How to excel in academic writing?

A general guide

Main topics covered in this presentation:

Always use concrete wordsConstruct sentences that are

forcefulPlan the writing processEditing and proofreading10 key concepts of academic

writing

As William Strunk said – prefer the specific to the general, the concrete to the abstract and the definite to the vague

Make sure you use concrete words that helps to make each sentence of your paper:

- Precise- Direct and detailed- Easy to comprehend- Use as few jargon as possible

The secrets to being precise in academic writing

Avoid using words to describe qualities like fast, slow, heavy, good, bad, interesting, usual, unusual etc.

Remember that you are writing a college grade material so using such simple words that may evoke both positive or negative emotions is best avoided. Also these words are not the best to give a precise picture about anything.

It is always best to express how fast or slow or good or bad something is. Quantities and measurements are recommended when describing such qualities.

Details are your best friend

When writing a research-based academic content giving as much details as possible is effective to create a picture in the reader’s mind.

It is also necessary to pay attention to the simplicity of the wording you use. Thomsonian English did not work for that very reason.

Avoid using contractions Avoid using double negatives in the same sentence Words that are highly specialized are also best avoided

Using direct words are recommendable

Words that are direct should be used rather than longer yet incomprehensible sentences

For example – instead of adequate use enough, instead of commence use begin, instead of prior use begin, subsequent can be replaced by with next, purchase should be replaced with buy, utilize can be replaced with use

Do not use jargon

Jargon are specific terminology which can be defined as related to a specific activity or profession.

So, it is understandable that people outside that profession or activity will not be able to understand such technical jargon.

This can also be used as a short-hand comparable to informal linguistics within the industry.

But it is best to only use industry-specific when writing for industry insiders as the audience.

Academic content should contain strong verbs

Do not use the verb ‘to be’ like – am, are, is was, were, have been, am being etc. as they are considered to be the weakest of verbs

Also avoid using the ‘to get’ form of verbs

Instead replace them with stronger verbs

Nouns should not be chained together

While using one or two nouns consequently it is permissible to stringing together more than 2 to 3 nouns together makes the sentence overly complex and is best avoided

It is unnecessary to make the sentence overly dense with noun stuffing so that it becomes impenetrable for the readers

Related words should be placed together

Make sure the words that are related to each other are placed closed together for clarity. Close proximity between two words will help the readers to understand

Unnecessarily separating them with words can confuse the readers unnecessarily

Editing and proofreading

When editing the paper look for mistakes like the following:

Passive voice, improper pronoun usage, too much technical jargon, inconsistent verbs and tenses, subject or verb disagreement

Sentence fragments, run-on sentences, comma splices

10 key concepts of academic writing

1. You must write to communicate and not to impress your audience2. Make sure you follow the instructions3. Gather as much information as possible from trusted sources4. Use good models to illustrate your view point5. The information should be organized clearly6. Set time aside for writing7. Make sure your writing is readable8. Keep your audience in mind9. Sources must be credited appropriately10. Revise as many times as possible

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