Academic Writing Style

Vocabulary and Language Points

Part 3 (Starting from p. 153)
 How is it done?
• Aim for precision. Don’t use unnecessary words or
waffle. Get straight to the point. Make every word count

• If there is any uncertainty about a particular point, use

cautious language (such as ‘may’, ‘might’, ‘could’,
‘potentially’)

• Unless you are a confident writer, it is best to avoid

over-long sentences and to aim for a mixture of long
and short sentences for variation and rhythm

• Avoid repeating the same words (particularly in the

same sentence)
Informal versus formal words or phrases
Can you think of formal words for these phrases?

Informal Formal

• try to find out • investigate

• carry out • conduct

• look at carefully • examine

• make sure is true • verify

• show • demonstrate

• get rid of • eliminate

 Why is the following text not a good
example of academic style?

Which words are non-academic?

Today being fat is totally bad for your health.
About 30,000 fat people die every year in the UK
and loads more fat people die in the USA. By 2005
more people will die of being fat than smoking
and it doesn’t have to be this way, this could easily
be prevented, couldn't it?

What words could you change to make it

 Example sentence
The number of deaths per year attributable to
obesity is roughly 30,000 in the UK and ten
times that in the USA, where obesity is set to
overtake smoking in 2005 as the main
preventable cause of illness and premature
death.
 Avoid abbreviations and contractions
• Abbreviations and contractions are informal, and
are best avoided in academic writing. For
example:

• ‘Department’ should be used instead of the

abbreviation ‘dept’.

• ‘Is not’ should be used in place of the contraction

‘isn’t’.
 Activity
Can you think of common abbreviations in
your subject area?
 Avoid slang words and phrases
Compare the following:
• ‘The individual was sentenced for nicking a bike.’
• ‘The doctor looked kind of worried when he
reviewed the case notes.’

• ‘The individual was sentenced for stealing a bike’

• ‘The doctor looked slightly worried when he
reviewed the case notes.’
 Avoid conversational terms
• This totally changed people’s lives’

• Why is ‘totally’ there?

• If it’s a ‘filler’ it can be omitted.

• If it’s used for emphasis, a more appropriate

word could be used, for example ‘significantly’
or ‘fundamentally’
 Avoid vague terms
Consider the following:
• ‘The right thing’ would be better expressed as
‘the right action’ or ‘the right procedure’

• ‘A nice addition to the collection’ would be

better expressed as ‘A popular addition to the
collection’ or ‘A prestigious addition to the
collection’
How can you make writing impersonal?

• What is writing in the first person?

• What is impersonal writing?
• Can you give an example of impersonal
writing?
 Be Impersonal

In many academic disciplines, writing in the

first person is not acceptable as it is believed
to be too subjective and personal. Many
tutors prefer impersonal language to be used
in assignments.
 Writing in the first person
First person sentences use the pronouns ‘I’ and ‘we’.
For example:

• We have considered...
– It is considered … / Some consider that … /
Consideration has been given to ...
• I suggest that...
– It is suggested that … / The suggestion is made that...
• I have observed...
– It has been observed that …
 Change into a more academic style:

a) It is important to get rid of impurities so a lot

of effort has gone in to figuring out the best
methods of refinement.

a) It is important to remove impurities so

considerable effort has been directed at
identifying the optimal methods of
refinement.
 Change into a more academic style:

b) A big problem with Rogers' counselling

method is the length of time the therapy
takes.

b) A major issue with Rogers' counselling

method is the duration of the therapy.
 Change into a more academic style:

c) How can immigrants get equal treatment and

a fair go? Discrimination isn't just in the
workplace but is part and parcel everyday life
too.

c) How can immigrants be given equal

treatment? Discrimination is not only found in
the workplace but is also a facet of everyday
life.
 Change into a more academic style:

d) Television is reassuring because people can

just sit there really safe and secure while
watching dramatic and exciting news.

d) Television is reassuring to viewers because

they can feel safe and secure while watching
dramatic and exciting news.
 A few more language points to avoid

Informal negative forms:

not…much → little
not…many → few
This approach does not promise many
innovations. → few

Adverbs in the initial or final positions:

The result can be seen easily. → can be easily
seen
 Checklist of language to avoid
“Run-on” expressions (“and so forth”, “and so
on”, “etc.”):
These semiconductors can be used in robots,
CD-players, etc.→ These semiconductors can
be used in robots, CD-players, and other
electronic devices.
 Checklist of language to avoid
Colloquial abbreviations and shortened words:
TV→ television,’ cause → because, fridge→
refrigerator.

Meaningless, vague, simplistic and/or weak words:

”very”, “really”, “pretty much”, “sort of”, “kind of”,
“it is interesting to note”, “you know”, “well”,
”good”, “bad”, “thing”.
Compare the following two paragraphs: although the
ideas expressed in the paragraphs are the same, one
presents them in a much more formal, academic way.
Example 1 Example 2
Capital is a complex notion. There Capital is a difficult thing to
are many definitions of the word understand. We can explain it in
itself, and capital as applied in different ways, and in
accounting can be viewed accounting we can look at it
conceptually from a number of from different angles.
standpoints; that is, there is legal Accountants talk about legal
capital, financial capital and capital, financial capital and
physical capital. The application
physical capital. How we apply
of financial and physical concepts
financial and physical concepts
of capital is not straightforward
of capital isn't easy because
as there are various permutations
of these concepts applied in the people in business use it
business environment. . . differently. . .
Writing Activity – Rewrite the paragraph using
an academic writing style
 Your Writing
• Think of three sentences you are writing in
your Reading to Writing assignment.

• Write the original sentences and then change

so they are more of an academic style.