Academic Writing

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Key Characteristics of Academic Writing

While specific requirements may vary based on the particular form of academic writing or the class or publication for which a work is produced, some characteristics are common to all academic writing.

• formal tone - A formal tone is always used in academic writing. It is not light-hearted or conversational in tone. Slang and clichés do not belong in this type of writing.

• precise language - In keeping with the formal tone, it’s important to choose precise language that very clearly conveys the author’s meaning.

• point-of-view (POV) - Academic writing is usually written in third person POV because its focus is to educate on the facts rather than to support an opinion or give advice.

• research focus - Because most academic writing involves reporting research results, it tends to focus on the specific research question(s) being studied.

• organization - Academic writing should be organized logically in a linear, matter-of-fact fashion. Use headings to delineate each major section.

• source citations - Most academic writing includes at least some secondary research sources. Be sure to properly cite all sources and include a bibliography.

Of course, individual assignments may sometimes have different requirements. Always review submission guidelines carefully to verify you are following the proper format and style.

TIPS on how to write 'academically'

1. Use ACTIVE VOICE

Don't say: "The stepmother's house was cleaned by Cinderella." (Passive.)

Say instead: "Cinderella cleaned the stepmother's house." (Active voice.)

Passive voice construction ("was cleaned") is reserved for those occasions where the "do-er" of the action is unknown.

Example: "Prince Charming saw the glass slipper that was left behind."

2. Mix it up in terms of PUNCTUATION

Here are a few commonly misused punctuation marks that a lot of people aren't sure about:

The semi-colon (;) separates two complete sentences that are complementary.

Example: "She was always covered in cinders from cleaning the fireplace; they called her Cinderella."

The colon (:) is used...

a. preceding a list.

Example: "Before her stepmother awoke, Cinderella had three chores to complete: feeding the chickens, cooking breakfast, and doing the wash."


b. as a sort of "drum roll," preceding some big revelation.

Example: "One thing fuelled the wicked stepmother's hatred for Cinderella: jealousy." 


The dash (--) is made by typing two hyphens (-). No spaces go in between the dash and the text. It is used...

a. to bracket off some explanatory information.

Example: "Even Cinderella's stepsisters-who were not nearly as lovely or virtuous as Cinderella--were allowed to go to the ball."


b. in the "drum roll" sense of the colon.

Example: "Prince Charming would find this mystery lady--even if he had to put the slipper on every other girl in the kingdom." 


3. Word choice - find stronger words

Writing academically is actively thinking about using more diverse words than the most common 2000 words in English. There has been a lot of research into academic words that has identified 10 levels of sophistication, obviously starting at 1 and going up to 10.

Examples of Level 1 : area

Example of Level 6 : aggregating

Example of Level 10 : assemblies

Scribo links an academic word list to your writing and tracks the academic words you have used, across levels. You can look up academic word choices anytime and search for stronger words.

It is a good strategy to fond and use stronger words, just don't make your word choices too complicated for the sake of lifting your levels. Always think about your audience and how readable your end result is. Obviously learning more academic words as part of your repertoire is the best way forwards. You will find the more words you learn and use naturally in sentences, the more sophisticated and readable your sentences will become.

4. Vary your SENTENCE STRUCTURE

Don't say: "Cinderella saw her fairy godmother appear. She was dressed in blue. She held a wand. The wand had a star on it. She was covered in sparkles. Cinderella was amazed. She asked who the woman was. The woman said, 'I am your fairy godmother.' She said she would get Cinderella a dress and a coach. She said she would help Cinderella go to the ball."

Instead say: (there are multiple correct ways to rewrite this, but here's one) "Amazed, Cinderella watched as her fairy godmother appeared. The woman dressed in blue was covered in sparkles and carried a star-shaped wand. Cinderella asked the woman who she was, to which the woman replied, 'I am your fairy godmother." The fairy godmother would get Cinderella a dress and a coach; she would help Cinderella get to the ball."

5. Avoid CHOPPINESS

Don't say: "She scrubbed the floors. They were dirty. She used a mop. She sighed sadly. It was as if she were a servant ."

Instead say : (there are multiple ways to do this) "She scrubbed the dirty floors using a mop, as if she were a servant. She sighed sadly."

6. Avoid REPETITION.

Don't say: "The stepsisters were jealous and envious ."

Instead say : "The stepsisters were jealous ." (...or envious. Pick one.)

7. Be CONCISE

Don't say: "The mystery lady was one who every eligible man at the ball admired."

Instead say : "Every eligible man at the ball admired the mystery lady."

8. Use the VOCABULARY that you know.

Don't always feel you have to use big words. It is always better to be clear and use simple language rather than showing off flashy words you aren't sure about and potentially misusing them. This is not to say, however, that you should settle for very weak vocabulary choices (like "bad" or "big" or "mad").

9. Work on expanding your VOCABULARY.

Check the advanced word list in Scribo and make sure you click on words to find synonyms. Each Noun, Adjective, Verb and Adverb in Scribo is rated as level 1 - 6 ( 6 being highest). Check out other words, and look into the level of words you are choosing. Lift your word choices and check the different results you get.

10. Keep language FORMAL and avoid language of everyday speech.

Don't say: "Cinderella was mellow and good. She never let her stepmother get to her ."

Say instead: "Cinderella was mild-mannered and kind. She never let her stepmother affect her high spirits ."

So, essentially, when it comes to working on style, there are three things to remember:

Empower yourself with knowledge.

Learn to punctuate correctly, enhance your vocabulary, etc. Give yourself all the tools there are so that you are free to...

Mix it up!

Avoid repetition of words and sentence structure. Variance promotes good "flow" and is more interesting for your reader.

"Write to EXPRESS, not to IMPRESS."

Above all, write actively, clearly, and concisely.