Academic writing tips

Tips Academic writing

Make it formal

• Use specific language

• Avoid strong emotive language

• Avoid slang (including text language)

• Avoid abbreviations and contractions

Take care with pronouns • The article provides a

different perspective on the subject of literary fraud and hoaxes because the author considers it to be an act of literary criticism

• What does it refer to?

• Make sure you do not do this in your writing

Avoid redundant words

• Because of the fact / due to the fact

• Basically, generally, kind of, actually

• Each and every

• The end result / the final outcome

Use simple, direct language

• Acquiesce / agree

• Ascertain / discover

• To expedite / to hasten

• To facilitate / to simplify

• To utilize / to use

Write in an active voice

• The students conducted many experiments to demonstrate the truth of the hypothesis

• Many experiments were conducted by the students to demonstrate the truth of the hypothesis

Use words to show not tell

• Connectives

• Synonyms

use this: for your thesis statement in your critical reflection

Write a list of synonyms

Get some feedback •  Ideas (does it have ideas

discussed initially)

• Structure (does it follow the essay structure handout)

• Meaning (does it make sense?)

• Length (is it too long or too short? Good?)

• Referencing (have you referenced correctly?)

your critical reflection

Ensure you proofread