WRITING

ACADEMICALLY
FROM MY LECURE TO ONE’S LECTURE
 WHAT IS ACADEMIC WRITING?

• Academic writing is always written in a more

‘general’ sense.

• Often third person writing is applied, unless it is a

necessarily subjective matter.

• Be demonstrative instead of personal, objective

instead of subjective.
EXERCISE – IS IT MORE OR LESS ACADEMIC?

I don’t think it’s very important for small kids to learn

English

More

Less
EXERCISE – IS IT MORE OR LESS ACADEMIC?

I don’t think it’s very important for small kids to learn

English

More

Less
EXERCISE – IS IT MORE OR LESS ACADEMIC?

On balance, this would seem to be the most

appropriate course of action

More

Less
EXERCISE – IS IT MORE OR LESS ACADEMIC?

On balance, this would seem to be the most

appropriate course of action

More

Less
EXERCISE – IS IT MORE OR LESS ACADEMIC?

The immediate priority, however, is for the government

to conduct a needs analysis

More

Less
EXERCISE – IS IT MORE OR LESS ACADEMIC?

The immediate priority, however, is for the government

to conduct a needs analysis

More

Less
EXERCISE – IS IT MORE OR LESS ACADEMIC?

If we do that, then we might throw the baby out with

the bathwater

More

Less
EXERCISE – IS IT MORE OR LESS ACADEMIC?

If we do that, then we might throw the baby out with

the bathwater

More

Less
EXERCISE – IS IT MORE OR LESS ACADEMIC?

But the most important thing is that the

government find outs what the real needs are

More

Less
EXERCISE – IS IT MORE OR LESS ACADEMIC?

But the most important thing is that the

government find outs what the real needs are

More

Less
EXERCISE – IS IT MORE OR LESS ACADEMIC?

It is doubtful whether it is particularly important

for young children to study English

More

Less
EXERCISE – IS IT MORE OR LESS ACADEMIC?

It is doubtful whether it is particularly important

for young children to study English

More

Less
EXERCISE – IS IT MORE OR LESS ACADEMIC?

This is the best thing to do

More

Less
EXERCISE – IS IT MORE OR LESS ACADEMIC?

This is the best thing to do

More

Less
EXERCISE – IS IT MORE OR LESS ACADEMIC?

This solution is perhaps too radical and may cause as

many problems as it solves

More

Less
EXERCISE – IS IT MORE OR LESS ACADEMIC?

This solution is perhaps too radical and may cause as

many problems as it solves

More

Less
 TRY TO AVOID…

Short forms of Verbs:

• Bad example: I’m addressing racism. I don’t agree

with racism and it can’t remain any longer.

• Good example: I am addressing racism. I do not agree

with racism and it cannot remain any longer

• Exceptions: mustn't i.e. One mustn't confer…

RULE FOR AVOIDING THE PRONOUNS

General rule:

• Replace the
object/subject
pronoun with the
the noun, making
it the
object/subject
being referred to
 PERHAPS, TRY THESE

Try replacing Try replacing

personal/subjective
pronouns with indefinite
pronouns (singular):
• Few, some, several,
any, most, other, each,
everything, none,
neither and either
Or use ‘it’ (objective neutral pronoun)
personal/subjective
pronouns with
demonstrative pronouns:
• This (singular and close to
speaker)
• That (singular and far
from speaker)
• These (plural and close to
speaker)
• Those (plural and far from
speaker)
 THE CHOSEN ONE

The only personal indefinite pronoun:

• Bad example: When I came across this particular research, I

thought to myself – “this is a bit odd”.

• Good example: When coming across this particular research,

one might contemplate its peculiarity.

• Bad example: People shouldn’t be so quick to judge.

• Good example: One should not be so be so quick to judge.

EXERCISE: THINK OF ALTERNATIVES
FOR:
• ‘I would like to say…’

• ‘By saying this, I mean that…’

• ‘I have decided to choose this subject because…’

• ‘We should really consider the fact that…’

• ‘You are not alone in this world. There are many

others around us…’
 TRY TO AVOID…

Being ‘passive’: personal opinions can be expressed through

impersonal language

• Bad example: ‘I know/We know/You can see that this is a

logical fallacy’

• Good example: ‘It is clear that this is a logical fallacy’ or ‘this is

clearly a logical fallacy’

• Bad example: We should let people live the way they want to.

• Good example: People should be allowed to live how they

want.
 PERHAPS, TRY THIS

Try using first person/subjective/passive only in cases of:

• Assertiveness – emphasis on agency

• ‘We spent years carrying out this research. Long forgotten was our memories of old’

• Clarity – used when avoiding the first person becomes vague

• ‘The speaker/writer/author spent years doing research’

• Positioning yourself/others in the essay – to claim authority

• “The research we undertook was more extensive than that of David Hume’s, wherein
he writes in his book…”
 FURTHER EXAMPLES

When first person is better:

• Bad example: In studying American popular culture

of the 1980s, the question of to what degree
materialism was a major characteristic of the
cultural milieu was explored.

• Good example (using first person): In our study of

American popular culture of the 1980s, we explored
the degree to which materialism characterized the
cultural milieu.
 FURTHER EXAMPLES

When avoiding first person is better:

• Bad example (using first person): As I was reading

this study of medieval village life, I noticed that
social class tended to be clearly defined.

• Good example: This study of medieval village life

reveals that social class tended to be clearly
defined.
FROM THE GENERAL TO THE SPECIFIC

Bad example: “Racism is very common and affects

humanity as a whole. More often than not, those
most affected by it are children and the younger
generation. Racism has been around for centuries.

Good example: “Racism is very common and affects

humanity as a whole. Racism has been around for
centuries. More often than not, those most affected
by it are children and the younger generation.
 USING CAUTIOUS LANGUAGE

Possibilities/probabilities, remember not everyone agrees

with you!

• Bad example: People are dying every day and it is

because of the expansion of weapons development
programs.

• Good example: ‘Perhaps people are dying every day

because of the expansion of weapons development
programs’
or
• ‘it may be that the expansion of weapons development
programs is a likely cause of soaring death rates’
 FINAL EXERCISE

Make this more academic:

“My target audience is university students and I can

convince them to agree with me because we are
the same age. I will engage them by asking them
questions and showing them cool videos. I will make
them understand that we are all human, we all have
different goals and things we want to achieve in life.
This is what all of my research has been based on”