Language Used in Academic Writing PDF

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC & PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES TOPIC: Language Use in Academic Writing Academic writing is generally quite formal, objective (impersonal) and technical as illustrated in the diagram below. 2 There are three...

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC & PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES TOPIC: Language Use in Academic Writing Academic writing is generally quite formal, objective (impersonal) and technical as illustrated in the diagram below. 2 There are three important features of language use that you need to know about: 1.FORMALITY 2.OBJECTIVITY 3.TECHNICAL 1. Formality - reflects your dignified stance in your writing as a member of the academic community. This means that since your audience are fellow members of the academic community, the language you use requires precision to make it a “legitimate” piece of academic writing. Formality can be achieved through the following ways: 1. Choose formal instead of informal vocabulary. Example: ‘somewhat’ is more formal than ‘a bit’, ‘insufficient’ is more formal than ‘not enough’ ‘nevertheless’ is more formal than ‘anyway’, ‘negative’ is more formal than ‘bad’ ‘consider’ is more formal than ‘think’, ‘obtain’ is more formal than ‘get’ Exercise #1: Example: Informal: "I gotta go to the meeting.“ Formal: "I have to attend the meeting." 1. Informal: "This book is kinda interesting." Answer: "This book is somewhat intriguing." Exercise #1: 2. Informal: "Let's grab some grub." Answer: "Let's have a meal." 3. Informal: "I'm gonna ask him about it." Answer: "I intend to inquire with him regarding this matter." Exercise #1: 4. Informal: "She's my BFF." Answer: "She is my closest friend." 5. Informal: "I think it's cool." Answer: "I believe it is commendable." Formality can be achieved through the following ways: 2. Choosing expanded modal forms over contracted forms (Avoid contractions.) Example: use ‘did not’ rather than ‘didn’t’. using cannot instead of can’t. using have not instead of haven’t. using would not instead of wouldn’t. Rewrite the following sentences to observe a more formal tone. 1. Writing can’t be done effectively if you don’t turn burn the midnight oil. Ans. Writing cannot be done effectively if you do not turn burn the midnight oil. 2. Watching that romcom gave the audience the feels. Ans. Watching that romantic comedy gave the audience the feels. 3. "I haven't seen him in ages." Ans. "I have not seen him in ages." 4. "They couldn't solve the problem." Ans. "They could not solve the problem." 5. "We shouldn't go there tonight." Answer: "We should not go there tonight." 6. "It isn't a big deal." Ans. "It is not a big deal." 7. "He won't be able to attend the meeting." Ans. "He will not be able to attend the meeting.” Formality can be achieved through the following ways: 3. Avoid emotional language. Example: Instead of strong words such as ‘wonderful’ or ‘terrible’, use more moderate words such as ‘helpful’ or ‘problematic’. Exercise # 3 1. "It was a wonderful experience." Ans. "It was a positive experience." 2. "She’s amazing teacher." Ans. "She is a highly effective teacher." Exercise #3 3. "This meal is fantastic!" Ans. "This meal is quite enjoyable." 4. "He's an incredible athlete." Ans. "He's a highly skilled athlete." 5. "This book is amazing." Ans. "This book is quite impressive." Formality can be achieved through the following ways: 4.Instead of using absolute positives and negatives, such as ‘proof’ or ‘wrong’, use more cautious evaluations, such as ‘strong evidence’ or ‘less convincing’. Example: Absolute: "It's definite proof of their guilt." Cautious: "It's strong evidence of their guilt."‘problematic’. Exercise #4 1. "It's definite proof of their guilt." Ans. "It's strong evidence of their guilt." 2. "She's absolutely right about that." Ans. "She makes a compelling argument about that." 3. "The answer is clearly wrong." Ans. "The answer appears to be incorrect." Exercise #4 4. "He's entirely to blame for the mistake." Ans. "He bears significant responsibility for the mistake." 5. "The experiment is a total success." Ans. "The experiment shows promising results." Formality can be achieved through the following ways: 4. Choosing one verb form over two – word verbs, such as damage instead of mess - up Example: Phrasal Verb: "He messed-up the presentation." Single-Word Verb: "He damaged the presentation." Substitute the single – word verb for two – word verb in the following sentences. 1. Senate set – up the Meralco committee. Ans. Senate assigned the Meralco committee. 2. Mothers cut down spending on rice. Ans. Mothers reduced spending on rice. 3. Oil prices has gone up. Ans. Oil prices has increased. 4. Students come up with a solution. Ans. Students propose with a solution. 5. Students looked into the problem. Ans. Students examined the problem. Formality can be achieved through the following ways: 5. Choosing expanded terms over their abbreviated equivalents, such as soon as possible instead of ASAP. Example: Abbreviation: "DIY" (Do It Yourself) Expanded Term: "Do it yourself" Abbreviation: "IQ" (Intelligence Quotient) Expanded Term: "Intelligence quotient" Abbreviation: "TV" (Television) Expanded Term: "Television" Exercise #5 1. "CEO" Ans. "Chief Executive Officer" 2. "HR" Ans. “Human Resources” 3. "FYI" Ans. “For Your Information” Exercise #5 4. "FAQ" Ans. "Frequently Asked Questions" 5. "GPS" Ans. “Global Positioning System” 6. "PDF" Ans. “Portable Document Format” Formality can be achieved through the following ways: 6. Avoiding colloquial/trite/idiomatic expressions, such as kind of like, as a matter of fact, I need to go to the John. Colloquial: "It's a piece of cake." Formal: "It's very easy" or "It's straightforward." Colloquial: "He's in hot water." Formal: "He's facing trouble" or "He's in a difficult situation." Colloquial: "She spilled the beans." Formal: "She disclosed the information" or "She revealed the secret." 2. Objectivity Academic Writing requires special knowledge and use of more complex language and objectivity. This means that the writing must be impersonal and maintains a certain level of social distance and you can present your own opinion. For example you may need to: -Interpret findings - Evaluate a theory - develop an argument - critique the work of others Objectivity can be achieved by: 1. Move information around in the sentence to emphasize things and ideas, instead of people and feelings. Instead of writing ‘I believe the model is valid, based on these findings’, write ‘These findings indicate that the model is valid’. Exercise #6 1. "She believes that the project will succeed." Ans. “The researcher believes that the project will succeed. 2. They were pleased with the result. Ans. “The researchers were pleased with the outcome ” 3."He recommends a new approach to problem-solving." Ans. “A new approach to problem-solving was recommended by the proponent.” Objectivity can be achieved by: 2. Avoid evaluative words that are based on non- technical judgments and feelings. Use ‘valid’ or ‘did not demonstrate’ instead of ‘amazing’ or ‘disappointment’. Subjective: "The experiment was amazing!" Objective: "The experiment yielded remarkable results." Exercise #7 1. "Her presentation was a disappointment.." Ans. “The researcher believes that the project will not succeed. 2. They were pleased with the result. Ans. “The researchers were pleased with the outcome ” 3."He recommends a new approach to problem-solving." Ans. “A new approach to problem-solving was recommended by the proponent.” Objectivity can be achieved by: 3. Avoid intense or emotional evaluative language. Instead of writing ‘Parents who smoke are obviously abusing their children’, write ‘Secondhand smoke has some harmful effects on children’s health’. Exercise #7 1. "This policy is a complete disaster." Ans. "This policy has encountered significant challenges." 2. "The project is a total failure." Ans. "The project has faced difficulties." 3."She is clearly overreacting." Ans. “She may have a strong emotional response." Objectivity can be achieved by: 4. Show caution about your views, or to allow room for others to disagree. Instead of writing ‘I think secondhand smoke causes cancer’, write ‘There is evidence to support the possibility that secondhand smoke increases the risk of cancer’. Exercise #8 1. "Climate change is the result of human activities." Ans. "There is a body of evidence suggesting that human activities may contribute to climate change." 2. "She's obviously the most qualified candidate." Ans. "She appears to be a highly qualified candidate." 3."These findings conclusively refute the previous study." Ans. "These findings raise questions about the previous study." Objectivity can be achieved by: 5. Find authoritative sources, such as authors, researchers and theorists in books or articles, who support your point of view, and refer to them in your writing. For example, instead of writing ‘Language is, in my view, clearly something social’, write ‘As Halliday (1973) argues, language is intrinsically social.’ Exercise #9 1. "The theory of relativity revolutionized our understanding of physics." Ans. "Einstein's theory of relativity revolutionized our understanding of physics (Einstein, 1915)." 2. "Social media has a profound influence on society." Ans. "Research by scholars such as Boyd and Ellison (2007) has shown that social media profoundly influences society." 3."Artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly." Ans. "According to Kurzweil (2005), artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly." Objectivity can be achieved by: 6. Avoiding the use of personal pronouns such as you, I, and we. Poor example: You need to conduct the experiment. Improved version: The researchers need to conduct the experiment. Objectivity can be achieved by: 7. Avoiding rhetorical questions as it marks “closeness” with the reader, and constantly seeks his/her attention. Poor example: How can these problems be solved? Improved version: Certain measures must be discovered to solve the problems. 8. Avoiding emotive language that shows biases and lessens objectivity. Poor example: The investigators were very shocked to see the outcome of the tests. Improved version: The investigators did not expect the results. 3. Technical You need to develop a large vocabulary for the concepts specific to the discipline or specialization you’re writing for. To do this, take note of terminology used by your lecturer and tutor, as well as in your readings. Be careful about the meaning of technical terms. Often the same word has a different meaning in another discipline. For example, ‘discourse’ is a technical term used in multiple disciplines with different meanings. Use the key categories and relationships in your discipline, that is, the way information and ideas are organized into groups. For example, in the discipline of Law, law is separated into two types: common law and statute law. Knowing these distinctions will help you structure your writing and make it more technical and analytical. Exercise #10 Pair 1 S1: It was raining cats and dogs. S2: It was raining very heavily. Pair 2 S3: We believe the practice is unsustainable. S4: It is believed the practice is unsustainable.  How does using formal language differ in academic writing compared to informal or conversational writing, and why is this distinction important? What are some strategies writers can employ to ensure their academic writing remains objective and avoids introducing personal bias or emotions? What are some challenges that writers may face when incorporating technical language into their academic work, and how can they effectively balance technicality with accessibility for a broader audience?. 1.What does it mean for academic writing to be formal? a) It uses informal language. b) It includes contractions and colloquialisms. c) It reflects a dignified stance and uses precise language d) It avoids technical terminology. 2. Contractions are: A. what happens when you have a baby B. when someone says the opposite to you C. when something is too narrow D. a shortened form of a word 3. Which example is correct? A. However, the main reasons are time, money and cost. B. However the main reasons, are time, money, and, cost. C. However, the main reasons are time money and cost. D. However, the main reasons, are time money, and cost. 4. Which is correct? A. They were effected badly by the incident B. The incident effected them badly. C. They were affected badly by the incident. D. The affects of the incident were bad. 5. Which phrase would be more appropriate in formal academic writing? a) "ASAP" b) “As soon as possible" c) "Right away" d) "In a jiffy" 6. Objectivity in academic writing means: a) Writing with strong personal opinions. b) Avoiding impersonal language. c) Presenting information without bias and personal feelings. d) Using colloquial language to connect with the reader. 7. Which of the following should be avoided to maintain objectivity in academic writing? a) Referring to authoritative sources. b) Using personal pronouns like "I" or "we." c) Critiquing the work of others. d) Developing an argument. 8. When do you use formal language? A. In an academic essay. B. When you talk to a friend. C. When you write a text message. D. In sending emails. 9. What does it mean to write academically? A. To write in order to pass final exams B. To write paper for scholars C. To write using proper English language D. To avoid copy pasting from the Internet 10. The term, "VERY OFTEN" may be improved using a more appropriate academic word which is: A. Frequently B. Rarely C. Seriously D. Stubbornly 11. Why is technical language important in academic writing? a) It impresses the reader. b) It confuses readers who are not experts. c) It precisely conveys complex ideas specific to a discipline. d) It allows for the use of common slang. 12. In which scenario should expanded terms be used over their abbreviated equivalents? a) When the abbreviation is widely known. b) When writing an informal email. c) When aiming for formality in academic writing. d) When writing a quick note to a friend. 13. Why should personal pronouns be avoided in academic writing? a) They enhance the technicality of the writing. b) They make the writing more formal. c) They reduce the objectivity and impersonality of the writing. d) They are difficult to understand. 14. To maintain social distance and objectivity, academic writing should: a) Frequently use the first-person perspective. b) Emphasize the author's personal feelings and opinions. c) Focus on presenting ideas and evidence rather than personal experiences. d) Include emotional appeals to engage the reader. 15. To emphasize ideas instead of people, what should you focus on in your writing? a) Personal experiences. b) The feelings of the author. c) Information and concepts. d) Direct quotes from non-authoritative sources. Key to Correction 1. C 11. C 2. D 12. C 3. A 13. C 4. C 14. C 5. B 15. C 6. C 7. B 8. A 9. B 10. A