高级写作8_Lecture_Abstract讲解材料.ppt

Abstract ZH HM What is an abstract? The abstract is usually placed before the introduction of a paper, but it is usually the last part of the paper to be written. All other sections of the paper should have been completed before the essential information can be selected and summarized. The abstract is a condensed version of a research paper that highlights the major points covered and provides readers with a brief preview of the content and scope of the writing. It is formal and impersonal. Why do we need an abstract? The abstract is extremely important and useful because most readers start reading a paper from the abstract and they depend on the abstract to decide whether or not they should continue to read the entire paper. Different types of abstracts There are two typical types of abstracts: Descriptive Abstract Informative Abstract Descriptive Abstract A descriptive abstract usually tells readers what information the paper contains, outlines the purpose, methods, and scope of the paper, and introduces the subject. How to write a concise abstract? In order to shorten an abstract to satisfy the word limit, researchers often focus on only two or three aspects, with the emphasis placed on the results of the study. Therefore, information about the purpose and method is presented first, followed by a summary of the most important results. Conclusions and recommendations maybe included. The order of an abstract The order of these elements purpose and method of the study results conclusions and recommendations if there are any Verb tenses in an abstract Because the abstract is short, concise, accurate, specific, informative and self-contained (i.e., it makes sense alone without references to the main text), it puts high demand on the language. Verb tenses in an abstract Generally speaking, the verb tenses in the abstract are directly related to those that have been used in the corresponding sections of the paper. For example, sentences of background inform