Academic writing is perhaps the most basic skill for students and the most difficult to master. It is used to communicate ideas, information as well as research to the wider academic community. It differs from personal writing in several factors – they must be taken into account for the work to be accepted by the college professor.
Below, we have collected the most popular difficulties that students face daily. Read our article to find out how to deal with them!
General Rules Of Academic Writing
- Ideas should be organized sequentially and logically: provide a clear thesis, arguments, and examples;
- Using references and links to academic literature is a must;
- There must be an alternative interpretation of specific academic topics and counterarguments;
- The work must be written in formal and objective language;
- Punctuation, grammar, and spelling must be perfect.
And here are the main mistakes to avoid.
1. Plagiarism
Many students have difficulty communicating thoughts and reasoning while writing. You must cite scientists but never use their thoughts without acknowledging the source. More and more universities rely on modern tools to recognize plagiarism and use GPT chat in their work. In some cases, plagiarism in work can result in expulsion from the university. Of course, the research must be original, from your key idea to the content itself.
Writing a completely original paper is quite difficult. Luckily, some professionals can do this for you. By turning to the Write Paper for me service, you will receive unique content that meets all your requirements and instructions. Plus, the authors will send you a Turnitin plagiarism report so that you can verify its uniqueness for yourself.
2. Proofreading
Before submitting your work, edit it carefully. Pay attention to typos, repetitions, confusing structures, and sentences that don’t carry a semantic load. It is recommended to take a pause between writing the text and proofreading it. This will give you a fresh eye.
Another tip is to have your work read by someone you trust. Be sure to ask how clear the main idea is, whether the narrative is logical and whether the text as a whole is easy to understand. Does it present original thoughts with powerful arguments and compelling examples?
Be sure to check your text using Grammarly – it is an AI-powered platform. It highlights errors in the text. The second tip is to rely on the Hemingway editor – it improves the readability of your content, helping you write like an author, that is, in a simple yet powerful manner. Extra words that complicate comprehension will be highlighted.
By the way, if you need help editing and proofreading your finished content, here’s what you can do. Submit your work to the best essay writing service to free it from any type of errors. The authors are quite experienced in this matter, so they will make your paper 100% perfect.
3. Context
A logical connection between words is an indicator of a brilliant text. The main goal is to convey your thoughts clearly and maintain the interest of your reader. Academic writing is the result of well-chosen, persuasive arguments that the author weaves into paragraphs step by step. The ability of readers to understand the context of your research depends largely on the form you use. Don’t write in a complicated manner – otherwise, you may get confused yourself.
To maintain consistency, formulate your sentences precisely and clearly. Also, shorten them using the Hemingway editor. Get rid of unnecessary words that don’t add meaning – this will definitely increase your chances of getting a good grade.
4. Correct Structure
Organizing an article is a skill that comes with experience. Every research paper you write has a structure. It begins with an introduction and then contains a body with numerous sections such as methodology, literature review, etc. It is better to prepare the skeleton of the work right away. Divide your paper into several stages and write a little every day.
- Use headings and subheadings to better structure information;
- Be mindful of supporting arguments;
- Maintain a logical flow of ideas.
5.No Short Forms
“To be” and “to have” verbs are often used in colloquial speech, but are considered too informal for academic writing. Therefore, you need to write the full form:
- It’s = it is, it has;
- Don’t = do not;
- Can’t = cannot;
- You’ll = you will.
6. More Formal Words
Avoid using “But”, “Also” and “So” especially at the beginning of a sentence. They can be replaced with other, more formal words:
But = however;
Also = moreover;
So = as a result.
7.No Rhetorical Questions
Rhetorical questions aren’t expected to be answered. Authors use them if they assume that the reader already knows the answer, or if the answer to the question is mentioned in the text. Such questions are inappropriate for academic writing: readers may not know the answer. Therefore, it’s best to turn them into a statement. Use a form like “Question regarding … still remains.”
8.No Slang And Colloquialisms
Slang is an informal language consisting of words and expressions that aren’t considered appropriate for formal occasions. Use alternatives instead. Also, don’t mention colloquialisms. These are informal words used in everyday conversation.
To Wrap It Up
Let’s highlight the main points to remember when writing a paper in an academic style.
Academic style is used for essays, scientific papers, dissertations, reports, and so on. Here’s what to avoid when working with it:
- Confusing sentences. Choose a middle ground between simple short sentences and long complex constructions;
- Everyday vocabulary. Instead of “do” and “make”, use “produce” and “create”;
- Weak structure. Linking words, conjunctions and introductory words will make the text easier to read: “moreover”, “first of all”, “depending on”, “therefore” and so on;
- Slang. Since academic English is used for dissertations and scientific papers, specialized vocabulary will probably be present;
- Abbreviations. Instead of the usual abbreviations like “don’t” or “he’s”, it is better to use the full form.
By following these simple tips, you can improve your academic performance and get used to writing papers in this style. Good luck!
