Perfect, best, worst, most (or any other superlative) Researchers (frequently/commonly/ typically) argue that These terms do sometimes add value, but try to use them sparingly. They may also not be accurate – you’re making a significant claim when you say something is perfect or never happens. Some adverbs of frequency (such as always and never), superlatives (terms that indicate something is of the highest degree, such as the best), and intensifiers (words that create emphasis, such as very) are often too dramatic. This topic has interested researchers for more than 30 yearsĪcademic writing is usually unadorned and direct.
This topic has interested researchers for a long time The report presents many (details/findings/recommendations) People are concerned about their (belongings/possessions/personal effects) Always try to be as specific as possible. Using vague terms makes your writing imprecise and may cause people to interpret it in different ways. The below figure (illustrates/demonstrates/reveals) This chapter (provides/offers/presents) an overview Longer, more complex words aren’t necessarily better than shorter words: good academic writing should aim to be concise and use varied language. For example, writing “Figure 4 shows that…” or “Table B gives an overview of…” from time to time is perfectly fine. That said, some of the below terms do have their place in academic writing. It’s also better to replace phrasal verbs with their one-word alternatives. Using too many simple terms can make your writing feel elementary, so take care not to overuse them. The participants were all over the age of 30īesides, we asked all the participants to sign an agreementĪdditionally, we asked all the participants to sign an agreement Therefore it can be concluded that the model needs further refinementĪnd the participants were all over the age of 30 So it can be concluded that the model needs further refinement (Moreover/Furthermore), the participants were in agreement on the third question TabooĪlso, the participants were in agreement on the third question You can replace these with appropriate transition words or simply remove them from the sentence. Some words are acceptable in certain contexts, but become too informal when used at the beginning of a sentence. The findings were (somewhat significant/significant to some degree) Isn’t, can’t, doesn’t, would’ve (or any other contraction) (Many/several/a great number of/eight) studiesĪ researcher in (the United States/the US/the USA) The interviews were (difficult/somewhat difficult) to schedule The interviews were a bit difficult to schedule The following words and phrases are considered too informal for a dissertation or academic paper. It is also more formal than the ways in which we normally speak.