Demonstrate your understanding in order to gain a good grade.

Learning how to clarify what you think about a topic, but which does not just depend on your own personal experience. The need to use recognised sources of knowledge.

Academic Writing formal tone use of the third-person rather than first-person perspective clear focus on the issue or topic rather than the authors opinion precise word choice formal academic style avoid jargon, slang, and abbreviations support and evidence required

Informal Writing easier more familiar writing in the first person or making I statements making direct personal statements imprecise word choices use of colloquialisms and jargon

Informal Writing Exercise alone will not get rid of medical problems related to blood pressure. Academic Writing Exercise alone will not eliminate medical problems related to blood pressure. Informal Writing Researchers have been looking into this problem for 15 years now. Academic Writing Researchers have been investigating this problem for 15 years now.

 Minimise the use of the personal I in the text: avoid writing 'When I look; I don't think this is an acceptable approach' Use formal verbs, and fewer verb phrases (verb + preposition), use consider rather than look at Use impersonal expressions: there are, this raises Use more nouns than verbs: concerns, rather than to worry Avoid emotional expressions, such as it's so obvious ( it appears is preferable); just because ( assigned on the basis of is preferable) Aim for concise, often abstract expression, gender, rather than male or female.

Personal In my opinion
I believe that In my view

Objective It has been argued that

Some writers claim Clearly,

It is clear that
There is little doubt that

Avoiding too much reference to yourself as agent in your writing Agent or performer I undertook the study I propose to In this essay I will examine No agent or performer The study was undertaken It is proposed to This essay examines

 Sentence length not too long and not too short Example: Two canine cadavers with orthopedic abnormalities were identified which included a first dog that had an unusual deformity secondary to premature closure of the distal ulnar physis and a second dog that had a hypertrophic nonunion of the femur, and the radius and femur of both dogs were harvested and cleaned of soft tissues. (54 words) Problem: sentence too long; too complicated; unclear what which refers to; the and doesn't express a logical connection

Two canine cadavers with orthopedic abnormalities were identified. The first dog had an unusual deformity. It was secondary to premature closure of the distal ulnar physis. The second dog had a hypertrophic nonunion of the femur. The radius and femur of both dogs were harvested. They were cleaned of soft tissues. (51 words; 6 sentences; average 8.5 words per sentence)
Problem: unconnected sentences; not clear what 'it' and 'they' refer to; theme of paragraph not clear

Two canine cadavers with orthopedic abnormalities were identified. The first dog had an unusual deformity secondary to premature closure of the distal ulnar physis; the second, a hypertrophic nonunion of the femur. The radius and femur of both dogs were harvested and cleaned of soft tissues. (46 words; 3 sentences; average 15.3 words per sentence) The first sentence introduces the topic simply but clearly. The second contrasts the two conditions and so arouses reader interest. The third connects the two by summarising what was done to both.

 Always write a long name in full the first time you use it, regardless of how well known it is. Example: The World Health Organisation (WHO) is affiliated with the United Nations (UN). The UN provides funds which help the WHO perform its role effectively.

 Avoid abbreviations in academic writing Full do not cannot dont cant Contraction

will not
must not he would

wont
mustnt hed