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STYLE IN ACADEMIC WRITING

STYLE IN ACADEMIC WRITING. Will Baker. STYLES. There are four main styles of English: formal (eg didactic) standard (eg educational) informal (eg teaching) colloquial (eg teacherly)

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STYLE IN ACADEMIC WRITING

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  1. STYLE IN ACADEMIC WRITING Will Baker

  2. STYLES • There are four main styles of English: • formal (eg didactic) • standard (eg educational) • informal (eg teaching) • colloquial (eg teacherly) • You should aim to use formal or standard English and avoid using informal and colloquial English in your academic writing.

  3. Things to avoid • 1. Avoid personal pronouns (usually) • 2. Avoid contracted verb forms: eg don’t, can’t.. • 3. Use tentative, cautious language. Avoid absolute statements such as: Learning a second language is a difficult process for everyone. Instead use cautious phrases: Learning a second language may be a difficult process for many students. • 4. Do not assume that stylistic conventions which are frequently used in your language will be considered equally appropriate in English academic writing. For example, rhetorical questions are very little-used in academic English.

  4. Things to avoid • 5. Use signposting expressions to introduce new topics eg Turning to the question of ... • 6. Do not over-use the passive voice. • 7. Be precise when dealing with facts or figures. If it is necessary to estimate numbers use approximately rather than about.

  5. Things to avoid • 8. Avoid using phrasal verbs such as go on or finish up if there is a suitable synonym. • 9. Avoid using etc. or and so on when writing lists. Instead, use the word include and insert and before the last item: • 10. Avoid vague clichés: ‘more and more people think….’; ‘time and time again…’’; in the world today’; • 11. Avoid using journalese. In particular, do not begin sentences with conjunctions.

  6. Vocabulary • Be accurate in your use of vocabulary • Use the correct class of word • Be careful with synonyms • Beware of translating your thoughts

  7. Style exercise answers • Supermarket coupon • Ready-meal • Text message • Horoscope • Book blurb • Newspaper article • Academic journal article • Book review • On-line directions • Internet article • Postcard • Psychology text book • Newspaper article • Note on fridge door!

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