REFERENCING

WHAT IS REFERENCING?

Referencing or citation refers to:

• “words taken from a passage, a book, an author, etc; to quote something or somebody” (Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 1999: 201);
• “a line taken from a book, speech, etc.” ( Longman, 2003: 266)
• the inclusion of detailed information about the source of quotes, ideas, or illustrations you insert in your term paper

(www.yukoncollege.yk.ca).

In academic writing, it is necessary for a writer to refer to other people’s work (i.e. which appears in books, an article in journals, magazines etc.) to support their argument. By doing so, the writer hopes that his/her argument will become stronger. Whenever other people’s works are being referred, writers need to acknowledge the source. The following sub-sections will discuss the purpose of and the method of referencing.

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ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

DEFINITION

An argumentative essay tries to change the reader’s mind by convincing the reader to agree with the writer’s point of view.

CHARACTERISTICS

An argumentative essay attempts to be highly persuasive and logical. It usually assumes that the reader disagrees with the writer, but it should be noted that the reader is no less intelligent than the writer. Hence an argumentative essay should be written objectively, logically and respectfully.

When planning an argumentative essay, be aware that the essay should contain the following characteristics:

The argumentative essay introduces and explains the issue or case. The reader needs to know what the issue is going to be.

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OPINION

DEFINITION

Opinion essay is written to impart the author’s viewpoint on a particular topic verified by reasons and examples. Sometimes, the opposing viewpoint is also suggested. It requires the author’s unbiased opinion on a particular problem and his/her capability to back his points up so that the readers can easily be convinced with his/her position.

Topic of opinion essay usually revolves around debatable issues. It cannot be facts but opinions. For example:

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PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

DEFINITION

What is a Problem-Solution Essay?

To answer this question, read the following essay and answer the questions below.

(a) Which part of the text outlines the problem?

(b) Which part proposes solutions?

(c) Which part justifies the solutions and actions?

(d) Underline all the linking words/phrases in the text.

Problem:

Drugs abuse in Malaysia has reached an alarming rate. According to PEMADAM, the number of drug addicts has increased to 50,000.

Solution: Drug education, rehabilitation and drug policy

Definition: A serious problem which needs a convincing solution (that it will work).

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CAUSE AND EFFECT

DEFINITION AND CHARACTERISTICS

What Is a Cause and Effect Essay?

Cause and effect essay is a common technique of arranging and discussing ideas. In this pattern of essay, a writer normally discusses the reason (cause) or reasons (causes) for something to happen, and later discusses the result (effect) or results (effects) of it.

For example:

Title: Traffic accidents in Malaysia

In determining the cause, we need to ask, “Why did the accident happen?”. In determining the effect, we need to ask, “What happened because of this accident?”.

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COMPARISON AND CONTRAST

SAMPLE ESSAY OF POINT-TO-POINT APPROACH IN COMPARISON AND CONTRAST ESSAY

Title: Compare and contrast Malaysia and Singapore Malaysia and Singapore are two neighboring countries which belong to the same geographical grouping, that is, ASEAN. ASEAN is the abbreviation for Association of South East Nations. Although these two countries share several similarities, they are also different in many aspects. A comparison between the two countries based on language, geography and political system make these similarities and differences evident.

           

            From a geographical perspective, both the countries are neighbors and located in South East Asia. Both share a tropical climate. However, they differ greatly in terms of physical geography. Malaysia covers a large land mass area of approximately 330,000 square kilometers. In addition, a sizeable proportion of the country consists of mountain ranges. The highest peak in Malaysia is at Mount Kinabalu, which is approximately 4,100 meters above sea level. In comparison, Singapore is a small island which covers a land area of about 330,000 square kilometers. Unlike Malaysia, it is mostly lowlands and the highest point is approximately 166 meters in Bukit Timah In a nutshell, it can be said that Malaysia is larger and has more highlands than Singapore.

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CLASSIFICATION AND DIVISION

DEFINITION AND CHARACTERISTICS

People spend a great deal of time reshuffling equipments, tool, necessities, food and other things related to their life by sorting them in one way or another. For example, to decide on one’s favourite music, music is separated into classical and modern. Classical music is then further classified into those of the European music and non-European music. Even foods are classified into a few categories. Some people divide food into its geographical settings such as Western food, Middle- Eastern food and Southern food. Some would divide food based on its taste like sweet, bitter and sour.

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PATTERNS OF EXPOSITORY ESSAY - EXEMPLIFICATION

DEFINITION AND CHARACTERISTICS OF EXEMPLICATION

An exemplification essay makes use of clear examples to show or explain a point. An exemplification essay puts forward an idea clearly by giving relevant, clear and specific examples. The examples should be sufficient to explain the main ideas that you are discussing. The key to writing a successful exemplification essay lies in the examples that you give. Pay particular attention to the examples as they are the most important supporting details to exemplify your thesis statement and topic sentences.

MODEL OF EXEMPLIFICATION ESSAY

Read the sample of an exemplification essay below.

Title: Improving my English

(1) If there is something I like to improve all the time, it is my English.

(2) I am able to use it for basic communication purposes, but I want to understand English better. (3) I want to write and speak more effectively. (4) I keep trying to improve my English in three ways. (5) I try to talk in English, read English dailies and watch English movies.

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DEVELOPING THE FIVE-PARAGRAPH ESSAY

WHAT IS THE FIVE-PARAGRAPH ESSAY?

The traditional five-paragraph essay consists of three main parts: the introduction, the body and the conclusion. Below is an overall structure of the five-paragraph essay.

The Introduction

The first paragraph of an essay is the introduction. The introduction can be further broken down into three parts.

1. The Lead In

The introduction usually begins with a general perspective of the topic. This first part of the introduction is called the “lead in.”

For example:

My father passed away when I was a little girl. However, for as long as I can remember, I have never felt his absence because my mother was always there for me through all the good and bad times.

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DEVELOPING A PARAGRAPH

PARAGRAPH ORGANISATION

What is a paragraph? It is a collection of related sentences dealing with a single idea or topic. Usually, it is best not to have more than one idea in a paragraph. If you begin to transition (discuss) into a new idea or topic, you might confuse the reader with these new sets of information and discussions. It would also make it difficult to write the conclusion for the paragraph. You should have only one idea or topic with elaborations and examples of support in one paragraph, and always only ONE idea or topic.

A complete paragraph usually contains a number of sentences that complements or are related to each other. The sentences can be identified as follows:

(i) Topic sentence.

(ii) Elaboration sentences (supporting point).

(iii) Supporting sentences (supporting details).

(iv) Conclusion.

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ELEMENTS OF PROCESS WRITING

INTRODUCTION TO PROCESS WRITING

It has always been a challenge to produce a good piece of writing that serves the intended purpose. More often, the writer is more concerned with putting his or her ideas on paper with little concern on the reader’s reaction towards the written piece. It is important to remember that at the end of the day, what matter is how the reader will react to the writing and not what the writer has submitted. Without a good plan or map to direct your writing task, there is a danger that you might wander off topic. Thus, it is important that before you start the writing, spend time to produce a working plan or map. With all the ideas already written on a piece of paper, it also helps identify your strengths and weaknesses (knowledge) regarding the topic you wish to write about. This planning will help you achieve consistency and effectively achieve your objective.

Stages of Writing

Often, the writer has many interesting ideas to convey and these can also be quite complex. However, the writing that explains them need not be complex. To fulfil your reader’s understanding of your ideas, there are steps that the writer must follow. The following chart illustrates the five

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