ESSENTIAL ACADEMIC WRITING EXAMPLES AND PHRASES!

By Anastasia Koltai - June 17, 2015

Content:

1. Sample Research Paper Paragraph

2. Explanation

3. Adding Additional Information to Support a Point

4. Demonstrating Contrast

5. Adding a Proviso or Acknowledging Reservations

6. Giving Examples

7. Signifying Importance

8. Summarizing

9. Stating Your Opinion

Words and Phrases Used in Academic Writing

In academic writing, there are certain words and phrases that are used consistently. If a student is able to become
familiar with these words and phrases, their academic writing will certainly improve faster and their
comprehension of academic texts will increase.

The difference between the right word and almost the right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning
bug.” – Mark Twain, The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain

In this post, I will share the words and phrases you can equip yourself with when writing or reading academic
papers.

Academic Writing about Research

Research is an essential part of any good academic paper. Without it, claims and opinions are not viable and hardly
believable. Plus, without research, it is difficult to know much about your chosen subject.

[Tweet ““Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose.” – Zora Neale Hurston”]

By providing evidence of research, readers can trust what you write is concrete, accurate to the best of your
knowledge, and reliable. Here is a sample of research writing in action, with citations given. It is a paragraph from a
research essay:

Sample Research Paper Paragraph

Video games encourage children to associate happiness and pleasure with the capability to cause pain to others.
They develop the feeling that in order to be happy, one has to make other people suffer.

Children who play video games tend to develop selfish behavior (Anderson & Bushman, 2001). Video games teach
the player to be dependent and since the child is often left alone while playing on a game console, he or she can
develop selfish behaviors.

A certain study that was done at a Minneapolis-based national institute for media indicated that kids can get
addicted to video games and exhibit social phobias. The interactive quality of virtual games is quite different from
passively viewing movies or television.

The games allow players to be active participants in the script. The players who are able to benefit from acts of
violence are then able to proceed to the next level (Sherry, 2001).
Phrases and Words

 a few studies…  there is evidence that …… has a positive affect.

 other studies…  these arguments suggest…

 a certain study, … indicated that…  given this orientation…

 little attention has been devoted to the impact…  the same logic underlies…

 given the lack of critical attention paid to…  in this context, it is worthwhile to consider…

 there is a divergence between …… and what they  in this respect, …

actually do. This divergence occurs because…
 in contrast, …
 several schools of thought have emerged…
 a major trait…
 as shown previously…
 typically, …
 prior research has suggested…
 traditionally, …
 another factor…
 this leads to…
 the underlying concept…
 generally, …
 the likelihood that…
 as noted earlier…
 research indicates…
 whereas…
 what is demonstrated…
 briefly…
 against this backdrop…
 also, …
 the central issue addressed here is the
 still, …
relationship between…
 yet…
 the topic of …… warrants research attention for
…… reasons.  accordingly…
 to answer these questions…  initially, it may seem…
 the present study attempts to crystallize ……  surprisingly, …
factors which influence …… by….
 next,…
 analyzing the relationship between …… and…
 in contrast…
 in examining…
 nevertheless…
 in order to better understanding…
 as a result…
 a deeper understanding of the process of…
 hence…
 we illustrate this procedure by…
 accordingly…
 we illustrate this procedure by using…
 respectively…
 our contention is that…
 as a consequence…
 this research builds on existing knowledge in the
 consequently…
fields of…

 insights drawn from scholarly literature are  thus, …

supplemented with those from…  therefore, …
 it accentuates the realization that…  for this reason…
 the issue is whether or not…  because of thi
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Explanation

Explaining the topics and issues within your main subject is intrinsic for writing well in academic writing. Without
going into detail about the information you present, you are doing a disservice to your readers who expect to know
more about the subtle side of an issue or topic.

Explanation gives readers the needed substance for learning about something new and extraordinary. You should
not over-explain, as well as you should not under-explain. Find a balance in your academic writing.

Knowing key phrases and words that will lead into your section for explanation is a great way to get a head start on
making your essay well-rounded and in-depth.

[Tweet ““Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” Anton Chekhov”]

Sample Of Explanation

On the other hand, chauvinism as sexism refers both to males and females, as it assumes the belief in the
superiority of one sex over the other.

Male chauvinists believe women must stay at home, cook and raise children, while men are supposed to live an
active life, build careers and self-actualize (Iota 156). At the same time, some forms of modern feminism can be
referred to as female chauvinism.

For example, despite the fact that Islam strictly prohibits male chauvinism, it is widely believed in western media
that Islam accepts it as a norm. For example, Muslims are often considered disdainful in the way they treat their
women, though it is not true for the majority of Muslims.

On the contrary, women often furiously argue about the numerous advantages of women over men. This can also
be called chauvinism.

Phrases and Words

 in order to…  likewise…

 in other words…  indeed…

 to put it in another way…  in truth…

 that is to say…  in fact…

 to that end….  also…

 besides, …  as well…

 furthermore, …  foremost…

 in addition, …  ranking above all others…

 moreover…  preceding all others…

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Adding Additional Information to Support a Point

It is never enough to give one line of thought to describe or support a claim. A claim is always weak if it is backed up
in a one-sided way. That is why it is important to give a comprehensive view of your main topic to your readers.

“Sometimes I like to list the strongest arguments I can find to support a point of view I think is wrong. When I have
them before me, I am up against a real opponent rather than a hypothetical one that is an easy target for me to
hit.” – Lewis B. Smedes

Sample of Adding Additional Information to Support a Point

The risks associated with drug experimentation depend on various factors, such as quantity, frequency of use,
combinations used, and the way a certain drug is taken.

An excess of sedatives leads to fatal overdoses. Stimulant and hallucinogenic drugs on the other hand lead to
psychotic behavior and to the loss of the sense of reality.

Besides, constantly increasing doses lends to drug tolerance: the user needs to take more of the narcotic substance
to achieve the desired effect. High tolerance levels also prompt overdose and even death – this especially refers to
heroin.

Most of the cases of drug overdoses which have been reported involve combinations of tranquilizers, opiates and
alcohol (Lyons, 2003).

Phrases and Words

 moreover…  also, …

 furthermore…  besides that, …

 what’s more…  and…

 likewise…  apart from…

 similarly…  in addition to…

 another key thing to remember…  such as…

 as well as…  another…

 not only…. but also…  besides, …

 coupled with…  further…

 initially…  too…

 subsequently…  then…

 not to mention…  of equal importance…

 additionally, …  equally important…

 in addition, …  another…

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