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Words and Phrases to Avoid in Academic Writing
Academic writing—encompassing dissertations, theses, and research papers—demands a specific style characterized by formality, precision, and objectivity. Unlike casual conversation or informal writing, academic prose requires a level of sophistication and clarity that enhances both the credibility and comprehensibility of the content. In this guide, we will examine various words and phrases that should be avoided in academic writing to maintain a formal tone and provide more precise alternatives. Read more, CBSE Class 10 English 2024: Blueprint for Achieving a Score of 90+
Avoid Informal Language
Writing classes should be free of colloquial speech and expressions that are acceptable in everyday language. Here are some common words and their common equivalents:
- Less: Instead of saying, “Planning the problems was difficult,” consider saying, “Planning the problems was difficult.” “This subtle change adds a lot of meaning to the sentence.
- Many / / two: This phrase can be replaced with more specific words such as ‘many’, ‘many’ or specific numbers. For example, ‘Many studies have shown’ can be reformulated as ‘Many studies have shown’.
- Conjugation (can’t, can’t, doesn’t, does): In formal writing, it is best to use the full form of the abbreviation. For example: “The sample is not representative” should be rewritten as “The sample is not representative.” “
- Type/Species: This statement lacks specificity and can be misleading. Instead of ‘The findings were significant’, select ‘The findings were significant’ or ‘The findings were moderately significant’.
- Til / till: These informal terms can be replaced with “until” or “to.” For example, “From 2008 till 2012” should be revised to “From 2008 until 2012.”
Additionally, the second-person point of view (e.g., “you,” “your”) is generally inappropriate in academic writing. A sentence like “You can see the results” should be transformed into “One can see the results” or “The results can be observed.”
Steer Clear of Informal Sentence Starters
While some words may be acceptable in a particular context, they can make your writing unique when used to begin a sentence. Consider these examples:
- Plus: Replace this with ‘More’, ‘Additional’ or ‘Additional’. For example, ‘Also participants agreed’ could be changed to ‘Also participants agreed’. “
- So: This word can be replaced by “Therefore”. Therefore, “Therefore we can conclude that the model needs further improvement”, “Therefore we can conclude that the model needs further improvement.”
- Also: this can be removed or replaced with ‘Other’. For example, ‘And all the participants are over 30 years old’ can be translated as ‘The participants are over 30 years old’. “
- Besides: Instead of “Besides, we asked all the participants to sign an agreement,” consider using “Additionally, we requested that all participants sign an agreement.”
Avoid Vague Terms
Writing lessons are often simple and unstructured. Words with unnecessary emphasis should be used with caution:
- Always/never: This can be replaced by ‘often’, ‘usually’ or ‘usually’. For example, “Researchers always say this” could be changed to “Researchers always say that.”
- Completed: Consider using “The best answer to the question” or “One of the best answers to the question” instead of “The best answer to the question.
- Real/very/super: Replace with more specific words such as ‘important’, ‘critical’ or ‘important’. For example, “This idea is really important” can be expressed as “This idea is important.” “
Limit Exaggerated Terms
Academic writing is typically straightforward and unembellished. Words that create unnecessary emphasis should be used sparingly:
- Always / never: These can be substituted with “frequently,” “commonly,” or “typically.” For example, “Researchers always argue that” can be changed to “Researchers frequently argue that.”
- Perfect: Rather than saying “The perfect solution to the problem,” consider using “An ideal solution to the problem” or “One of the most effective solutions to the problem.”
- Really / so / super: Replace these with more precise terms such as “important,” “critical,” or “crucial.” For instance, “This theory is really important” can be expressed as “This theory is significant.”
Avoid Subjective Language
In order for the topics to remain in academic writing, statements that show personal bias should be avoided:
- Avoid Beautiful, ugly, wonderful, horrible, great, and boring: Use neutral words: good, bad, beautiful, awful, difficult, boring. For example, “The book review touched on many important points” should be rephrased as “The book review touched on many useful points.”
- Obviously, naturally, of course: Clear, natural, understandable: These words show prejudice. Instead of saying “The results are clear”, think “The results are clear”.
Correct Common Mistakes
Certain phrases are frequently misused. Avoiding these common pitfalls can enhance the accuracy of your writing:
- Literally: Some words are used incorrectly. Avoiding these common pitfalls can improve the accuracy of your writing: Often instead of saying “Students don’t understand,” you say, “Students don’t understand.”, would have in this scenario.
- Would of, had of: Use “would have” or “have” instead. For example, “Research Evaluated” should be revised as “Research Evaluated”. “
Additional Tips
In general, avoid jargon, clichés, colloquial abbreviations, slang, and gender-related language. Choose specific words instead of unnecessary words. For example, instead of saying ‘competition’ you can just say ‘competition’.
Conclusion
Maintaining integrity in lessons is essential to clarity, clarity and professionalism. Words and phrases that are vague, ambiguous, exaggerated, and verbose language will help you meet the stringent standards expected of academic communication. These guidelines will help you improve your writing style and make your research and arguments stronger and more persuasive.
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