In this video, you will learn five quick and easy tips that will improve your formal and academic writing.
Do not use contractions
The presenter starts right away by sharing the first tip in the video which concerns contractions. She underlines that it is not a good idea to use any contractions when writing for academic or formal audiences. It is better to write the whole word because it makes a better impression.
Do not write long sentences
The second tip is about the length of the sentences in your text. You do not need long sentences and extra words in your academic or formal writing. You must take the reader straight to the point. To make it clearer the presenter gives some examples in the video.
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Do not use words such as really, very, a lot or so
These types of, let’s call them parasitic, words weaken your writing. In academic writing you should aim your writing to sound more formal and straight to the point. No extra words that could make your text sound unclear. Again examples are given by the presenter to make her point clearer.
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Do not use passive voice
It is not a good idea to use the passive voice in your academic writing unless you are talking about science. If you are studying or writing about humanities, social science, history or psychology, use the active voice. The reason is that the passive voice makes the sentence sound weak and unconvincing. In academic writing we need stronger sentences.
Use strong verbs
In academic writing one should use only strong verbs. This means that you should more often use the verbal form of the words. In order for your sentences to sound clearer and stronger you must favour verb forms over noun forms in your text.
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