Writing Style
Academic writing is a particular way of writing that does not come naturally to most people. As you might have noticed from the readings you have done for your subjects, some texts are easy to understand, while others take two or three readings before you have even a basic idea of what the writer has to say. The truth is that academic writing comes in a variety of styles; some are good and some are a lot better. In recent years, the trend has been to simplify academic writing so that mere mortals can read an academic text without losing all of their self-esteem. There are a few guidelines that you should follow when you are writing your assignments.
1. It is perfectly acceptable to write clear, precise and short sentences
Some students try too hard to make their writing sound 'academic'. Usually, this leads to very confusing, stilted and often incorrect sentences. Contrary to popular belief, it is not the purpose of academic writing to confuse the reader.
Here is an example of a confusing sentence where the writer has tried too hard:
Example:
Research into the life expectancy of the variety of domesticated animals of the species Sus, commonly referred to as pigs, has shown that the greatest threat to the possible decline of this species has been engendered by the predatorily inclined Canis lupus, often called wolf, and its preferred diet of small mammals.??
If the writer had tried less hard, it could have sounded like this:
Examples:
Research has shown that pigs, especially those of the small variety frequently found in triplets, are often decimated by wolves.
This can be expressed even simpler:
Example:
Research has shown that little pigs often get killed by wolves.
Depending on the purpose of your assignment, you need to adjust your style. However, the rule is generally to write clearly and concisely and to avoid padding for the sake of a few extra words, stretching for that elusive word limit.
2. Avoid colloquialisms and clichés
Another problem students often encounter is that they are not trying hard enough to adjust their style. In academic writing you simply cannot write the way you speak or the way you would write in an e-mail to your friend. That means that certain colloquial expressions are simply taboo and clichés are frowned upon.
Here is an example of that. The colloquialisms and clichés are underlined.
In my last prac, I had a totally awesome experience. As a teacher of little mammals, I reflected on the best method of getting my message across to the little critters. At the end of the day, my message was totally cool. It went like this: if you are a little pig, you'd better make sure you build your house out of brick and don't scrooge on the building stuff.
Here is a similar account of the practicum in much better writing.
My practicum at the Pigsville Highschool was a rewarding and interesting experience. While teaching science and technology to the porcine students, I had the opportunity to reflect critically on the best way to scaffold my lessons on sustainable architecture.
I managed to impart the importance of choosing appropriate building materials to them by using simple anecdotes that appealed to them.
As you can see, style matters.
3. Use the passive voice sparingly
The passive voice is important in academic writing. Your spellchecker will try to tell you that you should not use it, but that is not entirely true. The golden rule is to use it when you need to, but do not overuse it. Sometimes, when your lecturer does not want you to use personal pronouns such as 'I', 'you' or 'we', you have to use the passive voice. At other times, it might be more appropriate to put the emphasis on the achieved result rather than on the person who spent days and weeks doing the achieving. If you have no idea what all of this means, please refer to the section "Passive voice".
Here are some examples to show you what the active voice and the passive voice look like:
Active voice:
I will describe the incident of the attack on three small pigs by the wolf.
At three o'clock in the morning I heard a loud noise.
I had done a great amount of research on safety measures I should have taken against wolf attacks.
Note: the first person singular ('I') is used.
Passive voice:
The attack on three small pigs by a wolf will be described in the following report.
At three o'clock in the morning a loud noise was heard by a witness.
A great amount of research had been done on safety measures to be taken against wolf attacks.
The passive voice makes your writing more impersonal, which is often important in academic writing.
4. Avoid sexist language
In the past it was quite acceptable to use the pronoun 'he' when referring to one person of undisclosed gender. Everybody assumed that women were somehow included in the description. In a politically correct society, that is (quite rightly) not acceptable any more. Now if you are referring to a student, and you have not specified if it is a male or female student, you need to use the personal pronouns he/she when you refer to him/her.
As you can see quite easily, this sounds rather awkward if it is used repeatedly. This problem is often solved by using the plural form. Here is an example:
Singular – (only one little pig is referred to).
The little pig frequently uses his/her knowledge of predators to save his/her life. It is important to give him/her encouragement to continue his/her studies.
Plural – (all three little pigs are referred to).
The little pigs frequently use their knowledge of predators to save their lives. It is important to give them encouragement to continue their studies.
Note: It is not always appropriate to use the plural form, but do so if you can.