Tips for Successful Academic Writing

Tips for Successful Academic Writing

1- Academic writing is different than the way we speak- Many people make the mistake of simply writing the way that they would speak to someone else.  However, the way we speak American English, is often times very poor grammar.  When we write that way, we inevitably commit multiple mistakes.  Do not make simple mistakes like verb/subject agreements, plural/singular, or other basic English grammar issues.  Proof reading is crucial!

2- Do not use idioms in your writing!- Really this should be considered 1a in this list.  We often include these phrases when we speak.  They are essentially phrases that convey meaning but not what they literally say.  Examples include: “Out of the blue” “Can’t see the forest through the trees” “By the skin of his/her teeth” “Bought the farm” “Shoot the breeze” “Take a rain-check.”  Each one of these statements has an understood meaning that relates to its context but is nuanced and not literal.  The literal meaning of the phrase often has no meaning to what the speaker is actually saying.  In academic writing, BE LITERAL.  Do not use a statement like these to say something else.  Simply write what you mean to convey in clear and grammatical English.

3- In academic writing never use the first person- In a formal paper you should never refer to yourself in any manner other than third person.  You can include your thoughts in your writing, which is indeed the expectation, but do so by making positive declarative statements.  If you must refer to yourself, do so ONLY in the third person: “This author believes….” “This author would suggest….” “This author agrees…”

4- Citation and Format Style is important- There are two matters to discuss here.  First, in the papers of the course you are required to follow MLA style formatting.  Be sure to look up this style in the links provided under ‘Start Here’ if you are not familiar with this style.  Also, I specifically require parenthetical notes for the dialogue/discussion board assignments only.  The papers in this course are not necessarily subject to that adjustment.  The announcement that shared that style was specific to the discussion board ONLY.

5- Method of making citations to the work of others- The second issue here is to make sure that when you reference the work of another, you do it in the PAST TENSE.  You are not citing something that the other author is actively writing.  Their writing was in the past.  Therefore your reference to their writing should also be in the past tense.  “Whitney suggested/argued/outlined/wrote/stated….”  In these examples the words suggests, argues, outlines, writes, and states are all incorrect.

6- Do not lean on the dictionary (or other general reference works)- The use of the dictionary to start a paper with a definition is a practice that should no longer be acceptable after high school.  As a college student, your definitions of terms should come from the sources you are reading (textbooks/class notes).  Including the dictionary in your discussion at this level is far too basic and unhelpful to you.

7- Formal paper writing makes declarations, not asks questions- When you are writing academic papers, your task is to answer questions.  You should never pose a question to a reader.  They cannot answer you.  Even if your point is simply to “get them thinking the way you want them to” that practice is not appropriate.  Direct the reader’s thinking by the progression of statements you make.  Don’t ask questions, just answer them.  Lead them with your thoughts.  Answer questions they are thinking (or could be thinking) by directing their thoughts with your words.  That is the art of writing.

8- Do not use contractions-  Don’t, won’t, wouldn’t, isn’t, didn’t, shouldn’t, haven’t, can’t, and couldn’t are all examples of contractions that should not be used in academic writing.  When writing for an academic assignment, always write out these words in their full forms (do not, will not, would not, is not, did not, should not, have not, cannot, and could not).  Also, please note “cannot” is the correct form (not “can not”). 

9- Stick to the basic structure of a paper in EVERY writing assignment-  Every paper should follow the same basic format:

I. Introduction– This section tells the reader the ‘why.’  Why did you write this paper?  Why is the reader reading it?  It lays out the “map” of where the paper will go.  Often times, it is best to write this first and then re-write it after you finish the paper to accurately depict what you covered in the body of the paper.  This section should also end with your thesis statement.  The thesis statement should be one sentence that concisely articulates the purpose of the paper (the point you wish to make).

II. Body– This section should cover all the talking points within the paper you wish to cover.  It can vary by length depending on the specific assignment requirements.

III. Conclusion– This section should start with a restatement of the thesis (in other words- not the same sentence).  This section SHOULD NOT add any new information to the reader.  It should only be a restatement of the introduction to bring the paper to a close.

More concisely:  Introductions tell the reader where you are ‘going to go’ with the paper.  The Body makes the point(s) you aim to make.  The Conclusion reminds the reader how you aimed (and successfully made) the point of your paper.