Some basic information on abstract writing in linguistics:

• There are usually two types of abstracts: one is 500 worded and the other is two paged, with the second page devoted only to data and references, and usually 12-fonted in Times New Roman.

• The Linguistic Society of America (LSA) annual meeting always adopts the 500 worded abstract format. Most other major conferences in linguistics such as NELS, WCCFL, CLS, WECOL, adopt the 2 paged format.

• Good guidelines for writing a 500 worded abstract are found on the LSA website:

http://www.lsadc.org/info/meet-ann07-abguide.cfm

This page also contains model abstracts too.

• As for writing a 2 paged abstract, there isn’t any good set of guidelines that are out there. But it cannot be so different from writing a 500 worded abstract. It'd be more or less accuate to say that all you need to do is to expand the abstract a bit.

• The best way to learn how to write a good abstract is by examining some model abstracts and also by writing one on your own and critically analyzing it.

• So below are some abstracts that have been written by graduate students in linguistics, both in 500 worded and 2 paged formats. Some of these have been accepted to conferences and some have been rejected. (We thank the contributors who graciously shared their abstracts on the condition of anonymity.)

• We want you to guess which ones must have been accepted or rejected, and provide reasons for your decision/verdict.

• 500 worded model abstracts:

• Abstract 1:
• Abstract 2:
• Abstract 3
• Abstract 4
• Abstract 5

• 2 paged model abstracts:

• Abstract 1:
• Abstract 2:
• Abstract 3:
• Abstract 4:
• Abstract 5:
• Abstract 6:

Note: this website was created by Dr. Min-Joo Kim for the Workshop on Abstract Writing in linguistics held in Spring, 2007 at Texas Tech University, which she co-organized with Dr. Dan Siddiqi.