Section 20.3 Academic Writing
Academic writing sometimes gets described as simply "formal writing," but that misses what makes it distinctive. The features of academic register are not arbitrary conventions invented to make writing harder. They reflect genuine purposes: precision about what is claimed, accountability to evidence, and clarity of argument for a reader who will evaluate your reasoning critically. When an academic writer says the data suggest rather than the data prove, that hedging is not timidity—it is an accurate representation of what evidence can and cannot establish.
Academic writing has distinctive features that serve its purposes.
Typical Features.
Vocabulary:
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Technical terminology specific to the field
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Hedging language: may, might, suggests, appears to
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Formal vocabulary
Grammar:
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Complex sentences with subordination
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Passive voice (especially in sciences)
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Nominalization (examination rather than examine)
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Impersonal constructions
Structure:
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Clear thesis statements
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Topic sentences
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Logical organization
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Citation of sources
Grammar in Academic Writing.
Academic writing often uses:
Hedging:
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"The results suggest that..." (not prove)
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"This may indicate..." (not shows)
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"It appears that..." (not is)
Impersonal constructions:
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It has been observed that...
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The data indicate that...
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This study demonstrates that...
Complex noun phrases:
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The previously observed correlation between socioeconomic factors and educational outcomes
