IMPORTANT WRITING TIPS from the Purdue OWL
STYLE and ACADEMIC WRITING
Academic writing is FORMAL, not casual or informal.
1.
Do not use first person point of view: I, me, we, our, us, etc
2.
NEVER use second person point of view: you, your, etc.
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Do not use phrases such as I think that, I believe that, I feel
that, in my opinion, etc.
Do not use slang or other informal diction.
BE PRECISE AND CLEAR. AVOID Wordiness (Deadwood): the
fact that, at that point in time. in other words, play a
role, due to, as a result of, as to why, whereas, thus,
therefore, which is, the most common, one of, not only,
but also, very, extremely, really, a lot, great, best,
usually, greater, many, most, some, a little, a few, often,
sometimes, oftentimes, can be established, such as, just
as, of this, is that, the fact that, means that, for many
reasons, all these, serve to, to name a few, in order to,
when it comes to, as noted, on the part of, by means of,
after all, this means that, the reason is, in general, again,
once again, etc.
Don't give readers commands such as: Be sure to ..... or any
similar sentences.
Avoid negatives (use failed rather than did not, for example)
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14.
Don't use words like important, imperative, vital, essential,
valuable, key, inevitable, paramount, significant,
necessary, core, fundamental, priority, pivotal, evident,
unique, or other synonyms for these words
Do not editorialize your writing, including words like:
unfortunately, virtually impossible, well worth, obviously,
hopefully, fortunately, invaluable, undoubtedly,
assuredly, literally, etc.
Write out all contractions: can't should be cannot, for
instance.
Do not begin sentences (or phrases/clauses within sentences)
with ANY of the following words: AS, IT, IN, THERE, THIS,
THAT, THEY, THEIR, BY, IF, WHEN, WHILE, WITH,
BECAUSE, THROUGH, WITH
Do not use THAT when referring to people. The pronoun WHO
refers to people.
Under no circumstances should you use these words at all:
NEED, MUST, SHOULD -- these words imply that you are
giving instructions to your reader.
"to be" verbs should be used sparingly: is, are, was, were,
etc..
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Use commas and semi-colons properly.
In a series of three or more nouns or noun phrases, insert a
comma before the word "and" or "or"
Do not make announcements such as this paper will, in this
paper I will, in the article, in the essay, etc.
Do not use pretentious words intended to impress readers. If
you use words your reader might not know, explain them.
Example: utilize should be use. Other examples: plethora,
elicit, ensue, illustrative, empowerment,
Never use words that seem uncertain: could, might, may,
maybe, probably, etc.
Use THAT and WHICH correctly
Possessive nouns -- use apostrophes properly for singular and
plural possessive noun forms.
Do not use scenarios or anecdotes or other examples to
illustrate points. This is a research paper, not a creative
writing assignment.
23.
Do not use passive voice in your writing. Be concise and clear.
Passive voice makes the sentence too wordy.
Use active voice, clear, precise, and concise sentences
Point of view
***No first and second person points-of-view (e.g., I, you, we) are
used in academic writing. Always write from third person point-ofview. Third person points-of-view (e.g., he, she, it, and they)
should not be used unless writing a reflective paper.
Verb/Subject Agreement: main verbs agree with the subject in
person and number
***Verb Tense: writing does not shift inappropriately back and
forth from present to past
Noun Plurals: regular plurals ending in "s" and irregular plurals
Articles: articles should be properly place ("a," "an," and "the")
Punctuation: Commas, semi-colons, colons; ending punctuation
INSIDE quotation marks
Pronoun Reference: every pronoun has a clear referent; do not use
"he," she," "they," etc. more than twice per paragraph.
Vague Pronouns: Make sure that pronouns such as "it" and "this"
refer to something specific.
 In the report it suggests that moderate exercise is better than no
exercise at all. X
 The report suggests that moderate exercise is better than no
exercise at all. OK
 The group wanted to meet in January, but this didn't happen until
May. X
 The group wanted to meet in January, but the conference didn't
take place until May. OK
PRONOUNS SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH PRECISE NOUNS to
improve clarity. Use precise language. Avoid “it.” "You" and other
personal pronouns are never used in an academic report. "This" and
"these" need a noun referent for clarity. "One" is generally a formal
and acceptable pronoun.
Modifiers: A word or phrase describing something.
Make sure the modifier clearly refers to the element you want it
to modify.
 The council advises physicians at regular intervals to administer
the drug. X
 The council advises physicians to administer the drug at regular
intervals. OK
 At regular intervals, the council advises physicians to administer
the drug. OK
Make sure that a modifying phrase or clause has something to
modify.
 By manipulating the lower back, the pain was greatly eased. (X-implies the pain was doing the manipulating)
 By manipulating the lower back, the therapist greatly eased the
pain. OK
 When not going to school, my hobbies range from athletics to
automobiles. (X--implies the hobbies go to school)
 When I am not going to school, my hobbies range from athletics
to automobiles. OK
***Parallelism (Examples)
X: Boy Scouts at the camp can learn cooking, canoeing,
swimming, or how to make ropes.
OK : Boy Scouts at the camp can learn cooking, canoeing,
swimming, or rope-making.
X: I enjoy biking and to walk down by the pier.
OK: I enjoy biking and walking down by the pier.
X: Non-traditional students often study long hours, get limited
sleep, and up again with the sunrise.
OK: Non-traditional students often study long hours, get
limited sleep, and are up again with the sunrise.
Using That and Who
In academic writing that refers only to things. Who (or its forms
whom and whose) refers only to people.
Examples:
These are the books that I need for the class.
He is the man who will be teaching the class.