Academic style
Write in a genuine academic style: objective, precise, cautious and well-referenced — without sounding artificial.
In this lesson you will
- Identify the features of academic style
- Replace personal, vague and emotional language
- Balance formality with clarity
Learn
Objective: focus on ideas and evidence, not feelings. I think this is terrible → This approach has significant limitations. Use impersonal structures: It is evident that…, This suggests…, There is…
Precise: replace vague words (things, stuff, a lot, big, good) with exact ones (factors, a substantial proportion, considerable, effective). Quantify where possible.
Cautious: hedge claims (may, tends to, appears) and avoid absolutes (always, never, everyone, prove).
Clear, not inflated: academic ≠ complicated. Prefer use to utilise when meaning is the same; keep sentences readable (15–25 words on average). Avoid contractions, rhetorical questions, and exclamation marks.
Examples
- Informal: Loads of people think social media is bad for kids.
- Academic: A considerable proportion of parents express concern about the effects of social media on children.
- Absolute → cautious: “This proves…” → “This suggests…”
Vocabulary
objective
not influenced by personal feelings
impersonal
not referring to a particular person
quantify
express as a number or amount
inflated
unnecessarily complicated
evident
clear, obvious
Practice
Most academic:
Speaking
Summarise a debate (e.g. homework, screen time) twice: first casually, then in an academic register suitable for a seminar.
Writing
Rewrite this paragraph in academic style (120–150 words): “Everybody knows fast food is really bad. Kids eat loads of it and they get fat. The government should totally ban adverts. That would fix the problem!”
- ☐ No personal or emotional language
- ☐ Precise vocabulary
- ☐ Hedged claims
- ☐ No contractions or exclamations
- ☐ Clear sentences
Lesson quiz
Academic writing is…
Review
Key points
- Objective, impersonal.
- Precise and quantified.
- Cautious claims.
- Clear, not inflated.
What you learned
- ✓ I write in academic style.
- ✓ I avoid vague and emotional language.
- ✓ I stay clear and readable.