www.phrabank.manchester.ac.uk/index.htm
The Academic Phrabank
The Academic Phrabank is a general resource for academic writers. It aims to provide you with examples of some of the phraological "nuts and bolts" of writing organid under the headings to the left. It was designed primarily with international students who first language is not English in mind. However, if you are a native speaker writer, you may still find parts of the material helpful.
The phras can be ud simply to assist you in thinking about your writing, or they can be ud in your own work where this is appropriate. In most cas a certain amount of creativity will be necessary when you do this. It is also possible to transfer some of the words ud in particular phras to others. The phras are content neutral and generic in nature; in using them, therefore, you are not stealing other people's ideas and this does not constitute plagiarism.
Urs will need to be aware that Phrabank is not discipline specific, and it does not claim to be comprehensive.
Writing Introductions
There are many ways to introduce an academic essay or assignment. Most academic writers, however, appear to do one or more of the following in their introductions:
∙establish the context, background and/or importance of the topic
∙indicate a problem, controversy or a gap in the field of study
∙define the topic or key terms
∙state of the purpo of the essay/writing
∙provide an overview of the coverage and/or structure of the writing
Examples of phras which are commonly employed to reali the functions are listed
below. Note that there may be a certain amount of overlap between some of the categories under which the phras are listed.
Introductory ctions for rearch disrtations, are normally much more complex than this and, as well as the elements above, may include the following: a synopsis of key literature/current state of knowledge, synopsis of methods, lists of rearch questions or hypothes to be tested, significance of the study, recognition of the limitations of the study, reasons for personal interest in the topic.
Establishing the importance of the topic:
One of the most significant current discussions in legal and moral philososphy is ......
It is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the .....
X is the leading cau of death in western industrialid countries.
X is a common disorder characterid by ......
X is an important component in the climate system, and plays a key role in Y.
In the new global economy, X has become a central issue for ......
In the history of development economics, X has been thought of as a key factor in .......
Xs are one of the most widely ud groups of antibacterial agents and ......
Xs are the most potent anti-infammatory agents known.
Establishing the importance of the topic (time frame given):
Recent developments in X have heightened the need for ......
In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in ......
Recent developments in the field of X have led to a renewed interest in ......
Recently, rearchers have shown an incread interest in ......
The past decade has en the rapid development of X in many .......
The past thirty years have en increasingly rapid advances in the
Over the past century there has been a dramatic increa in ......
One of the most important events of the 1970s was ......
Traditionally, Xs have subscribed to the belief that ......
X proved an important literary genre in the early Y community.
The changes experienced by Xs over the past decade remain unprecedented.
Xs are one of the most widely ud groups of antibacterial agents and have been extensively ud for decades to .......
Highlighting a problem or controversy in the field of study:
However, the rapid changes are having a rious effect ......
However, a major problem with this kind of application is ......
To date there has been little agreement on what ......
More recently, literature has emerged that offers contradictory findings about .....
There is increasing concern that some Xs are being disadvantaged ......
Despite its long clinical success, X has a number of problems in u.
Despite its safety and efficacy, X suffers from veral major drawbacks:
Concerns have been raid by veral relevant bodies about the poor ......
This concept has recently been challenged by recent studies demonstrating .....
One of the most significant current discussions in legal and moral philososphy is ......
One obrver has already drawn attention to the paradox in ......
In many Xs a debate is taking place between Ys and Zs concerning ......
The controversy about scientific evidence for X has raged unabated for over a century.
