International Business English
Writing lab
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IBE: Writing lab
Overview
• Weekly reading
• Objectives
• How to write a paragraph: POW TREE
• Summary writing
• Formal and informal register
• Avoiding plagiarism
• Assignment 2
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IBE: Writing lab
💪Weekly reading
How familiar are you with the vocab & content of the WAC articles?
• Unit 1: Barriers can give a competitive edge
• Unit 2: Communication across the cultural divide
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IBE: Writing lab
Objectives
• Learn how to structure a paragraph
• Apply formal register
• Condense a message using appropriate business vocabulary
• Extract the essence of a text using paraphrasing techniques and correct referencing
• Express an opinion
• Develop critical thinking competencies
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IBE: Writing lab
How to write a
paragraph:
POW TREE
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IBE: Writing lab
How to write a paragraph: POW TREE
1. Topic sentence
Usually opens the paragraph, introduces the topic and states an opinion.
I believe Canada is one of the best countries in the world to live in.
2. Reasons
Details to develop and support the main idea of the paragraph (facts, details, examples)
Good healthcare, excellent education, clean cities...
3. Explanation
Elaborates on the reasons
All Canadians have access to medical services at a reasonable price.
4. Ending
Concludes/summarizes your paragraph (no new information here!)
As a result, Canada is a desirable place to live.
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IBE: Writing lab
How to write a paragraph: POW TREE
Canada is one of the best countries in the world to live in. First, Canada has an excellent health
care system. All Canadians have access to medical services at a reasonable price. Second,
Canada has a high standard of education. Students are taught by well‐trained teachers and are
encouraged to continue studying at university. Finally, Canada's cities are clean and efficiently
managed. Canadian cities have many parks and lots of space for people to live. As a result,
Canada is a desirable place to live.
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IBE: Writing lab
Summary writing
What is a summary?
= a brief restatement in your own words of a text's main ideas.
Example:
He was wound up and edgy. He couldn’t seem to make his mind up because he was stressed out by the hassles that he might have to
deal with if he made the wrong choice about which kind of job he should try and get. (45 words)
He was anxious and indecisive, being aware of the possible consequences of a poor career choice. (16
words)
Use your own words!
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IBE: Writing lab
Summary writing
“‘Rick and Morty’ for example is a highly overrated TV show aimed at the brain-dead Netflix generation. Like so much
media entertainment today it appeals to the lowest common denominator and offers little worthy of serious
contemplation. Great programming must do more than amuse – it must educate.”
“The writer clearly has no taste or appreciation for great popular cultural texts because he suggests that ‘Rick and
Morty’ is...”
“The writer suggests that modern programming fails to challenge or educate its audience.”
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IBE: Writing lab
Summary writing
Your opinion about the passage content should not appear in your outline
Think of yourself as a translator rather than a critic
800-1000 words → 300-400 words
Find the essential information and what you can afford to cut out
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IBE: Writing lab
What can you cut out?
Anecdotes
Case studies
Other examples for clarification
Statistics and detailed facts
Structured repetition for effect
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IBE: Writing lab
How to start?
• Begin with a proper citation of the title,
author, source, and date of publication of
the article you want to summarize.
• First sentence: citation + thesis statement
e.g.
In the article “…” by S. Tucker which
appeared in the Financial Times on
19/02/2009, the importance of
understanding the local culture in business
is illustrated.
How do you spot the essential information?
Read
Reread and divide into segments of ideas
Label the segments and highlight key words
Summarize each segment in one sentence
Formulate the central theme/topic/idea
Write your first draft
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IBE: Writing lab
And finally...
• Combine the thesis statement and your one-sentence
segment summaries into a one-to-two paragraph summary.
• Eliminate:
A. all unnecessary words & repetitions
B. all personal ideas and inferences
• Conclude with a “summing up” sentence stating what can be
learned from reading the article.
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IBE: Writing lab
Overview: The summary structure
Proper citation: title, author, source, date of publication…
Thesis statement: topic + author’s position
List the supporting ideas
Elaborate on each of the author’s supporting ideas
Omit specifics (illustrations, descriptions…) and personal opinions
Conclude by briefly recapping the main points
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IBE: Writing lab
Read the article To Inspire Your Team, Share More of
Yourself by Gia Storms (Canvas).
Work in pairs.
Write a 3-paragraph summary of the text.
Go through the checklist.
Swap your summary with another pair.
Follow the feedback steps (slide 19) and provide
feedback to the other pair. → in writing
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IBE: Writing lab
Checklist
Ask yourself the following questions:
• ❑ Have I answered the who, what, when, why, and how questions?
• ❑ Are my grammar, punctuation, and spelling correct?
• ❑ Have I left out my personal views and ideas?
• ❑ Does my summary “hang together”?
Does it flow when I read it aloud? (Use linking words!)
• ❑ Why not have someone else read it: does the summary give them the central
ideas of the article?
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Common mistakes to avoid
To forget or leave out important paragraphs
To make false or illogical connections
To not use linking words
To ‘forget’ to mention the source
To make a mere copy of the original text
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IBE: Writing lab
Linking words for starting a sentence
To add an idea
Additionally, also, apart from this, in addition, moreover, furthermore
To indicate contrast
Alternatively, however, on the contrary, nevertheless, nonetheless, on the
To show the effect of
something
As a result/consequence, consequently, for this reason, therefore
To indicate a sequence
First(ly), second(ly), third(ly) (etc.), next, finally, subsequently, to conclude
To conclude your text
In brief, in conclusion, to conclude, to summarize, in sum, to sum up, in
These linking words are almost always followed by a comma:
- Firstly, the author argues that...
- However, the author states that...
- Moreover, the author believes that...
- In conclusion, five ways of...
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IBE: Writing lab
Feedback
• Is the main point of the original article clear in the summary?
• Did both of you identify the same thesis? (If not, how does it differ?)
• Did your peer miss any key points in their summary? (If so, what are they?)
• Did your peer include any of their own opinions in their summary? (If so, what are they?)
• Did your peer include any unimportant details in their summary? (If so, what are they?)
• Were there any points in the summary where you were lost because a transition was
missing? (If so, where and how might it be fixed?)
• Were there any points where you were lost because some information seems to have been
omitted? (If so, where, and what seems to be missing? Why do you think it might be
important?)
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IBE: Writing lab
Formal and informal register
Exercise: hand-out: Formal and informal register in business emails
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IBE: Writing lab
Avoiding plagiarism
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IBE: Writing lab
What is plagiarism?
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IBE: Writing lab
The 12 types of plagiarism (Turnitin)
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IBE: Writing lab
How do you avoid plagiarism?
• Always cite and reference any sources you use correctly and adequately, both:
- in-text
- and in a reference list (bibliography)
• How? Use the APA guidelines (7th edition): https://libguides.murdoch.edu.au/APA/citing_electronic
• Dedicated APA workshop later on in the semester
💪 Already take the quiz (‘Test your APA skills’) in Module 1
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IBE: Writing lab
💪 Assignment 2: Formal writing (Business summary)
• What do you have to do?
In class, write a summary of an assigned newspaper article (published on Canvas)
without internet access or extra tools.
Follow the business writing guidelines presented in this PPT.
Length: up to 1/3 of the original text.
Submit on the assignment page as a Word document.
• What are the evaluation criteria?
1. Correct opening line
2. Use of business vocabulary
3. Correct length (1/3 of the original text)
4. Correct paraphrasing of the original text (not copying sentences)
5. Good sentence structure
6. Correct grammar
7. Correct referencing (APA style)
• See Canvas for the full assignment brief.
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IBE: Writing lab
Before the next live@campus session
1. Prepare the texts from Unit 3&4 in WAC: 💪Weekly Reading
assignment
2. 💪 Take the ‘Test your APA skills’ quiz in Module 1
3. Review today's session on summary writing
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IBE: Writing lab