as you write more of it. You want it to be simple and straightforward. Yourthesis statement and the supporting details in each of your body paragraphs must always be related.

Draft Thesis Statements

Making a draft thesis statement based on how you understand the assignment question could behelpful. Your reading, research, note-taking, and assignment writing will all be concentrated onthis. Writing your thesis statement in the form of a periodic phrase, with the major conceptcoming at the end, is a smart approach. Following, you will see a few instances of this.

Writing an essay entails presenting a case — also referred to as an “argument” — for a specific standpoint, analysis, interpretation, or collection of data or guidelines.

Essays come in a variety of forms. Below is a list of some of the most common types:

Argumentative
This kind of essay assignment is the most typical one you may encounter in university. You will present your reader with an argument in answer to the essay question, which you will then support throughout the essay.

Descriptive
Descriptive essays concentrate intensely on a single subject or problem. For instance, if your essay was on dogs, you would go into as much detail as you could about the many breeds, the history of the species, typical characteristics, and so on.

Narrative An essay that tells a story is called a narrative essay. You can write in the first or third person and utilise expressive, descriptive language in this kind of essay.

Compare and contrast
As the name suggests, you are examining the parallels and discrepancies between two or more events, objects, or problems in this kind of essay.

Analytical
A detailed analysis or critique of anything is done in an analytical essay. You may, for instance, examine a play to determine the themes, characters, and language that are employed to communicate meaning.

Essays can take many different forms, but they all aim to convey and convince the reader of a position or subject.

? The thesis statement, found at the end of the introduction, summarizes the main idea of the project in one or two sentences. It previews the paper’s content and guides the reader on what to expect. Recognizing thesis statements in textbooks or articles helps understand their structure and sets the tone for the discussion by combining various aspects of the subject and stating the author’s position or conclusions.

You will need a thesis statement for any kind of essay you write.

You might already know the remark you’re going to make before you begin your project. This draft statement should be easily accessible while you conduct research, read, take notes, and start drafting your middle paragraphs. By using your thesis statement as a guide, this helps you stay on track. To help your reader understand where you are taking them with this assignment, you keep improving your thesis statement as you write more of it. You want it to be simple and straightforward. Your thesis statement and the supporting details in each of your body paragraphs must always be related.

Draft Thesis Statements

Making a draft thesis statement based on how you understand the assignment question could be helpful. Your reading, research, note-taking, and assignment writing will all be concentrated on this. Writing your thesis statement in the form of a periodic phrase, with the major concept coming at the end, is a smart approach. Following, you will see a few instances of this.

General Structure
Generally speaking, an essay consists of an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The word count given for your essay will determine how many and how long of your paragraphs are.

To write your essay, stick to this structure.

Introduction
What information is necessary for the reader to fully understand the argument you will make? Provide some background information about the topic of your paper to help the reader understand why it is relevant. In the thesis statement, summarise the main concept of your essay.

Body (middle paragraphs)
In each body paragraph, provide one key idea and provide explanation, examples, and other supporting details. Make sure the reader is persuaded of the accuracy of your thesis statement by using the paragraphs to support it. Make connections between the paragraphs to help the reader follow your reasoning.

Conclusion
Summarise the most important ideas of the body, restate your thesis, and close with a final statement to the topic. Every body paragraph has a distinct “premise” that contributes to the larger argument you are making. 

Each argument must be proved by reliable data and explained in terms of its significance and relationship to the larger subject. To ensure that your essay flows logically and makes sense to your reader, you must ensure that these premises relate to one another.

Study the structure of paragraphs and essays by working through these exercises.

The body of your essay is created and your thesis statement reinforced in the middle paragraphs. You are more prepared to create an opening paragraph, or the introduction, that presents your case to the reader once you have built it via the middle paragraphs.

The structure of a middle or body paragraph, which is made up of the middle sentences, is comparable to the structure of an essay as a whole. The PEEL paragraph writing technique, which is frequently taught in schools and colleges, will be covered in this section.

Point
The essential idea of the paragraph is stated in the first sentence, which also occasionally makes a connection to the one before it. This is also known as a “topic sentence” at times.

Explanation
A sentence or two that provides clarification on the paragraph’s topic sentence or key point and how it relates to your argument.

Examples and/or evidence
Typically, this consists of a few words that reinforce the main assertion with examples, proof, and facts. Make sure you cite the relevant sources to support the claims you make.

Wrap sentence or linking sentence
The last sentence summarises the primary idea of the paragraph, restates it, and may hint to or introduce the subject of the following paragraph.

Each argument must be proved by reliable data and explained in terms of its significance and relationship to the larger subject. To ensure that your essay flows logically and makes sense to your reader, you must ensure that these premises relate to one another.

Example paragraph:

Reports

?One of the most common sorts of assignments you may encounter in college is the report. They are usually focused on a particular event, issue, or experiment and are extremely detailed and well-researched. Reports often address the who, what, where, when, why, and how of a given scenario or problem.

There are several ways in which essays and reports differ from one another, one of which being structure. Reports can be divided into several portions that can be read independently of one another, whereas essays must be read in a straight line from start to finish. To make the document easier for the reader to navigate, some parts have headings and subheadings. You can be expected to produce a variety of reports during your time in university.

  • A general report – covering a specific topic or issue
  • A laboratory report – outlining an experiment you or your group has undertaken
  • A scientific report – a long-form report that outlines an experiment as well as the theory in the broader context of the chosen field.

How to write a report

Reports are often written with objectivity and include information and facts rather than opinions. Though, unlike essays, reports may use dot points to quickly convey information, they nevertheless frequently use formal language.

Prior to writing a report, you must:

  • Read literature and research on the subject, including biographies, journals, statistics, interviews, and news items.
  • Examine and evaluate the data you come across.
  • Arrange your thoughts on the subject into important conclusions and insights.
  • Think about the steps you would suggest taking to address the implications of your results.

Test your knowledge:

According to the kind of report that needs to be prepared, the structure will vary, but usually, a report will contain the following:

Title page, which contains:
– The report’s title, which expressly specifies its subject
– Complete information on that person or people the report was created for
– Complete identity of the individual or people that wrote the report
– Date of report submission, if you are not presenting it; alternatively, date of report presentation.

Abstract or executive summary
One of the most crucial parts of the report is the abstract. If your report is published, it will be read by a far larger audience than those who read the entire document, therefore it must contain enough information to motivate readers to continue reading. Writing your abstract should be the final step, even if the audience will read it first. This will enable you to provide a short and clear summary of the information in your report. An abstract should typically be between 100 and 200 words, or no more than 10% of the report, depending on its length.
An abstract seeks to:
– Provide a brief overview of the whole report
– Give concise, complete, specific and self-sufficient information that can be easily understood
– Offer recommendations for executives and managers to base their decisions on.

Table of contents
The reader can easily browse to the sections that are most relevant to them by using your table of contents, which will also provide them an overview of the report’s layout. Your report can be formatted in either the more popular decimal system or an alphanumeric system. View the two distinct styles in the examples provided below. To make the information easier to read in chronological order, both tables are separated into headings and subheadings.

Example: decimal system vs. alphanumeric system

Introduction
In your introduction you will:
– Give some prior knowledge about the subject.
– Indicate the report’s objective.
– State the extent, taking into account any restrictions.
– Describe the techniques used to obtain information
– define key terms.
– Tell the reader what will be discussed in your report.
– Provide an overview of how the material will be delivered to the reader.

Your literature review of any publications you used for your report will also be included. Literature reviews will be discussed later in this session

Discussion or body – the content
Your report’s purpose will determine what it contains. If at all possible, your report should include primary sources (such as observations and interviews) in addition to secondary materials that explain background information and theories. Guidelines for the usage of primary and/or secondary sources will be provided by your lecturer. You should go into additional depth about the procedures you used for your inquiry, including what you did and why, as well as any problems you ran into. You will clarify the research findings and explore the consequences in the body of the article. To ensure that your report is read by the reader in manageable chunks, make sure to clearly divide your main ideas and concepts into headings and subheadings.
Your report’s body will include the following sections:
– Method (what was done and how?)
– Results and analysis (what happened? Why did it happen?)
– Discussion (what are the implications of this in the broader context of the topic?)

Conclusion
The main ideas you discussed in your discussion will be summed up in your conclusion.
In order to do this, you must:
– Put your observations, conclusions, and analysis in context.
– Remind the reader of the information you provided in the body of the text (i.e., the consequences -or issues this raises, the things you studied and learned, etc.).
– Promote a feeling of accomplishment.

The conclusion is a summary of the points you have already made, so make sure you don’t add any new information.

Recommendations
Consider this a plan of action for resolving or improving the problem. Make your suggestions as realistic as you can, and indicate specific steps that the relevant parties could take to implement them.

Appendix/appendices
You can add more information in this part that relates to your issue but did not fit in the report’s body. This can include raw data gathered during your inquiry as well as graphs, tables, and photos, etc.

References
The sources you used for your report must be properly cited, just as in other academic work. To determine which referencing style is appropriate for your assignment, see your unit outline or consult your lecturer. For information on the various referring styles and examples of their application, see the Library’s citing guidelines.

When drafting a report, read your unit outline for details. Prior to beginning your report, make sure you have thoroughly examined the question that has been posed to you.

Reports often use passive voice, especially in scientific studies, to focus on actions rather than individuals. More on active/passive sentences in this module. Assume readers may be unfamiliar with the subject and provide background knowledge and definitions in broader reports. Technical language is suitable for scientific/technical reports, assuming familiarity with procedures and jargon. Abbreviations should be spelled out first, then in brackets, e.g., “The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends…” Keep audience and purpose in mind throughout the writing process for relevance.

 

Report writing checklist

Use this checklist, along with your assignment guide and marking rubric, to ensure you have covered the main requirements of a report.

  • The title includes keywords
  • Your abstract concisely summarises the contents of your report
  • Your table of contents corresponds with the report content and page numbers
  • Your introduction provides context for your topic
  • The purpose and scope of your report is clearly stated
  • Acronyms and abbreviations have been defined
  • The discussion is organised logically and contains all relevant information
  • All facts and information are correct
  • You have stated the limitations and assumptions
  • Your results relate to the data presented
  • Your conclusions interpret, analyse, and evaluate the results or research
  • Your recommendations are appropriate and clearly explained
  • All in-text and end-of-text graphics are relevant
  • All appendices are numbered and titled (if applicable)
  • All sources are correctly cited with in-text references and a complete reference list
  • Your spelling, grammar, and punctuation is correct and consistent
  • Your report is clear, concise, and has been written at an appropriate level for your audience
  • Your report is consistent in form, font, and layout.

Reflective Writing

?Through an informal writing process, reflective writing enables you to examine your own life experiences, knowledge, thoughts, feelings, values, and beliefs.

Your reflective writing exercises and assignments will allow you to investigate how you are experiencing and reacting to your life as both, a VGU student and as an individual outside of university. By encouraging you to ponder and dive deeply into subjects, reflective writing helps you develop your critical thinking abilities.

Writing reflectively involves more than just describing things or enumerating details. Good reflective writing tells the complete story by using the five W questions — who, what, where, when, and why — completed by “how”, to highlight the most important details of a given situation or subject.

As you learn, genuine reflective practice requires you to consider your feelings about it. It needs self-assurance and honesty while discussing your expectations and experiences. It involves recognising both your achievements and your weaknesses and figuring out what you may do better moving forward.

One of the few types of academic writing that lets you write in the first person is reflective writing, which is all about YOU and YOUR experiences. It’s regarded as a less formal kind of academic writing. However, it may still require formal language and references to relevant texts.

Your reflective work may follow an essay format or a more journal-style format. As with any assignment, make sure your reflective writing makes sense and thoroughly addresses each topic before going on to the next. Your lecturer will give you instructions on the kind of assignment they expect you to write, or they might let you choose the format you wish to use.

Listed below are topics or scenarios you may be required to reflect upon throughout your studies.

Writing reflectively involves more than just describing things or enumerating details. Good reflective writing tells the complete story by using the five W questions — who, what, where, when, and why — completed by “how”, to highlight the most important details of a given situation or subject.

As you learn, genuine reflective practice requires you to consider your feelings about it. It needs self-assurance and honesty while discussing your expectations and experiences. It involves recognising both your achievements and your weaknesses and figuring out what you may do better moving forward.

One of the few types of academic writing that lets you write in the first person is reflective writing, which is all about YOU and YOUR experiences. It’s regarded as a less formal kind of academic writing. However, it may still require formal language and references to relevant texts.

Case Study

A case study is a research method that examines a topic using a representative individual, group, or sample. It can be based on a real or fictional scenario and explores theories or approaches relevant to your field within the broader context of your academic subject.
Reports and case studies both use subheadings to organize sections, allowing readers to navigate specific topics easily and understand gathered facts on an issue. Case studies often include both quantitative and qualitative data for thorough analysis of the topic at hand.

Most of the time, a case study assignment will be written in a report-style format. Your lecturer might, however, ask you to use creativity and format your case study as a movie, poster, or infographic. The sections stated below will be included in your case study’s structure, regardless of the format you choose.

  1. Introduction
    This section should include an introduction to the topic/issue’s background as well as any relevant literature or research. Keep in mind that you won’t be able to cover every facet of the topic in a case study because it’s a condensed view of a representative sample. If your research is examining how a certain disease or illness affects a person’s lifestyle, you might want to focus only on individuals in that nation or area instead of the entire world.
  2. Discussion
    In essence, you will be expanding on the body of knowledge that has already been published on the subject by summarising it in this part. Like a literature review, your discussion section enables you to refresh the reader’s memory on the subject by summarising the relevant information and enabling them to understand the background of your investigation and any conclusions you draw.
  3. Results/data
    Your data and results must be precise, clear, and short. It can be necessary for you to present data from periods prior to a particular event, and then evaluate the effects of the event on the data. Your reader will understand this information better if you use graphs, tables, and figures.
  4. Conclusions/recommendations
    You pull everything together in your conclusion, much like in previous assignment types. You will also suggest activities that the organisation or group should do, as well as additional research that should be conducted, in this area. Provide detailed advice that outlines what needs to be done, when, by whom, how it should be done, and why you think it will work.
  5. Appendices (if required)
    Include any figures, tables, images or diagrams that you have referred to in your case study.

Literature Reviews

?A critical evaluation of published sources in a particular field of research is called a literature review. A literature review can be included in a thesis or dissertation, or it can be a stand-alone research study that is published in a peer-reviewed journal or serves as a report for an initiative that receives funding.
  • finds, explains, assesses, and summarises relevant literature or recent research on a subject.
  • describes the evolution, understanding, and development of knowledge in a field.

Literature reviews come in two common types: narrative and systematic.
narrative literature review provides an overview of relevant papers on a specific subject, often used in thesis writing (PhD) to contextualize research. On the other hand, a systematic literature review ensures reliability, impartiality, and trustworthiness by selecting works that meet specific criteria. The chosen material is treated as data to be analyzed, with the review including the methodology used to gather data, making it easier for readers or researchers to locate referenced studies.

NARRATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW
May have quite a broad scope within your field of study
Does not include methodology

General appraisal of the current literature and the lack thereof; suggests future research
SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW
Responds to a very specific research question
Includes methodology (how you gathered your research, including what search terms and databases you used)
Comprehensive exploration of the current literature relevant to the research question

Introduction: introduces the topic and its importance includes the scope of your research question identifies the search criteria

Body: is organized into sections (such as methodologies, theories, discussion)demonstrates synthesis (shows how the sources are connected and contribute to themes)

Conclusion: summarises the main agreements and disagreements in the literature identifies areas for further research provides your overall perspective on the topi

  • Cite all of your sources, concentrating mostly on the literature
  • Compare the claims, theories, methods, strategies, and conclusions. Regarding what, the writers concur?
  • Contrast the different claims, motifs, and strategies. What are the main points of contention or discussion?
  • Examine the literature critically. Which justifications hold greater weight? Why? Which techniques or strategies are the most appropriate, genuine, or trustworthy?
  • Make a connection between the literature and your own field of study or inquiry. How does the literature influence the way you write?

Structure & mechanics

?Assignments follow a narrative structure with an introduction, main body, and conclusion. The introduction provides background information, while the conclusion summarizes key points or calls for action. The main body contains detailed information relevant to the assignment question.

Academic writing should be formal, clear, and precise, usually in active third person or passive voice. Reflective writing is an exception, allowing personal opinions. All assignments require clear organization for reader understanding, often using subsections and headings in reports and case studies.

Essays follow a specific structure:

  • Paragraphs form essays.
  • Sentences form paragraphs.
  • Sentences follow specific word and punctuation rules.

Essays are like houses, with paragraphs as bricks and the overall essay as the house.

Sentences explained

Active and passive sentences

A statement that has the subject acting as both the agent and the doer of the action is said to be active; an example of this would be “The nurse dressed the patient’s wound.” A passive sentence is one in which the subject is being acted upon; for example, “The patient’s wound was dressed by a nurse”.

The active is more straightforward and utilises fewer words. However, in the following circumstances, you ought to employ the passive:

  • When you want the reader to concentrate on the object of the agent’s action—for example, “Arsenal was beaten by Manchester United”— you want the reader to focus on Arsenal.
  • In scientific writing, the phenomena is the main emphasis instead of the agent; for instance, “Heat was applied to the compound.”
  • In situations where the agent is unknown, like in,  “My car was stolen”.

Cohesion and transition

The use of transition markers is one technique that promotes coherence between phrases. Transitional words and phrases help the reader follow the flow of your argument by connecting sentences and paragraphs.

Transition markers, list:

  • Adding: and, also, in addition, moreover, furthermore
  • Contrasting: however, nevertheless, nonetheless, on the contrary, on the other hand, by contrast
  • Clarifying: in other words, that is, in effect, to simplify
  • Exemplifying: for example, for instance, in particular, to illustrate
  • Conceding a point: although true, even though, although, despite this
  • Summing up: to summarise, to conclude, in conclusion, clearly then
  • Endorsing: clearly, in particular, importantly, naturally, obviously
  • Stating a logical conclusion: therefore, thus, hence, as a result, consequently, accordingly, for that reason

Transitions should only be used when appropriate. You don’t need one if the logical connection between the sentences is already obvious.
When using a transition marker, make sure it expresses or illustrates the connection between the two sentences it connects.

Punctuation

Using proper punctuation is essential to writing clearly. It’s simple to unintentionally leave readers with unclear text. Even while you are aware of what you want to convey, you are unsure of how your reader will interpret it. It’s important to pay special attention to your punctuation, and it always helps to have a second set of eyes proofread your work to make sure everything makes sense.

Different types of punctuation:

FUNCTION EXAMPLE
1. To mark off a subordinate clause from a main clause, for example: “The purchaser, who wishes to remain anonymous, paid a record sum for the painting.”
2. To set off transition markers from the main clause, for example: “Consequently, the company’s profits increased in the second half of the financial year.”
3. Before conjunctions that join main clauses (and, because, but, for, or, nor, since, so, yet), for example: “The film has won critical recognition, but it has not been a commercial success.”
4. To set off ‘Yes’ and ‘No’, for example: “Yes, I have visited Beijing.”
5. To set off words of address, for example: “Distinguished guests, thank you for supporting today’s event.”
6. To separate the names of geographical locations where one location isincluded within the boundary of the other, for example: “The family owns a farm in Toowoomba, Queensland.”
7. To separate months from years, for example: “Rosa Parks was born on 4 February, 1913.”
8. To introduce direct quotations, for example: “Aristotle said, ‘The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.’”
9. To separate items in a series, for example: “The trade delegation visited Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Singapore.”

Similar to how pairs of commas are used to separate non-essential parts like examples, explanations, and quick asides from a sentence’s primary point, pairs of dashes and pairs of brackets (parentheses) serve the same purpose. Selecting one over the other has the following slight effects:

  • The usage of parenthesis conveys the idea that the content is extra and not necessary.
  • Dashes are used to convey the idea that this is more, significant information.
  • Commas are used to convey the idea that the information is extra and neither crucial nor unimportant

Simple sentences with connected separate main clauses are joined by semicolons, as in the statement “The peace negotiations ended without agreement; there seemed no end to the war.”

Since a semicolon functions similarly to a full stop, it should be possible to substitute one without losing meaning. Semicolons can be employed stylistically to highlight the symmetry or difference between two clauses, as in the sentence “He loved coffee; she loved tea.”

When certain items in a list require internal commas, the semicolon is also used to separate the items.

When something needs to be announced, the colon is utilised. For the sentence to make sense, there needs to be a full sentence on at least one side of the colon.

Here are a few situations in which you may utilise colons in your homework.

FUNCTION EXAMPLE
introducing a list or series, for example: To attract customers to their January sale, David Jones marked down prices on the following items: boys’ t-shirts, shorts and socks; men’s sweaters; and ladies’ underwear, hats, and shoes.”
Introducing an expansion, such as a definition or clarification of a point, for example: “He had only one response to criticism: he ignored it.”
Introducing a quote (remembering you must have a full sentence before the colon), for example: “Shakespeare posed this existential question in his play, Hamlet: ‘to be, or not to be?’”

There are two uses for apostrophes:

  1. To show that one or more letters have been omitted from a word, as in:

    Cannot” turns into “Can’t
    Do not” turn into “don’t

    Nonetheless, these kinds of abbreviations are not used in formal academic writing.

  2. Additionally, apostrophes can be used to indicate possession, as in:

    The dog’s tail (the tail belongs to the dog).

    The apostrophe comes after the “s” in a plural subject, such as “the boys’ father was cooking dinner” (there are several boys), unless the subject is plural and does not finish in “s,” such as “the children’s school.”

Apostrophes are employed in special circumstances involving money and time.

  1. “We spent a week’s holiday in Mũi Né.”
    In this case it’s as if the holiday belonged to the week.
  2. “The builder estimated three weeks’ work would be needed.”
    The work belonged to the week.
  3. “The children bought a dollar’s worth of licorice and two dollars’ worth of jelly beans.”
    The work belonged to the week.

To determine when to put it’s or its – try the phrase using ‘it is’ (as in a contraction) and if it sounds good you can use it’s.

“Its” does not require the possessive apostrophe because it is a possessive pronoun, just like “his,” “hers,” or “theirs.”

As an illustration:
“It’s a powerful storm.”
“Its sail was on fire.”

Test your knowledge – punctuation

Editing and proofreading

?The final step before submitting any assignment is editing and proofreading. While proofreading is a final check for errors or formatting issues, editing focuses on improving content and organization.

Though ideally, editing should be ongoing, making last-minute edits ensures the document you submit is your best work. Allow enough time for multiple revisions. It’s helpful to step away from the task for a fresh perspective, ideally overnight. Reading your work aloud helps identify awkward phrasing or gaps. Additionally, having someone else review your work can catch mistakes you might have missed. Remember, you’re responsible for all editing, including spelling and grammar.

To use for the last review of your work, I recommend you to download this Editing/proofreading checklist from Curtin University. Please note that not all elements will apply to all types of assignments. Having this list close at hand in addition to your marking rubric might assist you make sure you are fulfilling all assessment standards. You might want to add items of your own to the list.

When a student chooses to ask another individual to proof-read their work or uses a proof-reading service to undertake this task, they must adhere to the following rules, which are detailed in our General Examination Regulations:

  • Students must declare if they used proofreading/editing services
  • Permitted actions by proofreaders: identify errors (spelling, grammar, formatting, labeling), highlight complexity or unclear meaning, address repeated phrases 
  • Prohibited actions by proofreaders: rewriting for clarity, changing content, checking calculations or code, rearranging text, adding material, relabeling visuals. Non-compliance leads to Examination Board investigation and penalties.

Final Tips

You may want to utilise on of the following online tools:

  • Grammarly
  • The Hemingway Editor

Additionally, you should not hesitate to use the built in spelling and grammar checking function of your favoured word processing software

Contact for Writing skill support

Email to LCFY (Language Center and Foundation Year): fy@vgu.edu.vn

Bibliography

Curtin University. (n.d.). Library | Curtin University, Perth, Australia. Retrieved April 15, 2024, from https://www.curtin.edu.au/library/

Copyright

Unless stated otherwise, all VGU Library content in any shape or form is covered by a Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Kindly give credit to VGU Library for any use of the content and include a link back to our library homepage.