Academic writing is an important part of students’ daily lives at many universities. According to a survey, academic writing is one of the most challenging talents for students to master. Even pupils from English-speaking countries struggle to maintain academic writing standards. These issues stem from a lack of understanding of any of the following:
- Academic writing structure
- The purpose of academic writing and the various styles of academic writing
- Plagiarism
- Methods of investigation
You are not alone if you can connect to any of the issues listed above. “What is academic writing?” is a question we frequently see on online platforms these days. Although for ease, you can hire online assignment writers UK but still, learning the concept of academic writing is essential.
What Actually is Academic Writing?
Academic writing is done to evaluate the student’s understanding of a subject. Also, one needs to learn academic writing in order to communicate your ideas, share your thoughts, and participate in scholarly discussions.
It is a difficult effort for any writer to provide a solid academic paper that is clear and effective, and that the readers will appreciate.
Academic writing differs from personal writing in that it adheres to a particular set of standards and conventions. Also, to become a good academic writer, pay attention to Grammar Tips For Your Writing. Ideas are frequently organised in a systematic sequence and backed up by references from academic literature in this way.
The four primary styles of academic writing are:
- Descriptive
- Persuasive
- Expository
- narrative writing
When your lecturers ask you to write a paper for high school or university, they usually want you to stick to one of the primary forms of academic writing. You’ll be able to do so once you’ve learned the characteristics of each type and how to distinguish between them.
That is why we are here today! We’ll define the four primary categories of academic writing so you’ll know what you’re up against.
Descriptive Writing
Descriptive writing includes descriptions of objects, places, people, feelings, experiences, and circumstances, among other things. You’ve been given the task of analysing something and describing it in words.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that you’re not writing to provide descriptions. This sort of academic writing is designed to reveal a deeper meaning.
Do you require any examples? Here’s an example of Tolstoy’s descriptive writing style from War and Peace:
“Down below, the little town could be seen with its white, red-roofed homes, cathedral, and bridge, both sides of which were clogged with Russian troops.”
You see how the author creates a vivid image in your mind and helps you see the scene right before your eyes? That’s the effect you’re going for.
But, first and foremost, what is academic writing? Is it possible to be inspired by fiction writers? The good news is that this is one of the most adaptable writing styles, allowing you to express yourself creatively.
Persuasive or Argumentative Writing
One of the most prevalent types of academic writing required in school is the persuasive (also known as argumentative) essay. It’s the type of essay your lecturers give you when they want to see how good of an essay writer you are. It necessitates that you research a topic, create your own beliefs, gather data to support those opinions, and persuade the reader that you are making a good point.
This is the most difficult form of writing to master among all the others, owing to the need for significant study. You’ll need a solid persuasive essay topic, reasoning, facts, cases, examples, and expert opinions to back up your claim. Furthermore, you must explain both sides of the argument in order to persuade the reader that your position is the most logical.
The following is the framework of a persuasive writing paper:
- The thesis statement must be written in clear words in the introduction.
- Paragraphs in the body with evidence to back them up
- A paragraph in the body that examines opposing viewpoints.
- Conclusion
Expository Academic Writing
You must explore an idea, collect and assess information that supports that thought, expound on it, and create an argument that encompasses that notion in expository writing.
Because it resembles persuasive writing, this may be one of the most perplexing academic writing styles. Expository writing, on the other hand, requires less research and is typically shorter in length than persuasive writing.
This is the correct format to use:
- A clear thesis statement in the introduction
- Evidence-evaluation body paragraphs
- The conclusion demonstrates how the evidence supports your thesis.
Narrative Academic Writing
One of the most prevalent styles of academic writing is the narrative style, which asks you to convey a story about a personal experience, anecdote, or real-life incident. Book reports, which are also classified as narrative projects, do not follow a traditional tale structure but instead focus on giving an instructive narrative.
You must draw the reader into the content when writing a narrative assignment. Using colourful language and presenting a distinct point of view can help you create this effect.
A narrative essay does not require any certain format, but it does require an introduction, body, and conclusion.
As a student, you’ll have to deal with all of these assignments at some point. Understanding the differences between the various sorts of academic writing can assist you in meeting the task!
Essential Language Tones for Academic Writing
Formal Language Tone
The words you employ can help you make your writing more formal. For academic writing, use the following formula:
- Instead of using colloquial words, use formal vocabulary. ‘Somewhat’ is more formal than ‘a little,’ and ‘insufficient’ is more formal than ‘not enough.’
- Contractions should be avoided. For example, instead of ‘didn’t,’ say ‘did not.’
- Avoid using emotive language. Use more moderate adjectives such as ‘useful’ or ‘difficult’ instead of harsh words like ‘great’ or ‘awful.’
- Use more cautious judgments like ‘strong evidence’ or ‘less compelling’ instead of absolute positives and negatives like ‘proof’ or ‘wrong.’
Technical Language Tone
You must write technically as well as utilising formal language. This means you’ll need to build a big vocabulary for the concepts unique to the discipline or specialisation for which you’re writing. Take note of the terms used by your speaker and instructor, as well as in your readings, to do this.
Pay attention to the definitions of technical words. In many cases, the same word might have a different meaning in a different discipline. For example, the phrase “discourse” is a technical term that has diverse meanings in different disciplines.
Make sure you grasp and apply your discipline’s major categories and linkages, or how information and ideas are organised into groups. In the field of law, for example, there are two types of law: common law and statutory law. Knowing these distinctions will assist you in structuring your writing and improving its technical and analytical content.
Objective Language Tone
Although academic writing typically demands you to be impartial and impersonal (i.e., no personal feelings), you may be required to express your views on the occasion. For instance, you might need to:
- interpret the results
- assess a hypothesis
- construct an argument
- Others’ work is subjected to criticism.
You can use the following tactics to present your point of view while still writing objectively.
- Change the order of information in the phrase to emphasise things and ideas rather than individuals and feelings. Instead of saying, “I believe the model is valid based on these data,” say, “These findings show that the model is valid.”
- Evaluative words based on non-technical judgments and feelings should be avoided. Instead of ‘wonderful’ or ‘disappointment,’ substitute ‘valid’ or ‘did not demonstrate.’
- The evaluative language that is intense or emotional should be avoided. Instead of writing ‘Smoking parents clearly abuse their children,’ write ‘Secondhand smoke has certain detrimental impacts on children’s health.’
- Use modalities to demonstrate caution about your opinions or to give others room to disagree. Instead of conveying, “I assume secondhand smoke generates cancer,” write, “There is evidence to point that secondhand smoke raises the risk of cancer.”
- Find authoritative sources who support your point of view in books or articles, such as authors, scholars, and theorists, and cite them in your writing. Write ‘As Halliday (1973) argues, language is essentially social’ instead of ‘Language is, in my opinion, certainly something social.’
When it comes to how objective or subjective your writing can be, different fields frequently have quite varied expectations. For example, in some disciplines, it is okay to use first-person, as in my opinion is that…,’ whereas in others it is not. Check with your lecturer and look at the convention used in published works in your discipline area.
Conclusion:
Academic writing is a part of the education system from the very beginning. Students have to cater these write-ups in order to express their relevant knowledge regarding the target subject. In this article, we have tried our best to put forward a brief description of academic writing and its essentials for the knowledge and understanding of students. We hope this works.
