Academic Writing Handbook For Learners in The Fet Sector

ACADEMIC
WRITING
HANDBOOK
FOR LEARNERS
IN THE FURTHER
EDUCATION AND
TRAINING (FET)
SECTOR
1
Development of this resource
Through regular contact with teaching personnel as well as from the experience of external
authenticators, it became apparent that writing and referencing were challenging for many Further
Education and Training (FET) learners. A request was issued through the Education and Training
Boards of Ireland (ETBI) Quality Assurance (QA) Forum for interested Education and Training
Boards (ETBs) to nominate personnel who would work on such resources.
The development of this handbook has been led by the Further Education Support Service (FESS).
The working group included:
Mary Sheehy - FESS

Christine Wray - FESS
Fiona Fay - Dublin and Dun Laoghaire ETB

Máire Lynch - Limerick and Clare ETB
June Neylon - Cavan and Monaghan ETB
Tina O’Donnell - Donegal ETB
Carol O’Donovan - Tipperary ETB
Carol Quinlan - Cork ETB
With the support of Jenny Conroy, David Hughes, Siobhan Magner and Emma Nugent from ETBI.
Graphic design work by Mitchell Kane - sm@mitchellkane.co.uk
All relevant FESS materials were made available to this process. The ETBs involved were generous
in contributing relevant materials as well as making their staff available for this development work.
This handbook was consulted on locally and ETBI provided support for the design of this resource.
Published 2019.
2 ACADEMIC WRITING HANDBOOK FOR LEARNERS IN THE FURTHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING (FET) SECTOR
CONTENTS
Glossary 6
Introduction 9
What is Academic Writing? 10
The Writing Process 12
Step 1: Let’s get started on the draft 13

- Planning for writing 13
- What have you been asked to do in your assessment? 13
- Who are you writing for? 14
- How do you get started? 14
- Brainstorming 15
- Mind Mapping 16
- Researching 19
- What kind of information is needed and where can it be found? 19
- How much information is needed? 20
- Types of research 21
- Primary research 21
- Qualitative research 22
- Quantitative research 22
- Considerations in planning primary research 23
- Secondary research 25
- How to evaluate information sources? 27
- Thinking critically about your research 29
Step 2: Now get writing the draft 30

- Introduction 30
- What is a sentence? 30
- Problems to watch out for 32
- What is a paragraph? 34
- Transition words and phrases 37
- Punctuation marks – what they mean and how to use them 39
- Paraphrasing and summarising 42
- Writing in the first, second and third person 43
- From sentence to paragraph to completed writing 45
- Using graphics in your written assessment work 47
- Labelling graphics 48
- Structuring your writing 51
CONTENTS
- Writing the introduction 53

- Writing the main body 55
- How to structure an argument 57
- Writing the conclusion 60
- Writing recommendations 61
- How to think critically when writing 62
- Referencing 64
Step 3: Reviewing the draft 66

- Why review your work? 66
- Feedback on written assessment work 67
Step 4: Editing and proofreading the draft 68

- What is editing? 68
- Why do we edit? 68
- What is proofreading? 68
73
- Errors to look out for when you are proofreading
Step 5: Presenting and submitting finished written assessment work 74
- Presenting your finished written assessment work 74
- Submitting your finished written assessment work 77
Reference List 78
Bibliography 82
Appendices 87
- Appendix 1: Types of writing you may encounter in FET 87
- Appendix 2: Checklist for completing written assessment work 92
Index 94
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Writing process adapted from Trinity College Dublin (n.d.) 12
Figure 2: Sample mind map 17
Figure 3: Sample mind map 18
Figure 4: Considerations in planning primary research 23
Figure 5: Sources of secondary research 25
Figure 6: CRAAP test (tool to evaluate information sources) 28
Figure 7: Example of the use of a graphic within a piece of written text 49
Figure 8: Example of the use of a graphic within a piece of written text 50
Figure 9: Bloom’s taxonomy 62
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Key features of academic writing 11
Table 2: Steps to creating your mind map 16
Table 3: Examples of where you might find different types of information 19
Table 4: Structuring a paragraph 35
Table 5: List of transition words 38
Table 6: List of commonly used punctuation marks 40
Table 7: Examples of sentences written in the first, second and third person 45
Table 8: Useful steps for reviewing your written assessment work 66
Table 9: Some things to consider when editing and proofreading your written 69
assessment work
Table 10: Errors to look out for when proofreading 73
Table 11: Things to consider in relation to the presentation of written assessment work 74
GLOSSARY
Article – is a piece of writing that is included Critique – a detailed analysis and assessment
with other pieces of writing in a publication of something, especially a literary,
like a magazine, journal or newspaper. philosophical, or political theory.
Assessment – the means by which it is Data – can be information, facts and statistics
possible to judge what a learner knows, that are gathered for research purposes.
understands and can do as a result of
External Authenticator – is a subject
engaging in a learning experience. Assessment
matter expert who provides independent
can be for the purpose of identifying ways that
authoritative confirmation of fair and
the learner might be able to improve as well
consistent assessment of learners in
as deciding if they should receive certification
accordance with national standards
for the knowledge, skills and competence that
they have demonstrated. Figure – can be an illustration or diagram of
the information found in a text.
Assessor – The person who makes
assessment decisions on your assessment Information – can be knowledge gained
work. from research, investigation, study or other

sources.
Bibliography – the entire list of sources of
information and data that you used in the Literature – can be written work such as
development of your written assessment work. books and other writings on particular subjects
It should include sources that you that are published or leaflets or other printed
read/engaged with, but did not cite in the materials that contain information or advice.
work. Mind Map – is a diagram that can be used to
Brainstorm – a gathering of creative ideas, organise information in a visual way.
thoughts, suggestions on a topic or theme that Narrative – a report (written or spoken) that
are generally contributed by individuals in a is presented in a logical sequence that
group. supports a particular viewpoint or argument.
Citation – is a reference to the source of Paraphrase – saying the same thing that
information used in a learner’s another author or source says but using
research/written assessment work, for different words.
example, (FESS, 2018).
Parameter – is a boundary or limit to the
Cite – to refer to a source of information. scope of a particular activity such as a
research project.
Periodical – a journal, magazine or Secondary reference – sometimes you will
newspaper published at regular intervals. find a source mentioned in another text, a
secondary reference is when you quote or
Plain English approach – is a way of
paraphrase from that without going to the
communicating with your audience or reader
original text.
so that they understand what you are saying
the first time they read or hear it. Source – the place from where the
information originates.
Reader – is the person who will be reading
and assessing your written assessment work. Summarise – including the main points from
These could include the tutor/teacher/trainer, a source in a brief statement.
external authenticator, appeals examiner and
Syntax – refers to how words and phrases
other key personnel involved in the quality
are arranged in order to create well-formed
assured assessment process.
sentences.
Reference – mentioning or alluding to
Table – is the word used to describe how a
something such as the source of a piece of
set of facts or figures can be systematically
information.
displayed in columns and rows.
Reference List – a list of all the sources that
Text – refers to the content of a book or other
you have referred to within the main body of
written, printed or electronically available
your written assessment work and these
work.
should be compiled in alphabetical order at the
back of your written assessment work. Verb – is a word that is used to describe an
action, an occurrence, or a state of being.
Research – an organised and systematic
Verbs are the action words in a sentence that
investigation into a topic and the study of
describe what the subject is doing.
information, materials and sources in order to
know the facts and draw conclusions. Written assessment work – Written
assessment work includes assignments,
Scholarly literature – is writing completed
projects, essays, collection of work,
by researchers who are experts in their fields
presentations, etc. that a learner is submitting
of study.
for assessment purposes.
APPROACHING THE
PLANNING, WRITING,
REVIEWING, PROOFING
AND EDITING OF
WRITTEN ASSESSMENT
WORK CAN BE A
CHALLENGE FOR
LEARNERS
INTRODUCTION
In order to meet the requirements of your course, it is likely that you will have to produce
some written work to meet the assessment requirements of your programme. In this
context, writing that is completed for assessment and certification purposes is regarded
as ‘academic writing’.
The purpose of a piece of academic writing is to communicate the information that you
have researched, processed, discussed and analysed, in a way that the reader can
understand and also in a way that meets the purpose for which the writing is being
completed. When writing to meet the requirements for assessment, the writing must be
presented so that it is clear, concise, objective, understandable and informative to the
reader. You should also acknowledge where you got the information and research that you
used in your academic writing. Academic writing isn’t always easy to do, and more often
than not, requires direction, practice and feedback.
The purpose of this handbook, therefore, is to provide some guidance on writing for
learners who are engaged in programmes of learning equivalent to levels 5 and 6 on the
National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). However, it is important to note that this
resource may also be a useful tool to other learners at other learning levels and may also
support teaching staff in structuring or approaching the teaching of writing skills.
By developing and improving writing skills, learners can develop good academic practices
for drafting and writing assessment work. Well-written assessment work will consequently
improve overall grades attained. Developing good academic writing practices will help you
on your current programme of study, progression to further studies and any future
engagement with lifelong learning.
WHAT IS ACADEMIC WRITING?
There are different types of writing that you will encounter or have to complete as part of your
journey on your further education and training course. Further information on types of writing is
available in Appendix 1 - Types of writing you may encounter in FET.
Academic writing is one way of writing and can be defined in many ways. One definition states
that academic writing is writing that is “clear, concise, focussed, structured and backed up by
evidence. Its purpose is to aid the reader’s understanding” (University of Leeds, 2019).
Academic writing is a formal style of writing and is generally written in a more objective way,
focussing on facts and not unduly influenced by personal opinions. It is used to meet the
assessment requirements for a qualification; the publication requirements for academic literature
such as books and journals; and documents prepared for conference presentations.
Academic writing is structured and logical and therefore brings the reader from one key point to
the next. It is important for you when you are writing to convey the information clearly and
concisely, as, in terms of writing success, quantity does not always indicate quality. Your writing
should also be supported by evidence/research which demonstrates understanding of underlying
theories, processes and practices. Sources of the ideas/thoughts/information must always be
referenced. When incorporating facts and other information, these should not just be copied and
pasted, but instead should be used as the basis for a discussion or forming an argument. In
general, a plain English approach to writing academically is acceptable but jargon, slang words or
phrases should be avoided. Where there is a word count guide or restriction, this is to encourage
the writer to express all of their insights and convey all of the relevant information and analysis
in a clear and concise manner.
It is important to remember that good
quality academic writing should:
n be understandable to everyone who is likely to read it
n clearly communicate relevant information
n minimise the use of jargon or buzz-words
n be concisely written and keep to the key point(s)
n be focused on providing information and presenting

facts
n analyse the findings of the research
n include objective reflection
n present different points of view, some for and some

against the argument
n make sure that each point of view should be supported

by research
n avoid broad, sweeping or generalised statements
n acknowledge sources
Table 1: Key features of academic writing
THE WRITING PROCESS
There are many different approaches to academic writing and it is important that you find one
that works for you. Regardless of the approach you use, it should include key stages or steps that
include planning, drafting, revising and proofreading. The important thing to remember is that
good academic writing is a process that involves a number of steps and when you get used to
approaching your written work in this way, it should make the task of writing a little easier.
Here is an example of a writing process that you can use (Figure 1). This is the process that is
used throughout this handbook.
Step 1
Getting started on the draft
Step 2
Writing the draft
Step 3
Reviewing the draft
Step 4
Editing and proofreading the draft
Step 5
Presenting and submitting finished
written assessment work
Figure 1: Writing process adapted from Trinity College Dublin (n.d.)
STEP
LET'S GET STARTED
1 ON THE DRAFT
Planning for writing
Usually learners leave the class or lesson with a relatively clear idea of what is expected of them
in their written assessment work. Even with this clarity, learners may still find it hard to get started
and may find themselves sitting with a pen and blank page, which can be daunting. This is often
the hardest stage as you try to gather your ideas and organise your thoughts. You may find the
following useful in planning and preparing for your written assessment work.
What have you been asked to do in your assessment?
It is important that you carefully read the assessment brief that you have been given. This should
tell you:
n what you have to do
n how you should do it
n what you have to produce
n how it will be marked
n when you have to submit
It is important to study the verbs used in the assessment instructions that you are given, as the
verbs help determine the depth of understanding of the topic required. For example, there is a
significant difference between being asked to list the three key factors relating to a topic and
being asked to evaluate the three key factors relating to a topic. The depth of knowledge you are
required to have increases as you engage in programmes that are higher up on the levels on the
National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ).
STEP
LET'S GET STARTED
1 ON THE DRAFT
Who are you writing for?
It is most likely that you will be submitting your written assessment work to the person teaching
the programme who is likely to be the person assessing your work and deciding what mark and
grade will be awarded. However, when writing it is important to realise that others will also be
reading your written assessment work. Remember, the purpose of your written assessment work
is to show comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the subject matter and that you can
apply that knowledge and understanding in various contexts. Apart from the assessor, others who
may also read or examine your work may include:
n staff within the organisation who may examine the work as part of the provider’s assessment
process
n the external authenticator may read your work as part of the moderation process
n other personnel and an appeals external authenticator will be reading your written assessment
work, in the event of the appeal
How do you get started?
Once you are clear on what you have to do, here are some techniques that you might find useful
in getting started with preparing and planning the content for your writing. These include
brainstorming and mind-mapping.
If you are not sure about any aspect of what is required in the assessment brief,
TIP: make sure that you ask the teaching staff for clarification.
Brainstorming
Brainstorming is a method of generating ideas. When you have your topic, begin by thinking of all
the relevant ideas and themes associated with it and create a mind map (see page 17 & 18) which
may help you organise the ideas. Brainstorming will give you an idea of how large the subject matter
is and will give you a starting point to organise your ideas into some order.
There are four guidelines that should be applied when generating ideas:
1. generate as many ideas as you can

2. avoid criticising any of the ideas put forth, particularly if brainstorming as part of a group
3. attempt to combine or improve upon previously generated ideas
4. encourage the generation of wild or novel ideas (think outside the box)
(Adapted from Osborn, 1957)
Brainstorming can be just as good when you do it by yourself as when you do it

TIP: in a group.
STEP
LET'S GET STARTED
1 ON THE DRAFT
Mind Mapping
The mind map is a visual tool to help you see your ideas and the relationship(s) between them. It
is a dynamic tool and may change as your ideas develop. Remind yourself that you have to cover
the entire topic and try not to get side-tracked on one individual point. While it is useful to be as
creative as possible, it is recommended that you follow a number of steps when creating your
mind map.
1 place the topic at the centre of the page
2 work outwards to map all your ideas around the topic like branches on a tree
3 each branch represents a key point and can then be further developed by branching out in
the same way
4 use different coloured pens as well as images to connect related ideas or concepts
5 organise key points (branches) in a logical sequence to ensure coherence and cohesiveness
when writing up the piece
6 the key points are used as the focus for the research
7 keep referring back to the topic or question at the centre of the mind map - this is the core
of your assessment
Table 2: Steps to creating your mind map

(Adapted from Buzan and Buzan, 2000)
Mind mapping can be done using paper or technology. There are many apps
TIP: available that may be used to successfully create mind maps.
These examples of mind maps are both based on the process that this group went through in the
development of this Academic Writing Handbook for Learners in the Further Education and
Training (FET) Sector. There are many mind mapping tools available both in books and online that
may best suit you and your learning style.
Who?
Planning What?
Why?
Brainstorming
1. Getting Started
Mind mapping
House Style How much?
5. Presenting/Submitting Researching Kind of info needed?

Generic Style
Types of research
Sentences
What is editing/why edit? Paragraphs
What is proofreading
4. Editing/Proofreading The Writing Process Punctuation
/why proofread?
Paraphrasing/Summarising
First/Second/Third Person
Why review?
3. Review the draft Flow
Feedback 2. Writing the Draft Graphics
introduction
main body
Structuring conclusion
recommendations
referencing/bibliography
Figure 2: Sample mind map
STEP
LET'S GET STARTED
1 ON THE DRAFT
What is Writing for Assessment
Academic Formal Writing
Writing? Structured/Logical/Objective
Checklist for written Writing

assessment work Process
Types of writing
Getting
started
Appendices
Academic Writing Writing

the draft
Reference
Presenting
and Submitting Review
the draft
CITATION
Editing and
PLAGIARISM
REFERENCE LIST
Proofreading
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Referencing www.
Handbook
for the Further
Education and
Training (FET)
Sector Referencing
SOURCE Reference Sources
HARVARD STYLE
Figure 3: Sample mind map
Researching
Now that you have identified all of the ideas associated with your topic, where do you go from
here? If you used a mind map, it should help you identify the ideas associated with your topic and
provide you with a focus for your research. You can add value to your written assessment work
by adding facts and figures from articles, newspapers, journals and other sources. Additionally,
opinions and comments from people can also be used to support the points you are making in
your writing. However, with so many information sources at our fingertips, knowing where to start,
sorting through it all and selecting what you need can be overwhelming.
Before you begin your research, there are things you should consider that will help you identify
relevant sources and focus your research.
What kind of information is needed and where can it be found?
The following table categorises the various types of information that you might be looking for and
tells you where you might be able to find this information when researching for your written
assessment work.
What type of information Where I am likely to find it

I am looking for
Current event Newspaper | Online news feed
Government Census data | Economic and

Statistics
Social Research Institute (ESRI)
Scholarly literature Academic articles | Periodicals | Books

and theories
Commercial products Company websites | Patents and standards
Libraries | Government offices |

Local History
Local newspapers
Table 3: Examples of where you might find different types of information
STEP
LET'S GET STARTED
1 ON THE DRAFT
How much information is needed?
While it’s good to look at different sources of information, be careful not to get bogged down in
too many documents and end up feeling overwhelmed. Consider the following:
n do you need to consider all sides of the topic, for example, do you need to research the benefits
of exercise, or, do you need to research the benefits and risks of exercise?
n if you are required to do a comparison, you have to make sure that you have similar amounts
of knowledge and understanding of the elements you are comparing
n if you are required to discuss a topic, you will need to present a similar number of points in
agreement with as well as opposing the argument
n how deep do you have to explore a topic, for example, are you required to explain something
about a topic or are you required to analyse key elements of the topic?
It is important to check back with your teaching staff and to refer back to the
assessment brief if in doubt.
Types of Research
There are two main types of research, primary and secondary, and your assessment may require
the use of either or a combination of both.
Primary Research
Information that is gathered first hand by you, the researcher. It may include surveys,
interviews, observations, experiments, focus groups.
Secondary Research
Information that is gathered from existing material (previously gathered and presented by
somebody else). This may include information and data from books, brochures, leaflets,
magazines, newspapers, the internet, reports and other research papers.
Primary Research
As primary research generally involves individuals, consideration must be given to factors including
consent of participants, integrity of the research, confidentiality of research responses, anonymity
of participants, research ethics and storage of data.
There are two approaches to primary research - qualitative and quantitative.
Clarification should be sought from teaching staff on factors that should be

TIP: considered when conducting primary research, such as, ethics, permission,
confidentiality, anonymity and objectivity.
STEP
LET'S GET STARTED
1 ON THE DRAFT
Qualitative research
Qualitative research is research that explores people’s attitudes or opinions towards a specific topic
or problem. It generally looks at the what/why/where/when/how questions. It is based upon
people’s reasons, opinions, motivations and behaviours. It can provide insight into a problem and
can uncover trends.
Quantitative research
Quantitative research is used to explore and uncover or measure patterns. It generally looks at the
to what extent/how many questions. It can measure the data and quantify a problem relating to a
specific topic. It is most useful when transformed into statistics to back up a claim or statement. It
is generally carried out with a larger group.
When both qualitative and quantitative methods are used together, this is called Mixed Methods
Research.
Considerations in planning primary research
There are elements that need to be considered when planning for primary research. Consider the
questions illustrated in the graphic below:
What do I
want to
find out?
How can I How do I
make sure my plan on
biases don't finding it
influence my out?
research?
Primary
Research
Who am I
going to talk
What are
to/observe/
my biases
survey (subjects or
about this
participants)?
topic?
How am I going
to be able to gain
access to these
groups or
individuals?
Figure 4: Considerations in planning primary research
STEP
LET'S GET STARTED
1 ON THE DRAFT
The list below explains some of the techniques that you might wish to use to gather primary
research data, if you have to complete primary research for your written assessment work.
Gathering Primary Research Information (data)
Focus Group Discussion:

A focus group is a small group of people, deliberately selected, to discuss
a specific topic or subject. It is used to explore people’s attitudes, beliefs,
experiences, opinions, perceptions.
Interview:
Interviews are question and answer sessions conducted with an individual or
a group. They can be either structured (with questions decided in advance),
semi-structured (some questions decided in advance) or unstructured
(questions are not pre-determined).
Observation:
Observations involve taking careful notes of an event or activity as it
happens. What is seen or observed is noted or recorded making these
factual and free of bias.
Survey:
Surveys usually involve a questionnaire to gather information (data) from
a sample of the population.
Secondary Research
Secondary research is often the easiest and least biased way to research a topic. It involves finding
and examining other people’s research information or data. It can be used in conjunction with
primary research to back up opinion or to validate findings. Secondary research from credible and
reliable sources will add value to your written assessment work. The graphic below identifies some
sources of secondary research that you may use. Further information can be found in the
Referencing Handbook for the FET Sector on the sources of information (p.10) and evaluating your
sources (p.20).
Encyclopaedias/books
Reliable websites by
Reports, brochures, government agencies,
leaflets education agencies,
reputable companies, etc
Newspapers/
Secondary Government
magazines/ publications
Research
journals
Central Statistics
Libraries
Office
Figure 5: Sources of secondary research
STEP
LET'S GET STARTED
1 ON THE DRAFT
When you find an information source that you think you might be interested in you could:
n check the title and skim the summary, if available, to see if the publication might be useful
n scan the index to check if it contains relevant information
n skim over the contents, conclusions, headings/sub-headings, illustrations and captions to get
an overview of the content
n check the bibliography which can point you to other useful research
As soon as you start to use published material for research it is crucial to record
TIP: all information that you will need to reference your source (see Referencing Handbook
for the FET Sector pp. 19-22)
How to evaluate information sources?
Good academic writing involves being able to gather relevant information and being able to judge
how well it will contribute to the argument you could make/present in your written assessment
work.
“It is important to evaluate your information sources and to be able to judge:
n Is this information reliable?
n Is this a fact, a theory, an opinion or a suggestion?
n Is this information up-to-date?
n Are the ideas backed-up by research and are they widely accepted and authoritative?
n Is this information just a popular notion that may be unsubstantiated?”
(Referencing Handbook for the FET Sector, 2019, p.19)
While it can be difficult to establish the authenticity of some sources of information such as
webpages, podcasts, blogs, etc., a helpful tool is called the CRAAP test, as shown in Figure 6,
CRAAP test.
STEP
LET'S GET STARTED
1 ON THE DRAFT
Currency | The timeliness of the information
C
When was the information published or posted? Has it been updated or
revised? If so, when was the last update or revision? How current are the
Currency references (if any)? How current are the web links? Have any expired? Do
you need up-to-date sources for your assessment or will an older source
be acceptable?
Relevance | The importance of the information for your needs
R
Does the topic relate to your assessment? Does the information answer any
Relevance of your questions? Is it at an appropriate level for your assignment - not
too basic and not too advanced? How does it compare to other sources you
looked at? Is it scholarly, academic, well-presented or just an opinion?
Would you cite it in your assignment?
Authority | The source of the information
A Authority
Is an author given? Who is the author, publisher or source? Is the web page
signed? Is the author qualified to write on this subject? Are they affiliated
to a research institute or university? Are they cited by others? Does the URL
give information about the source, for example, .ie, .org, .edu, .com
Accuracy | The reliability, truthfulness and correctness of the content
A
Is the information supported by evidence? Is the web information
error -free? Does the web information contain any spelling or grammar or
Accuracy other noticeable errors? Does the tone of the language seem unbiased and
free of emotion?
Purpose | The reason the information exists
What’s the purpose of the information? Is it trying to teach, inform, sell,
P
entertain or persuade? Do the writers make their intentions clear? Is there
Purpose any political, cultural, religious or personal bias or propaganda? Does the
point of view seem impartial and objective? Is there any advertising on the
page or webpage?
(Adapted from Meriam Library, California State University, 2010)
Figure 6: CRAAP test
Thinking critically about your research
Thinking critically about your research is a vital part of the writing process. Critical thinking involves
questioning and making decisions about the sources of information, the findings emerging from
those sources, the reliability of the research and its usefulness in supporting the argument that
you are trying to make.
Demonstrating critical thinking involves:
n questioning what you have read (for example, is it objective? what was the motivation for
the writing? does the author present a balanced view?) (Manchester University, 2019)
n distinguishing fact from opinion (Wong, 2015)
n recognising that just because research is published does not necessarily mean that it is reliable
n sometimes disagreeing with research findings
n considering what some other writers have to say about a particular piece of research.
STEP
NOW GET WRITING
2 THE DRAFT
Introduction
Writing is a skill that can be developed and improved over time. In order to continuously improve
your writing, you will have to evaluate and critique your writing on an on-going basis. This section
will look at the basics of writing, how to build it up from sentences to paragraphs, using transition
words and phrases and will look at various punctuation marks. Paraphrasing and summarising will
also be covered. This section will conclude with some guidance on integrating graphics within your
written assessment work, structuring your writing, and referencing your sources.
What is a sentence?
A sentence is a group of words put together in a way that expresses an idea. A sentence always
begins with a capital letter and ends with a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark. A
sentence should always include a subject (who or what the sentence is about) and a verb (a word
to describe an action or state).
Sentences can be short or long; there’s no correct number of words. However, if you find that
your sentences go on for lines, check if you should split it up into two sentences. If you need to
join two sentences together then you must use a joining word known as a ‘conjunction’.
Conjunctions include: and, then, but, therefore.
Changing the order of words in a sentence can help to make the meaning of a
TIP: sentence clearer and easier to understand. It is important to make a sentence
as clear as you can.
Sentences are usually categorised based on the number and types of clauses.
Types of sentences Example of sentences
SIMPLE SENTENCES Our centre is always the

a single independent first to open in the
clause morning.
Our centre is always the

COMPOUND SENTENCES
first to open in the
two independent clauses
morning and it’s usually
joined by a conjunction
the last to close in the
evening.
COMPLEX
an independent clause I did my homework
and one or more while the kids watched
dependent clauses the TV.
COMPOUND-COMPLEX You can handwrite your

contains three or more assignments, but using
clauses (of which at least the computer is better as
two are independent and you can easily fix your
one is dependent)
mistakes.
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Writing that contains mostly short, simple sentences can be uninteresting or even irritating to
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read. Writing that consists of mostly long complex sentences can be difficult to read and
understand. When writing you should try to have a combination of both.
Problems to watch out for:
n Run-on sentences – two separate sentences that the writer has failed to separate with a
full stop, question mark or exclamation mark. For example:
I enjoy the practical parts of the course the most as I find

them more interesting and easier to follow.
I enjoy the practical parts of the course the most. I find them
more interesting and easier to follow.
TIP: Read your piece aloud. If you stop in speech then you should stop in writing.
n Sentence fragments – these are unfinished sentences i.e. they do not contain a complete
idea. For example:
I don’t think that I will be able to afford the tickets.

Because I am not working.
I don’t think that I will be able to afford the tickets

because I am not working.
TIP: Dependent clauses should not appear on their own.
n Rambling sentences – many clauses often connected by a conjunction.
We went to London on holidays and then we went to visit Buckingham Palace

and then we saw the Queen arriving and then we went back to the hotel
and turned on the television and there we were on the news!
We went to London on holidays. We visited Buckingham Palace and saw the

Queen arriving. Afterwards we went back to the hotel, turned on the
television and saw ourselves on the news.
TIP: If your sentence contains more than two conjunctions, then it is likely a rambling
sentence.
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What is a paragraph?
A paragraph is a series of sentences that are coherently organised and generally relate to a single
idea. Paragraphs subdivide your writing according to topics or key points. Each paragraph should
discuss just one idea.
The opening sentence of a paragraph is often the Topic Sentence. This sentence informs the
reader what the paragraph will be about. Try reading the first sentence of each paragraph of an
article – this will give you an idea of the key points for the whole text.
The rest of the paragraph continues with specific statements to explain or support the topic
sentence. These are called support sentences. All sentences that follow the topic sentence must
then contribute to your argument by providing supporting ideas, and/or specific examples in a
logical and coherent order.
Concluding sentences are used to conclude a paragraph, there can be different types of
concluding sentences. You can summarise what you have just said in a ‘recap’ type sentence.
Alternatively, you may wish to finish with a sentence that will bring you on to the next paragraph.
Below you will see an example of how a paragraph is constructed using a topic sentence, a
number of supporting sentences and a concluding sentence.
Topic Sentence
Exercise is one of the most effective ways of improving our mental health.
Support Sentence 1
Firstly, physical exercise can counteract the symptoms of depression and contribute to
improved mood as exercise releases chemicals that regulate mood and sleep.
Support Sentence 2
Additionally, exercise can help people cope in a healthy way when presented with mental or
emotional challenges in life. Exercise is a far better alternative to alcohol and drug use or
other negative behaviours (Harris, Cronkite and Moos, 2006).
Support Sentence 3
Finally, participating in physical activities can offer opportunities for interactions with
people and can expand a person’s social support networks. Feeling socially included is an
important factor in a person’s quality of life (Higgins, 2008).
Recap: Clearly, the positive effects of exercise indicate that participation should be
encouraged.
or
Transition: While there is much research on the benefits of exercise, there are also studies
that claim that too much exercise can have a negative impact on health.
Table 4: Structuring a paragraph
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Here’s what the full paragraph looks like with the final sentence acting as a transition that leads
into the next paragraph:
Topic sentence
Exercise is one of the most effective ways of improving our mental health. Firstly,
physical exercise can counteract the symptoms of depression and contribute to improved
mood as exercise releases chemicals that regulate mood and sleep. Additionally, exercise
can help people cope in a healthy way when presented with mental or emotional
challenges in life. Exercise is a far better alternative to alcohol and drug use or other
negative behaviours (Harris, Cronkite and Moos, 2006). Finally, participating in physical
activities can offer opportunities for interactions with people and can expand a person’s
social support networks. Feeling socially included is an important factor in a person’s
quality of life (Higgins, 2008). While there is much research on the benefits of exercise,
there are also studies that claim that too much exercise can have a negative impact on
health.
Concluding sentence: this acts

as a transition to the next paragraph
which could discuss the issues
of too much exercise
Transition Words or Phrases
Transition words or phrases allow you to move logically and smoothly from one sentence to the
next. See Table 5 for a list of transition words.
Using the same paragraph as above, have a look at the use of the transition words in the
paragraph (highlighted in blue) and see how they help develop the idea and help the reader
follow your train of thought:
Exercise is one of the most effective ways of improving our mental health. Firstly,
physical exercise can counteract the symptoms of depression and increase mood as
exercise releases chemicals that regulate mood and sleep. Additionally, exercise can help
people cope in a healthy way when presented with mental or emotional challenges in life.
Exercise is a far better alternative to alcohol, drugs or other negative behaviours (Harris,
Cronkite and Moos, 2006). Finally, participating in physical activities can offer
opportunities for interactions with people and can expand a person’s social support
networks. Feeling socially included is an important factor in a person’s quality of life
(Higgins, 2008).
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The following table gives more examples of transition words that can be used:
To show…….. Words that can be used ……

To show addition/similarity again, and, also, besides, indeed, moreover, equally
important, first (second, etc.), further, furthermore, in
addition, additionally, in the first place, next, too
To give examples for example, for instance, such as, in fact, specifically, that is,
to illustrate, particularly
To compare also, similarly, in the same manner, correspondingly, likewise,
equally, by the same token
To contrast although, and yet, at the same time, but, despite, conversely,
instead, even though, however, in contrast, in spite of, in
opposition, nevertheless, on the contrary, on the other hand,
still, though
To summarise or conclude all in all, to conclude, in conclusion, thus, so, in other words,
in short, in summary, therefore, consequently, to sum up, as a
result
To show time after, afterwards, as, as long as, as soon as, at last, before,
during, earlier, finally, formerly, immediately, later, meanwhile,
next, since, shortly, subsequently, then, thereafter, until,
when, while
To show place or direction above, below, beyond, close, elsewhere, farther on, here,
nearby, opposite, to the left
To indicate logical relationship therefore, accordingly, as a result, because, consequently, for
this reason, hence, if, otherwise, since, so, then, thus
Table 5: List of transition words
Punctuation marks – what they mean and how to use them
Punctuation is used by the writer to help create sense, clarify meaning or create emphasis
within the writing.
Punctuation marks are like signals to the reader as to how the piece of text should be read,
such as where to pause or stop, what words to emphasise or where to raise or lower the voice
if reading aloud.
Have a look at the two signs below to see how punctuation marks can alter the meaning of
sentences.
SLOW, CATTLE SLOW CATTLE

CROSSING CROSSING
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Punctuation Explanation Example

Mark
. Full Stop Used to mark the end of a In this article, we are informed of
sentence the barriers to effective
communication.
, Comma Used to mark a pause in a The article, surprisingly, was
sentence interesting.
Used to separate ideas or The information presented was

elements clear, factual and objective.
: Colon Used to precede a list of The qualities of a successful
items or explanations entrepreneur include the
following: creativity, discipline,
confidence, determination and
open-mindedness.
; Semi-colon Used to separate phrases in On our holidays we visited the
a list or connect two zoo; the wax museum; attended a
independent clauses. It is play and went on an open-top bus
stronger than a comma and tour. Michael went to the library;
not as strong as a full stop Tina went to football training.
- hyphen Used to join 2 or more This two-year programme is
words together (there are divided into four modules.
no spaces on either side of
the hyphen.)
Punctuation Explanation Example
Mark
_ Dash Used to place emphasis on You can tell from a photograph –
the text after or before the especially a formal portrait – if the
dashes (the opposite of person is aware of being
parenthesis) photographed.
Used to indicate a pause
(There are spaces on either

side of the dash)
Used to indicate a range King Lear was a deeply flawed

character – he was gullible,
arrogant, morally blind and rash.
() Parenthesis Used to separate out King Lear was a deeply flawed

information that is not character (gullible, arrogant,
essential to the meaning of morally blind and rash).
the sentence
The reader puts less

The emerging trend is significant
emphasis on the words
(see Table 2).
within parenthesis
! Exclamation Used to add emphasis or It was incredible!
mark exclaim
? Question Used to ask a question Is this the trend of the future?

mark
‘ Apostrophe Used to show ownership Blackmores’s research clearly

shows the possibility for…
To show when a letter is It’s worrying that we do not yet

omitted know the implications of…
Table 6: List of commonly used punctuation marks
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Paraphrasing and Summarising
Paraphrasing and summarising are two critical skills of good writers. It is important to be able
to paraphrase and summarise so that you can integrate your research findings and ideas into
your writing without having to rely on directly quoting material. All sources cited must be
referenced.
Paraphrasing is when you take an author’s information, idea or suggestion and put it into
your own words. You are still using someone’s work so you must reference it. You do not need
to use quotation marks when you paraphrase, but you must clearly show the reader the original
source of your information. You must be very careful to indicate which part of your writing is a
paraphrase of the original source so that the reader is clear on the source used.
Summarising is providing a brief statement of the main points of a piece of work. This is
also a way of referring to someone else’s information, idea or suggestion without using direct
quotations. You must not change the original meaning and you still need to cite and reference
the source.
The following extract is taken from Safety and Health at Work: QQI Level 5 (Nifast, 2015, p.3):
Responsibility for safety and health management ultimately rests with the employer.
This responsibility is normally delegated to executive directors, senior managers, line
managers, supervisors and employees. Each person’s authority and duties should be
clearly defined, documented and communicated to them. The organisational and
reporting structure for implementing these duties should be illustrated in an in-house
organisational chart which should be included in the company’s safety statement.
The following are two different examples of how you might paraphrase:
Employers are ultimately responsible for health and safety in the workplace (Nifast, 2015).
or
According to Nifast (2015) responsibility for health and safety is often delegated to key
senior employees within the organisation.
Next is an example of a summary of the extract:
While health and safety is primarily the responsibility of the employer, it is often
delegated to personnel in roles of authority and responsibility (Nifast, 2015). They also
say that it is essential that each person’s responsibility is clearly defined and included in
the safety statement (Nifast, 2015).
Writing in the first, second or third person

Writing in the first, second or third person are ways of describing points of view. Where an
objective approach is necessary, you may be expected to write in the third person. Other
assessments may require that you write in the first person, where more personal responses are
needed. You should follow the guidance provided by your teaching staff about which approach
to use. Whatever approach you follow, it is essential that you are consistent throughout each
piece of written work.
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The first person is the ‘I’/’We’ perspective. When we talk about ourselves, our opinions and
the things that happen to us, we generally speak in the first person. A sentence is written in
the first person by using first-person pronouns e.g. I, me, my, mine and myself. We, us, our
and ourselves are also first-person pronouns.
Second person is the ‘you’ perspective. The second person’s point of view belongs to the
person (or people) being addressed. A sentence is written in the second person by using second-
person pronouns e.g. you, your, yours, yourself, yourselves.
Third person is the ‘he’/’she’/’one’/’it’/’they’ perspective. The third person’s viewpoint belongs to
the person (or people) being talked about and can include naming people, for example, Jones
claimed that… or naming groups, for example, teachers, students, etc. and uses pronouns like he,
him, his, himself, she, her, hers, herself, it, its, itself, they, them, their, theirs, and themselves.
Writing in the third person can also include reference to one or the author (when referring to
themselves).
Many educational institutions require academic work to be written in the third person.
You should check with your teaching staff to see if you should write in the first,
TIP: second or third person in your written assessment work.
The following examples of sentences written in first, second and third person
First Person I am undertaking this research in the area of early childhood nutrition as I
believe that early nutrition has an impact on a person’s health in the long term.
Second person You would need to make sure that all sources of information are reliable and
accurate before using them in your academic work.
Third person Jones (2017) claimed that exercising or being in the outdoors has many
benefits.
Students report better learning experiences when technology is used as part of

teaching.
Table 7: Examples of sentences written in the first, second and third person
From sentence to paragraph to the completed writing
Creating logical flow in your writing is important to allow the reader to read seamlessly through
your written work. Remember, readers want to be able to follow your train of thought not only
from sentence to sentence and from paragraph to paragraph, but right throughout the whole
piece. They don’t want to read a paragraph only to find that it has led to a dead end. Similarly,
they don’t want to move to the next paragraph only to be met with a completely new and
unrelated idea. So how does a writer ensure logical flow?
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There are a number of ways that you, as the writer, can ensure logical flow in a piece of
writing:
n transitional words and phrases can be used to help the reader follow the writer’s train of
thought, that is, how you moved from one thought to the next or how one thought leads
you to the next;
n key points (paragraphs) should be organised in a logical sequence, for example, most
important to least important, or, first to last;
n the consistent use of tense, person, style, tone and grammar will also facilitate the reader
to move more comfortably through the piece.
Using graphics in your written assessment work
It may be necessary to insert figures, tables, images or other graphics within your written work.
They should only be used if they can add to or support your text and they should be located at
a point within your text that is relevant to the reader (University of Birmingham, 2015).
Figures are graphs, diagrams or illustrations/images. Tables are data presented in tabular
form. These graphics may be copied from another source, which must be acknowledged, or
may be entirely your own work (University of Birmingham, 2015).
Images you will find on the web are protected by copyright law and cannot be simply cut and
pasted into your work. You must always give a source for the figure or table, and never use
copyright material without acknowledgement (University of Birmingham, 2015).
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Labelling Graphics
Each figure or table should be labelled to have:
1. a number sequence that follows the order it appears in the text (e.g. Figure 1, Figure 2,
Table 1, Table 2);
2. a title that clarifies what the data is about.
Be consistent about where you place the label, either below or above the graphic.
Referring to Graphics within your written work

If you have gone to the trouble of inserting a figure or table into your written assessment work,
it is important to effectively refer to it within the written body of text to maintain the logical flow
of your work. You could use statements like:
Figure 1 below suggests that…

Table 2 provides evidence that…
The pie chart (Figure 4), overleaf, indicates that there are more…
Here are two examples of the effective use of a graphic within a piece of text:
Figure 3 below shows that in 2016, there were more elderly women living alone than men.
Women accounted for 62.3 per cent of all elderly people living alone. Among the older age
group – aged 85 and over – women accounted for almost three-quarters of those living alone.
Text introduces the figure

85-89
Text helps to continue
the logical flow of your
80-84
writing
75-79
Figure label
70-74
Figure title
65-69
25 15 5 5 15 25
Thousands
Male Female
Figure 3: Males and females aged 65 and

over living alone by age group
(CSO, 2017, p. 30)
Figure 7: Example of the use of a graphic within a piece of written text
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Figure 4 presents information on the marital status of the population aged 15 years and over in
April 2016 compared with 2011. It shows that while the actual number of those married
increased by 83,547 over the five years, the percentage of the population who were married
remained stable at 37.6 per cent.
The majority of this increase (70,290) was among those married for the first time with a further
9,031 re-married. Same-sex civil partnerships were captured separately for the first time in
2016 and the results show there were 4,226 persons in this category in 2016. A further 706
persons identified as being in a same-sex couple were married.
Actual Change Change %

(’000s)
100 20
50 10
0 0
Single Married Separated Divorced Widowed
Actual Change Percentage change
Figure 4: Marital status of the population aged 15 years and over

(CSO, 2017, p. 28)
Figure 8: Example of the use of a graphic within a piece of written text
Structuring your writing
Writing is a process that you have to work through and most writers draft and redraft before
submitting a piece of written work. Start by writing the sections where you have most knowledge.
Then continue to check the logic, content, relevance and how you are meeting the requirements
of the assessment brief. It is important to structure your writing in a way that will bring the reader
with you from the introduction, through the points and arguments you are making and on to the
conclusion(s) and recommendation(s).
The following pages will provide you with a guide as to how you might structure your written
assessment work. On page 52 you will see a typical structure for a piece of academic writing.
Your teaching staff may provide you with an outline structure but if they don’t, this structure may
be useful. The following pages will also outline for you what could be included in the various
sections of your academic written work and some phrases that you might find helpful for
completing your written assessment work.
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Introduction
Say what you are going to argue/discuss/explore/research and say how you are going to
do that. You may also introduce key terms in the introduction. This section should be
approximately 10-15% of the word count.
Main Body
Identify the key issues/points to be argued/discussed and argue/discuss those key

points. Support the argument/discussion with appropriate research and reference
sources appropriately. This section should be approximately 50-70% of the word count.
Conclusions
Summarise what you said and draw conclusions from your argument/discussion from the
main body. There should be no new information introduced in the conclusion. This
section should be approximately 10-20% of the word count
Recommendations
Make sensible and realistic recommendations (if required). These should relate to the
points made in the main body and the conclusions. These should be approximately 0-15%
of word count.
Bibliography/References
Reference all sources cited in your written assessment work using the appropriate
referencing system (see Referencing Handbook for the FET Sector). Reference lists and
bibliographies do not form part of the word count.
(Sheehy, 2016, p.7)
Writing the introduction
The introduction to your piece of academic writing is your opportunity to capture the interest of
the reader and to encourage them to read on. Therefore, it is important that your introduction
should clearly introduce the topic or subject of your written assessment work, in a manner that
will engage your audience.
The content of the introduction will vary according to the subject matter being explored. Generally,
the introduction should:
n define the context or background of the topic or subject
n identify the area of study
n define the topic and/or key terms being explored
n indicate the purpose of the writing
n provide signposting as to what will be covered and where
Here are some phrases that may be useful to consider when writing your introduction:
n In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in...
n Historically, (…) has been thought to have significant influence on…
n A key event in the development of...
n The past (X) years have seen major advances in the field of...
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n There is increasing concern that some (target group) are being disadvantaged by...
n This research will focus on (…) rather than (…)
n The aim of this research is to evaluate...
n This assignment/essay/project has been divided into five key sections. The first section
deals with...
n This assignment/essay/project begins by providing an overview of the context for the

research... It will then go on to (discuss/evaluate/explore/analyse/reflect on)...
n Throughout this assignment/essay/project the term (…) will refer to...
(Adapted from Sheehy, 2016, p.8)
While these phrases may be useful for the introduction, they can be used
TIP: throughout your written assessment work.
Writing the main body
In writing the main body for your assessment, it is important to identify the key points that will
form the basis of your argument or discussion. Remember to refer back to your assessment brief
and notes from your brainstorm or mindmap. For each of the key points that you present in your
argument/discussion, consider the following:
n the context
n information gathered
n findings from your primary research (where required by the assessment brief)
n limitations of the research
n transitions between the key points so that the writing flows seamlessly from one key point to
the next
n the guidance provided in the assessment brief
n your own position in relation to the key points (where required in the assessment brief)
n examples, references and other evidence to support your position
n critical reflection (where required in the assessment brief).
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Here are some phrases that may be useful in writing the main body of the piece where the key
points are argued/discussed:
n A review of the literature on this topic highlights…
n More recent arguments include…
n Recent studies have identified the links between (…) and (…)…
n In a comparison between the two groups...
n A mixed methods research approach was used…
n I used a case study approach
n This research challenges previous research…
n The argument presented in relation to (…) relies heavily on...
n An obvious problem with this approach is that it fails to take (…) into account…
n There appears to be a gap in the research in relation to...
n The author did not clearly (define the concept/explain the context, etc.)…
n It was not clear that the researcher considered…
n One criticism of the existing literature on (…) may be that it is (dated/focused almost
exclusively on a different target group/based on quantitative research only)
n The most significant advantage/disadvantage of…
n These research findings are based on data from studies undertaken (X) years ago and it is
unclear if these (differences/anomalies/conflicts/circumstances, etc.) still exist...
n The most (interesting/striking/significant/concerning/frightening) result to emerge from the

data is that...
How to structure an argument
In order to make your point and convince your reader, you will need to make a good argument.
There are a number of ways that you can do this - see how the argument is developed in the
example below. Note that the colours link the strategies to the examples.
n state your own position on the issue
n acknowledge there are different positions or sides to the argument
n give examples
n give a clear line of reasoning
n provide evidence that supports your argument
n make a strong conclusion in order to convince the reader that the argument is made
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Climate change and the case for hard decisions
In the face of climate change more has to be done to reduce carbon emissions in the next two
years. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released figures in 2018 that show Ireland will
not meet its target to reduce carbon emissions by 20% by 2020. In fact, partly because of the
use of fossil fuels in industry and transport, the EPA forecast that Ireland will achieve a mere 1%
reduction (EPA, 2018a). Brave decisions must be taken at a national level such as taxing carbon-
producing fossil fuel activities and at the same time investing in the development of so-called
clean fuels and carbon catcher systems.
Such decisions will come up against opposition. For one, aspects are likely to be unpopular with
the general public because it may mean many people having to pay more for transport and home
heating. Riots in the streets, such as the ‘yellow jacket’ protests in France starting in late 2018,
show just how strong public opposition can be and how it can force a government to back down
on imposing environmental tax (Willsher, 2018).
For another, there are climate change deniers who argue that global warming is not caused by
man-made activities and that attempts to reduce carbon emissions only damage industry, the
economy and livelihoods. US President Trump for example has been quoted as saying about
climate change ‘But I don’t know that it’s man-made’ and that complying with the Paris Agreement
on reducing greenhouse gas emissions would have cost millions of jobs and economic revenue
(Friedman, 2018).
It is understandable that attempts to reduce carbon emissions will have difficult consequences.
However, it is crucial to remember that climate change is, for many, the most pressing problem
facing the world today. Carbon emissions from fossil fuels contribute in large part to the rise in
global temperature (EPA, 2018b). The resulting environmental devastation that is already evident
in climate chaos may ultimately be a human catastrophe. Governments everywhere need to make
tough decisions that prioritise our longer-term interests over short term interests. Our future
depends on it.
Reference list for example of argument on page 58
EPA. (2018a) We need to move away from fossil fuels, EPA emissions projections show. Dublin:
Environmental Protection Agency. Available from:
http://www.epa.ie/newsandevents/news/pressreleases2018/name,64049,en.html [accessed 19
December 2018].
EPA. (2018b) So what causes climate change? Wexford: Environmental Protection Agency.
Available from http://www.epa.ie/climate/communicatingclimatescience/whatisclimatechange/
[accessed 19 December 2018].
Friedman, L. (2018) ‘I Don’t Know That It’s Man-Made,’ Trump Says of Climate Change. It Is.
The New York Times, 15 October. Available from
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/15/climate/trump-climate-change-fact-check.html
[accessed 19 December 2018].
Willsher, K. (2018) ‘Gilets jaunes’ protesters threaten to bring France to a standstill. The
Guardian, 16 November. Available from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/16/gilet-
jaunes-yellow-jackets-protesters-france-standstill [accessed 19 December 2018].
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Writing the conclusion
The conclusion is about tying up the ideas and points that have been argued/discussed in the
main body of your written assessment work. Conclusions are generally short and usually serve
both to summarise and bring together the main areas covered in the writing as well as to give a
final comment, judgement or opinion on what has been discussed or argued.
Only information included in the main body of the text should be referred to in the
TIP: conclusion section. Do not introduce new information in the conclusion.
Here are some phrases that may be useful in writing the conclusion(s) of your written assessment
work:
n This assignment/essay/project has explored the (importance/significance/impact, etc.) of…
n The purpose of this assignment/essay/project was to (evaluate/analyse/determine/reflect

on/consider)...
n This assignment/essay/project clearly demonstrates the linkages between...
n One of the more significant findings from this study is...
n The most noteworthy finding of this research is…
n The results of the research suggest that...
n This research project has generated enhanced understanding of...
n Therefore, it can be concluded that...
n The implication of this is...
(Adapted from Sheehy, 2016, p. 11)
Writing recommendations
You may or may not be required to include recommendations and the assessment brief will indicate
if these are required. Having written your conclusion(s) it should be relatively straightforward to
identify some recommendations. These can include suggestions for improvements in relation to
the key points in your argument and/or suggestions for future research or development.
Recommendations should be realistic and brief.
Here are some phrases that may be useful in writing the recommendations of your written
assessment work:
n The results of this study highlight the need for further investigation in the area of...
n A comparative analysis on the experiences of (…) may yield interesting results…
n An improvement to (…) is recommended…
n Increased monitoring of the implementation of (…) is recommended…
n Additional training in the areas highlighted in the research is recommended….
n In order to meet (legislative/governing/regulatory, etc.) requirements, (…) it is suggested…
n The findings of this study highlight a number of potential courses of action...
n A targeted/focussed intervention may be useful/appropriate in order to address…
n An approach worth considering might be to…
n Clearly, there is an identified need in relation to…
n It would be interesting to…
(Adapted from Sheehy, 2016, p. 12)
STEP
NOW GET WRITING
2 THE DRAFT
How to think critically when writing
Critical thinking skills are sometimes described as “higher order” skills – that is, skills requiring
ways of thinking that are deeper and more complex than the kind of everyday thinking that we
use to, say, cook a meal or decide what clothes to wear.
A framework that describes different levels of thinking can be helpful to start to understand the
concept of critical thinking. Blooms Taxonomy of Educational Objectives (1956) is one of the
best -known of these (see Figure 9).
‘Creating’, ‘evaluating’ and ‘analysing’ are categorised here as being higher-order skills.
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Produce new or original work
Design, assemble, construct, conjecture, develop, formulate, author, investigate
Justify a stand or decision

Appraise, argue, defend, judge, select, support, value, critique, weigh
Draw connections among ideas

Differentiate, organise, relate, compare, contrast, distinguish,
examine, experiment, question, test
Use information in new situations

Execute, implement, solve, use, demonstrate,
interpret, operate, schedule, sketch
Explain ideas or concepts

Classify, describe, discuss, explain, identify,
locate, recognise, report, select, translate
Recall facts and basic concepts

Define, duplicate, list, memorise,
repeat, state
Figure 9: Bloom’s taxonomy (Sjolander, 2019)
Here is a selection of phrases that may be helpful in demonstrating your ability to write critically
in your academic work:
Previous studies in this area have not dealt with…
These results were based upon data from over 30 years ago and therefore may not accurately
reflect the current situation…
The author offers no explanation for the distinction between X and Y.
The study would have been more interesting if it had included…
A more comprehensive study would include all the groups of…
A better study would examine a large, randomly selected sample of societies with…
The most important of these criticisms is that Smith failed to note that…
Many analysts now argue that this strategy has not been successful. Jones (2003), for example,
argues that…
Jones (2003) has also questioned why…
A recently published article by Smith et al. (2011) casts doubt on Jones’ assumption that…
(Adapted from the University of Manchester, 2019)
STEP
NOW GET WRITING
2 THE DRAFT
Referencing
Referencing is a standard method of acknowledging the sources of information you have consulted
when preparing your written assessment work. Referencing is necessary to ensure that:
n all your arguments are clearly supported by evidence
n you follow academic standards/conventions
n research that you have read and/or undertaken is convincing
n the reader can find the sources that you used
n the assessor can see how widely that you have read
n you showcase a good knowledge of the subject matter
n the assessment work will reflect expected good academic values and practice
n you avoid plagiarism
n the assessment work that you submitted is credible

(Adapted from FESS/ETBI, 2019, p.12)
For further information on referencing and how to reference the various sources of information
that you may use in completing your written assessment work, please refer to the Referencing
Handbook for the Further Education and Training (FET) Sector (2019). That handbook includes
information on what referencing is, why referencing is necessary, what sources need to be
referenced, plagiarism and how to avoid it and it provides an easy-to-follow three-step process.
The three-step process guides you through sourcing and recording your information sources,
making in-text citations and building your reference list. The second part of the handbook shows
you how to reference all of the different sources that you are likely to use in the completion of
your assessment work.
The Referencing Handbook for the Further Education and Training (FET) Sector is available from
https://fess.ie/images/stories/ResourcesForTutors/Referencing_Handbook_files/Referencing_Hand
book_February_2019.pdf.
STEP
REVIEWING THE DRAFT
3
Why review your work?

It is very important that you leave enough time after completing your written assessment work to
re-read (review) the work as a whole and make any changes before submission. Very few people
are capable of writing a perfect version of anything on their first attempt. Many people even draft
simple messages before writing the final version (e.g. birthday cards). Writing for your course
requires even more thought.
A piece of writing can go through a number of drafts to improve clarity and ensure that the
necessary points outlined in the assessment brief have been addressed. Ideally, you should finish
drafting your written assessment work several days before the deadline date so that there will be
sufficient time to review it. There are a number of steps that may make reviewing your work
easier and more effective:
Print a copy of your assignment to read, rather than reading it on the computer screen. Many people find this to
be an easier way to read longer pieces of writing, and to see their own writing ‘with new eyes’. Typewritten work
is easier to read than handwritten work.
After writing the draft, it is helpful to take a break from it before reviewing it. This may help to clear your head
and renew your focus.
Reading your assignment aloud may help you determine if your draft of your written assessment work:
n meets the requirements of the assessment brief
n is logical and clear in the discussion/argument
n shows that the main and supporting ideas are grouped in a way that is understandable to your reader
n shows that the ideas and information flow logically from one to the next
n is appropriately referenced
n has sentences and paragraphs that are complete and grammatically accurate
n is free from errors
It is important to remove information, descriptions, etc. that are not useful or that do not add to the draft written
assessment work.
Try to imagine reading your assignment from the perspective of someone else – your assessor, the person marking
your work, an employer – to change your focus from being the writer to being the reader.
Ask someone else to read your draft written assessment work or read it to them and take feedback. They may be
able to identify elements that do not make sense or are unclear.
Read more on the topic to make sure that you have included all of the key points in your draft.
Consider what other changes you need to make to the draft to support you in achieving a good grade. In this way
you are becoming your own assessor and developing your critical thinking and evaluation skills.
Use a spell-check and grammar check on your computer.
Check carefully that references are included for all sources used (see Referencing Handbook for the FET Sector).
Table 8: Useful steps for reviewing your written assessment work
Feedback on written assessment work
Feedback is a crucial part of learning. One-to-one advice on how your work could be perceived by
the assessor is invaluable. For this reason, it is useful for somebody to read your work to see if
it brings them clearly and logically through all the main points. This person could be a fellow
learner, family member or a friend. They may be able to offer comments on what worked well,
what did not work well, and provide recommendations for improvement. Feedback can help you
to identify your strengths and weaknesses. This is constructive feedback and can be used to
improve your performance in producing written work in the future.
If the assessor offers you an opportunity to submit a draft of your written

TIP: assessment work, you should avail of this opportunity to get feedback that may
help you improve the quality and grade of your finished work.
It is useful to collate all feedback received so that it is easier to look back over it
TIP: and identify common mistakes to avoid repeating them in the future.
STEP
EDITING AND PROOFREADING
4 THE DRAFT
What is editing?
Editing is about preparing your draft assessment work for submission by making modifications to it.
Why do we edit?
It is important that the best possible version of the work is submitted so that you are likely to
achieve the best possible mark. Very often people write assessment work in stages but it is
important to read the document in its entirety and make sure that any improvements or corrections
are made before submission.
What is proofreading?
Proofreading is the final stage when you check for minor errors and you correct them. At this
point you read in a superficial way, with your eyes open only to errors in spelling, grammar or
punctuation, and typing mistakes (also called typos).
When you write, you get used to seeing what is on the page, including errors, so it can be easy
to miss them. To make it easier to spot mistakes, try reading your work aloud. Reading aloud
makes you look differently at the written word.
You can also ask a friend to proofread for you. They will have fresh eyes and may see what you
cannot see anymore.
There are a number of things that you should consider when editing and proofreading your written
work:
Make sure your sentences make sense Check:
n if it makes sense
n the sentences flow
n the tenses are correct, etc.
Syntax should be easy to follow and Syntax is about making sure that the words
understand and phrases are arranged in a way that makes
well-formed sentences. If you have long and
rambling sentences, consider breaking them
up into a number of shorter sentences. Use
punctuation correctly.
Eliminate any words that lessen the Only use words that add value or meaning to
impact what you are saying. Be careful about writing
in the same way that you speak, this may lead
to you including unnecessary words that do
not add meaning or value, for example, “I
actually think….”, there is no need for the
word actually in this phrase.
Hold your reader’s attention It is important to hold the reader’s attention in

every sentence as well as for the duration of
the document. Sometimes if a sentence is too
long and complicated you can lose the
reader’s attention and that may impact how
they read the rest of the work.
STEP
4 THE DRAFT
Remove any terms or phrases that It is beneficial to think of your reader when
convey an unintended meaning writing your work so as to avoid projecting
bias or prejudice through your choice of
words, even if this is unintentional.
Use a thesaurus If you find that you are using the same word
repeatedly, you should consider looking for
alternative words using a thesaurus. Using
different words to describe the same thing will
help maintain the reader’s interest.
Make sure your voice comes through Writing for assessment is not all about saying
what others have said, a very important
element is saying what you think of what
others have said on the topic. It is essential
that your voice comes through in your writing,
otherwise it is just a collection of information
and opinions from other sources. Your voice
should make clear your position on the topic
being discussed/argued.
Eliminate clichés Any phrases that you have heard and read too
many times should be avoided, for example,
needless to say, vicious circle, etc. Try to make
the writing your own and come up with your
own metaphors or phrases.
Double check the words and facts you Sometimes when you are writing you may
aren’t sure about include something that you are not sure
about, these should be checked as part of the
editing and proofreading process and
referenced accordingly.
Use technology You will probably be using a word processing

package that should highlight spelling,
punctuation and other issues and it is
important that you make appropriate
corrections. Other technology may be
available to you that may help with editing
and proofreading your work, you should use
whatever is made available to you.
Table 9: Some things to consider when editing and proofreading your written assessment work
(Adapted from Bielkova, 2019)
When you are editing your work, you should be looking at style and grammar and
TIP: make style changes at the sentence level to increase readability and flow.
STEP
4 THE DRAFT
When editing and proofreading you are likely to end up with a shorter, more concisely written
piece than your initial work.
Here is an example of a paragraph that has not been edited and proofread:
Exersise is supposed to be really good for you and I would say that it is really great for our
mental health. As they say, physical exercise can be good for a lot of things overcoming the
simptoms of depression and it can also improve your mood because exercise sends out
cemicals around the body that regulate and manage mood and sleep. Secondly, if, in your
life, you are faced a mental or emotional crisis, lots of the research says that exercise has
helped people cope with all of that. researchers like Harris, Cronkite and Moos (2006) say
that exercise is a way, way better for you than booze or drugs or other negative activities that
you could get into. doing some physical activity might also be a good way to meet meet up
with new people, make new friends and widen the range of people who could help and and
support you As Higgins (2008) rightly says, feeling included socially has a huge big impact on
a person’s quality of life
Here is an example of the same paragraph that has been edited and proofread. With the errors
corrected:
Exercise is one of the most effective ways of improving our mental health. Firstly, physical
exercise can counteract the symptoms of depression and increase mood as exercise releases
chemicals that regulate mood and sleep. Additionally, exercise can help people cope in a
healthy way when presented with mental or emotional challenges in life. Exercise is a far
better alternative to alcohol, drugs or other negative behaviours (Harris, Cronkite and Moos,
2006). Finally, participating in physical activities can offer opportunities for interactions with
people and can expand a person’s social support networks. Feeling socially included is an
important factor in a person’s quality of life (Higgins, 2008).
Errors to look out for when you are proofreading
Check for: Examples
Words that are spelt incorrectly There are two reasins why …
There are two reasons why …
Verb tenses and forms that are incorrect Scientists have being searching for a cure …
Scientists have been searching for a cure …
Grammar that is incorrect Their are two reasons why …
There are two reasons why …

Punctuation marks that are incorrect There are three potential outcomes;
There are three potential outcomes:
Typos Research “ on this ttopic points out …
Research on this topic points out …
Extra spaces The population is aging. According to …
The population is aging. According to …
Table 10: Errors to look out for when proofreading
PRESENTING AND SUBMITTING
STEP
FINISHED WRITTEN
5 ASSESSMENT WORK
Presenting your written assessment work
Once you are happy with your written assessment work and you think that it is ready to submit,
it is a good idea to check it for presentation. There may be further things that you can do to make
the document clear and easier to follow. Many centres and colleges have an agreed house style
which will provide you with information about how your written assessment should be presented.
If there is no guideline available, the following may be useful:
Cover page The cover page generally includes:
n module name and code

n title of the assessment
n submission date
n name of person to whom it must be submitted
n name of person submitting the work (you)
n FET centre/college logo.
Table of contents A list of chapters/sections with the page numbers.
Glossary An alphabetical list of terms that will be referred to in the document,

with an explanation of their meaning.
Font Using a consistent style and size of font, such as, Arial, Calibri, Verdana,
etc., makes the document easier to read. A 12pt font is considered
standard.
Only one font should be used throughout, unless different fonts are
required by the assessment brief.
Headings/sub-headings should use the same font but can be bolded

and/or can be slightly larger in size.
Headings and It is helpful to use headings/sub-headings in your document to indicate

sub-headings where certain information is located and it may help with the logic and
flow.
Spacing and Double-line spacing makes a document easier to read and allows space
margins for the assessor to include comments or feedback. The pre-set margins
on word processing packages are generally sufficient as they allow for
binding.
Alignment There should be consistency throughout the document as to whether

text is aligned with the left side of the page or justified (where the text
is aligned with the margins on both the left and right).
Bulleting Bullet points can be useful for highlighting key points or including lists
of items in the text, but should be used appropriately.
When using bullet points, it is visually more pleasing and less distracting
to use one style of bullets throughout, unless you use a different bullet
as a sub-bullet. When numbering is being used, it is better to use the
same style throughout.
Headers and The header is the information that is in the top margin of the document
footers and the footer is located in the bottom margin, these may include
information that can be repeated on every page of the document.
It may be useful to include:
n title of the assessment piece in the header

n your name and page number in the footer.
Page numbering It is useful to include page numbers as they can be used to reference
information as well as identifying if pages are missing.
A consistent format should be used, for example, 1, page 1 or page 1

of 10, etc.
PRESENTING AND SUBMITTING
STEP
FINISHED WRITTEN
5 ASSESSMENT WORK
Referencing Sources of information must be referenced using the referencing

system system indicated by staff in your centre/college, see Referencing
Handbook for the Further Education and Training (FET) Sector.
Tables and Tables are a useful way of organising data and presenting it in a way
figures that is easy to engage with.
Each table should have a title and be numbered, for example, Table 1
– Age profile of participants.
A list of tables should be included at the front of the document.

Figures include everything else, for example pictures, drawings,
scanned material, photographs, charts and graphs that are used to
show information or illustrate a point within your document.
Each figure should have a title and also be numbered, for example,
Figure 1 – Photo of confusing health and safety signage.
Tables and figures must be referred to in the text of the document.

Generally the table or figure would follow the paragraph in which
reference is made to it.
Tense It is important that there is consistency in the tense used throughout
the work.
Writing in the 1st, There should be a consistent approach to writing in the 1st, 2nd or 3rd
2nd or 3rd person person throughout the document. Generally, one approach should be
used throughout.
Table 11: Things to consider in relation to the presentation of written assessment work
Submitting your written assessment work
Written assessment work should be submitted as per the instructions you have received from your
centre or college. Submitting written assessment work can be done via Turnitin, Moodle, email, in
hard copy or by other means. It is essential that you submit your work by the deadline as late
submissions may have consequences for you.
REFERENCE LIST
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Osborn, A.F. (1957) Applied Imagination. Revised edition. Oxford: Scribner.
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handbook/the-writing-process/revising-editing-and-proofreading/ [accessed 21 January 2019].
Wong, L. (2015) Essentials of Study Skills. Trinity College (ND).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bibliography
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https://academichelp.net/samples/academics/essays/persuasive/students-not-wear-uniforms.html
[accessed 10 May 2019].
Academic Help (2019b) Economic Growth and Environmental Damage. Available from
https://academichelp.net/samples/academics/essays/persuasive/economy-and-environment.html
Bielkova, A. (2019) 10 Things To Look Out For When Line Editing by Adriana Bielkova. Available
from https://www.writing.ie/resources/10-things-to-look-out-for-when-line-editing/ [accessed 9
January 2019].
Buzan, T + Buzan, B. (2000) The Mind Map Book. London: Rutledge.
Central Statistics Office. (2017) Households and families. Available from

https://www.cso.ie/en/media/csoie/releasespublications/documents/population/2017/chapter_4_hou
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Co Dublin Vocational Education Committee (2008) Student Handbook: For FETAC Accredited
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Harvey, N. (2010) Effective Communication (3rd edition) Dublin: Gill and Macmillan.
Higgins, A. (2008) A Recovery Approach within the Irish Mental Health Services A Framework
for Development. Ireland: Mental Health Commission. Available from
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pdf?sequence=1 [accessed 15 March 2019].
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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https://www.learnamericanenglishonline.com/Write_in_English/WL13_expository_paragraphs.html
Meriam Library, California State University (2010) Is this source or information good? Available from
https://library.csuchico.edu/help/source-or-information-good [accessed 20 September 2018].
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recognition and award of qualifications in Ireland: Determinations for the Outline of the National
Framework of Qualifications. Dublin: National Qualifications Authority of Ireland.
Nifast (2015) Safety and Health at Work: QQI Level 5. Dublin: Gill & Macmillan.
Osborn, A.F. (1957) Applied Imagination. Revised edition. Oxford: Scribner.
Quramo Publishing (2019) Expository Writing. Available from

https://www.quramo.com/content/just-facts [accessed 10 May 2019].
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[unpublished]
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Postgraduate Taught students. Available from
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Wong, L. (2015) Essentials of Study Skills. Trinity College (ND).
APPENDICES
Appendix 1 Types of writing you may encounter in FET

Some other types of writing that you may encounter or engage with are as follows:
Types of writing Examples of writing

Creative – this is the type of writing that can Torrential rain poured down in icy sheets like
be fiction or non-fiction based and is focussed needles upon my face. The wind didn’t howl,
on the original style of writing of the author it screamed. The rain was not falling: it was
rather than imitating existing genres of driven, hard, merciless, torrential (The
writing. It can include novels, short stories, Student Room, 2019).
biographies, poems, screenplays, etc.
John Smith has a couple of years left until he
(The Student Room, 2019) retires from his job as a Doctor in Dublin
where he has worked for over 25 years. John
has loved this job as it has allowed him to
contribute to improving the quality of the lives
of his patients as well as, on occasion, saving
lives.
Descriptive – this is the writing you will find Chocolate chip cookies are one of the most
in a range of texts which may include popular desserts in the world. They can either
descriptions of events, processes, scenes, etc. be crispy or soft and have a sweet smell to
Basically, any writing that is describing them reminiscent of a bakery. They taste rich
something in a way that you can picture it. and melt in your mouth. When they bake,
These may include reports, books, poems, etc. they ‘wrinkle’ up in the oven, and the
combination of the nooks and crannies in the
dough with the mouth-watering chocolate
chips on top make them hard to resist
(Quramo Publishing, 2019).
APPENDICES

Values and ethics are principal to any
organisation. Values can be defined as those
things that are substantial/valuable to or
treasured by someone, it’s what we as
professional people judge to be correct both
personally and organisationally. Therefore,
ethics can be defined as moral standards that
rule one’s actions or the administering of an
activity (123 Help Me, 2019).
Expository – A piece written with the Advances in science and technology have
intention of explaining or describing made the use of “green” energy possible. In
something. This is the type of writing you will places where climate conditions permit,
find in text books and articles, which are fact- people can use solar energy or wind energy
based writings. You may be using these for power. Solar energy is the use of sunlight
sources as evidence in your academic writing. for energy and power. Humans can harness
the energy of the sun by installing solar panels
on their homes or businesses. Humans have
also found ways to harness the power of the
wind by using wind turbines to capture wind
energy. Both forms of “green” energy are
being used more and more.
English is the language spoken throughout

most of Canada, but in Quebec, the most
populated province, and in areas near
Quebec, French is the first language.
Therefore, Canadians recognize French and
English as official languages that are used in
business and government. Many people are
bilingual and easily go from French to English
and vice versa when speaking with tourists
(Learn American English, 2019).
Narrative – this is the type of writing that It was July 21, 1969, and Neil Armstrong
you will find in novels, biographies, etc. awoke with a start. It was the day he would
Basically, it is telling a story and can be based become the first human being to ever walk on
on fact or fiction. It can be educational, the moon. The journey had begun several
motivational or entertaining. days earlier, when on July 16th, the Apollo 11
launched from Earth headed into outer space.
On board with Neil Armstrong were Michael
Collins and Buzz Aldrin. The crew landed on
the moon in the Sea of Tranquillity a day
before the actual walk. Upon Neil’s first step
onto the moon’s surface, he declared, “That’s
one small step for man, one giant leap for
mankind (NASA, 2019).”
Ever since I could remember, I have spent

Christmas at my grandmother’s house, a
house which is full of comfort, warmth, and
happiness. At Christmas, I have always been
able to escape the cold and dark real world
APPENDICES

allowing myself to truly enjoy just several
moments in time. These moments have left
impressionable memories from my childhood
making Christmas a holiday that is special to me
and my family. It is a time for my family to get
together, share stories, laugh, and even cry
(123 Help Me, 2019).
Persuasive – this is the type of non-fiction School uniforms and why students wear them
writing which can be used in the development has been a topic of concern and debate for as
of logical arguments and is used in long as these clothes have been around.
advertisements, debates, etc. Words are Though people who argue that wearing
carefully chosen and teamed with logical uniforms in educational institutions make
argument to persuade the reader. people appear all equal, give a sense of
community, and teach discipline, I believe
there are more disadvantages to wearing
uniforms than advantages. Namely,
demanding students wear uniforms takes
away freedom, they are often uncomfortable,
they are a waste of money, they promote
conformity over individuality, and children’s
self-image is damaged more when they wear
uniforms at school (Academic Help, 2019a).
Though nowadays it is more often claimed
that humanity can develop without causing
damage to nature, there still are strong
opposing arguments to this hypothesis.
Development assumes economic growth, and
economic growth is impossible without
industry, which needs energy resources.
Currently, the range of goods required by
people has expanded significantly compared
to the times before modern industrial
technology was employed on a mass scale.
People feel the need, not only for primary
essentials, such as food and a roof over their
heads, but also for various facilities and
luxuries. Providing humanity with these
objects involves the exploitation of natural
resources. In turn, the conventional sources
of energy we use today cause pollution, so
economic growth is almost inevitably
associated with environmental damage (123
Help Me, 2019).
Depending on the programme of education and training that you are undertaking, it is likely that
you will be engaging with all of these and other types of writing and you may need to complete
assessments using one or more of these types of writing.
APPENDICES
Appendix 2 – Checklist for completing written assessment work
Assessment Follow the instructions in your assessment brief and where you are unclear
Brief as to what you have to do, check with the assessor so that you know what
you have to do, how you have to do it and what you have to submit.
Brainstorm Did you consider all of the ideas from your brainstorming activity?
Mind map If you used a mind-map, did you cover all your points and linkages made?
Planning Did you undertake appropriate research?

and
Did you plan to make sure that what you are including reflects the
preparation
requirements of the assessment brief?
Drafting Did you plan the logical flow for the structure of the writing so that one
and point flows logically to the next?
structure
Do you have:
n a compelling introduction with clear signposting
n a clear, concise and supported discussion/argument of the key

issues/points/ideas
n a logical and robust conclusion(s)
n recommendations (if appropriate)
n referencing/bibliography.
Where a claim is made, it must be supported. You need to:
n describe why you, as the writer, are making this claim

n argue why you believe this to be the case
n explain the context in which you are making this claim
n provide adequate support for your claim by referencing other research
n work through a series of drafts, improving each one as you go?
Reviewing Did you review your written work after the first draft?
and revising Did you make some revisions based on your review of the work so far?
Do the thoughts, ideas and arguments flow logically from one point to the next?
Editing and Have you read over your written assessment work?
proofreading Do the sentences make sense?
Have you checked for spelling, punctuation and other errors?
Assessment Read the brief again. Are you sure that you have included all of the
guidelines requirements of the assessment brief?
Assessment Read the brief again.

criteria Have you ensured that you have completed your work to the level that is
required by the verbs used in the assessment criteria, for example, explain,
describe, evaluate, etc.?
Tone Did you address the right audience?
Did you address the audience in the right way?
Coherence in Is the written assessment work:

the written n clearly and concisely written?
assessment n coherent and logical in approach?
work n objective and balanced?
n demonstrating adequate evidence to support the argument?
n making links between key points/ideas?
Consider the Will the reader understand what you are saying?
reader: Will the work keep the reader interested enough to read to the end?
Will it provide insightful information to the reader?
Is it worth investing the time to read it?
INDEX
A
Argument 4, 6, 10, 11, 20, 27, 29, 34, 52, 55, 56, 57, 61, 66, 82, 84, 85
Article 6, 34, 40, 63
Assessment 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 27, 28, 30, 44, 47, 51, 53,
54, 55, 60, 61, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 70, 71, 74, 75, 76, 77
Assessor 6, 14, 64, 66, 67, 75
Academic writing 3, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 27, 51, 53
B
Bibliography 4, 6, 17, 18, 26, 52, 82, 92
Brainstorm 3, 6, 14, 15, 17, 55, 92
C
Citation 6, 18
Cite 6, 28, 42, 52
Conclusion(s) 4, 7, 17, 26, 38, 51, 52, 57, 60, 61, 92
Creative 6, 16, 87
Critique 6, 30, 62
D
Data 6, 19, 21, 22, 24, 25, 47, 48, 56, 63, 76
Descriptive 87
Draft 3, 4, 9, 12, 17, 18, 51, 66, 67, 68, 80, 85, 92, 93
E
Expository 79, 80, 84, 88
External authenticator 2, 6, 7, 14
F
Figure(s) 5, 6, 7, 12, 17, 18, 19, 23, 25, 27, 28, 47, 48, 49, 50, 58, 62, 76, 81, 85
First person 43, 44, 45
G
Glossary 3, 6, 74
Graphics
I
Information 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 40, 41, 42, 45, 50, 52, 55,
60, 62, 64, 65, 66, 70, 74, 75, 76, 80, 84, 93
Introduction 3, 4, 9, 17, 30, 51, 52, 53, 54, 92
L
Literature 6, 7, 10, 19, 56
M
Main body 4, 7, 17, 52, 55, 56, 60
Mind map 3, 5, 6, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 55, 78, 82, 92
N
Narrative 6, 78, 82, 89
O
Objective 9, 10, 11, 18, 28, 29, 40, 43, 62, 93
P
Paragraph 3, 5, 17, 30, 34, 35, 36, 37, 45, 46, 66, 72, 76, 79, 84
Parameter 6
Paraphrase 6, 7, 42, 43
Paraphrasing 3, 17, 30, 42
Periodical(s) 7, 19
Persuasive 78, 82, 90
Plain English approach 7, 10
Planning 3, 5, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 23, 92
Primary research 3, 5, 21, 23, 24, 25, 55
Punctuation 3, 5, 17, 30, 39, 40, 41, 68, 69, 71, 73, 93
R
Reader 7, 9, 10, 34, 37, 39, 41, 42, 45, 46, 47, 51, 53, 57, 64, 66, 69, 70, 90, 93
Recommendation(s) 4, 17, 51, 52, 61, 67, 92
Reference 4, 6, 7, 10, 18, 26, 28, 42, 44, 52, 55, 59, 65, 66, 67, 71, 75, 76, 78
Reference list 4, 7, 18, 59, 65, 78
Referencing 2, 4, 17, 18, 25, 26, 27, 30, 52, 64, 65, 67, 76, 79, 81, 83, 85, 92
Research 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 35, 36, 41,
42, 45, 52, 54, 55, 56, 60, 61, 64, 72, 73, 92
Researching 3, 17, 19
INDEX
S
Scholarly literature 7, 19
Second person 44, 45
Secondary research 3, 5, 21, 25
Sentence 3, 5, 7, 17, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 44, 45, 66, 69, 71, 93
Source 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 42, 45, 47, 52, 64, 65, 67, 70, 76,
80, 84, 88, 91
Structure 4, 10, 18, 24, 42, 51, 57, 92
Structuring 3, 5, 9, 17, 30, 35, 51
Summarise 7, 34, 38, 42, 52, 60
Summarising 3, 17, 30, 42
Syntax 7, 69
T
Table(s) 5, 7, 11, 16, 19, 35, 37, 38, 41, 45, 47, 48, 67, 71, 73, 74, 76, 81, 85
Text 5, 6, 7, 34, 39, 41, 47, 48, 49, 50, 60, 65, 75, 76, 87, 88
Third person 3, 5, 17, 43, 3, 5, 9, 17, 30, 35, 44, 45
Thinking critically 3, 29
Transition words and 3, 30
phrases
Types of research 3, 17, 21
V
Verb 7, 13, 30, 73, 93
W
Writing 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 27, 29, 30, 32, 34, 39, 42, 43,
44, 45, 46, 49, 51, 53, 55, 60, 61, 62, 66, 69, 70, 71, 76, 78, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85,
86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92
Writing process 3, 5, 12, 17, 18, 29, 81

Written assessment 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 24, 25, 27, 30, 44, 47, 51, 53, 54, 60, 61, 64,
work 65, 66, 67, 71, 74, 76, 77, 92, 93
NOTES
NOTES
98 WRITING HANDBOOK FOR LEARNERS IN THE FURTHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING (FET) SECTOR

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ACADEMIC

Mary Sheehy - FESS

Fiona Fay - Dublin and Dun Laoghaire ETB

Graphic design work by Mitchell Kane - sm@mitchellkane.co.uk

What is Academic Writing? 10

The Writing Process 12

Step 1: Let’s get started on the draft 13

Step 2: Now get writing the draft 30

- Writing the introduction 53

Step 3: Reviewing the draft 66

Step 4: Editing and proofreading the draft 68

- Submitting your finished written assessment work 77

- Appendix 2: Checklist for completing written assessment work 92

Figure 1: Writing process adapted from Trinity College Dublin (n.d.) 12

Figure 2: Sample mind map 17

Figure 3: Sample mind map 18

Figure 4: Considerations in planning primary research 23

Figure 5: Sources of secondary research 25

Figure 6: CRAAP test (tool to evaluate information sources) 28

Figure 7: Example of the use of a graphic within a piece of written text 49

Figure 8: Example of the use of a graphic within a piece of written text 50

Figure 9: Bloom’s taxonomy 62

Table 1: Key features of academic writing 11

Table 2: Steps to creating your mind map 16

Table 3: Examples of where you might find different types of information 19

Table 4: Structuring a paragraph 35

Table 5: List of transition words 38

Table 6: List of commonly used punctuation marks 40

Table 8: Useful steps for reviewing your written assessment work 66

Table 10: Errors to look out for when proofreading 73

work. from research, investigation, study or other

work. Mind Map – is a diagram that can be used to

Brainstorm – a gathering of creative ideas, organise information in a visual way.

n be understandable to everyone who is likely to read it

n clearly communicate relevant information

n minimise the use of jargon or buzz-words

n be concisely written and keep to the key point(s)

n be focused on providing information and presenting

n analyse the findings of the research

n include objective reflection

n present different points of view, some for and some

n make sure that each point of view should be supported

n avoid broad, sweeping or generalised statements

Table 1: Key features of academic writing

Figure 1: Writing process adapted from Trinity College Dublin (n.d.)

Planning for writing

What have you been asked to do in your assessment?

n what you have to do

n how you should do it

n what you have to produce

n how it will be marked

n when you have to submit

Who are you writing for?

How do you get started?

1. generate as many ideas as you can

Brainstorming can be just as good when you do it by yourself as when you do it

1 place the topic at the centre of the page

Table 2: Steps to creating your mind map

House Style How much?