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In academic writing, it is often preferable to use medium modality words (e.g. “often” instead of “always”; “may” instead of “must”). • Tip: Only use words which you are comfortable with, otherwise your writing will sound ‘forced’ or ‘unnatural’. Suggestion: highlight the words above you feel confident with now.
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and concepts below. Using these terms consistently when you comment on student writing will help your students see patterns in their own writing that might otherwise remain elusive to them. 1. Thesis: your main insight or idea about a text or topic, and the main proposition that your essay dem-onstrates. It should be true but arguable (not ...
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- 3.1 Use Formal Vocabulary
- Features of informal language
- Defi nition
- Appropriate alternative
- 3.1.1 Choose strong verbs
- 3.1.2 Choose speci c verbs
- 3.2 Use Appropriate Transitions
- 3.3 Avoid Redundancy
- 3.4 Beware of Commonly Misused Words
- Conclusion
Certain words which we frequently encounter in everyday communication may not be suitable for use in academic essays. These include words which are casual (informal) and commonly used only in spoken English. This does not mean that informal language is inferior to formal language. It simply means that there are words which are more appropriate than...
Contractions Slang words Abbreviations Clichés Colloquialisms
Shortened words, with missing letters from the original Words characteristic of casual conversation among friends or a particular group of people Shortened forms of words and phrases, usually consisting of letters taken from their original forms Overused expressions or ideas whose original meaning or effect is lost Words, phrases, or expressions ch...
The authors do not provide evidence for their claim. One wonders if cosmetic surgeries really originated from the psychological challenges of
In general, academic writers prefer strong verbs to phrasal verbs (verb + preposition), which are very common in spoken or more casual uses of English, e.g. establish instead of set up, produce instead of churn out, tolerate instead of put up with and assemble instead of put together. Consider the examples given below:
In reporting what you have gathered from reading, you will need to use a variety of verbs that suit your purpose. Rather than using the words say, show or report all the time, you can use more specifi c verbs in academic reporting as illustrated below: In the article, “Euthanasia”...the author outlines the origins of the practice in the Nazi regime...
Transitions play an important role in the development of an academic essay. They help to create a sense of coherence and provide signposting for the reader to follow the writer’s thread of thought. Choosing the appropriate transition that makes the logical connection will ensure that the reader understands the text in the way the author had intende...
Conciseness is also a mark of good academic writing. To write an effective essay, you should learn to write precisely and concisely, using only as many words as are necessary to convey what you want to say. Do not add words just to lengthen your essay or create fancy expressions. It is far more important to get your message across effectively. To w...
Some words are commonly misused. For example, the word lesser is often used as a comparative form for less as in: This experiment was completed in lesser time than expected. The correct form should be less time since less is a comparative form for little. Lesser is never used as a comparative form of little or less. It is used to refer to something...
Remember to check that you use formal vocabulary and that you write concisely — without redundancy and precisely — with words that accurately convey your intended meaning. Also, ensure that your transitions make good logical sense and enhance the coherence of the text. In addition, you may encounter other situations of uncertainty or confusion. The...
you write an essay should not be only to show readers what you know, but to learn more about something that you’re genuinely curious about. For some assignments, you’ll be given a specific question or problem to address that will guide your thought process. For other assignments, you’ll be asked to identify your own topic and/or question.
A table of signposting stems: These should be used as a guide and as a way to get you thinking about how you present the thread of your argument. You may need to adapt certain words and phrases for your own purposes. You may also wish to add your own sentence stems to the list below: Signposting stems for an introduction
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• Learn useful techniques for planning your own essay. • Evaluate two examples of a Writing Part 1 essay. • Practise and evaluate your own answer to a Writing Part 1 task. Review: Writing Part 1 . The B2 First for Schools Writing paper has two parts. Part 1 has only one task, which you . must. answer. You will: be given the essay title.
