In some ways, people write more now than ever before. The average American sends at least 50 text messages a day according to data collected in 2018. However, unlike writing from times past, these messages rarely focus on style or grammatical accuracy.
Do you struggle with academic writing? Academic writing requires assertive and concise language that effectively communicates its point. This language is essential for relaying research data or making a persuasive argument.
For these reasons, many students struggle with college essays. So, in this article, we’ll give you five academic writing tips you need to improve your grades. Let’s get started!
1. Avoid Contractions and Casual Expressions
This tip is one of the simplest ways to improve your academic writing skills. College essays require a professional tone that fits the nature of their discussion. As such, getting rid of any informal expressions can help improve the quality of your paper.
For instance, instead of writing “can’t”, “shouldn’t”, or didn’t”, write “cannot”, “should not”, or “did not.” This practice has the added advantage of filling out your word count. Likewise, remove any slang that sneaks onto the page.
2. Don’t Waste Your Words in Academic Writing
This advice may seem contradictory to the above, but it serves a different purpose. The above tip helps establish a formal and professional tone; this tip focuses on utilizing concise language.
So, what are some ways to avoid wasting words? One is to avoid using abstract nouns. Instead of writing “Marco Polo carried out an exploration of Far Eastern nations,” write “Marco Polo explored Far Eastern nations.”
Also, try to avoid repeating information. For example, if you have to write an abstract for your paper, avoid repeating the same information in your paper’s introduction.
3. Avoid Writing in the First Person
Unless told otherwise by a professor or journal, try to avoid writing in the first person. Academic writing traditionally favors a more detached, objective tone. However, different genres of academic writing have differing approaches to this.
Most scientific publications prefer the passive voice. Instead of writing “Scientists recorded their findings,” say, “the findings were recorded.”
The opposite holds for the humanities. In an English paper, it’s better to write, “Shakespeare scholars agree” and not, “It is agreed upon by Shakespeare scholars.”
4. Structure Your Paper in a Logical Way
Regardless of what kind of paper you write, it must follow a logical structure. Your science report should flow in chronological order, explaining what methods you used and their results.
Similarly, an argumentative essay must utilize points that flow from one another. State your argument in the thesis. Then, explain the facts on the ground and demonstrate how they prove your argument.
5. Spend Time With Research
This advice provides excellent research paper help. It’s much easier to write a research paper when you’ve done adequate research. Familiarize yourself with what other scholars say on the subject and determine how you can use their work.
Work With Tutors and Aides
Academic writing can be challenging, so use all of your resources. If you struggle with college essays, check to see if writing tutors exist at your school. If not, consider an online resource to help you improve.
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