Words Matter: How to effectively use idioms,
slang, & stock phrases in academic writing
Ashley Velázquez
Brought to you in cooperation with the Purdue Online Writing Lab
What are idioms?
Idiom
 An idiom is a group of words that is language specific and that
does not directly translate in meaning. Here are some
examples:





Bite your tongue
Sitting on the fence
Rule of thumb
Piece of cake
Give rise to
 What do these mean?
 Which of these, if any, would you use in a paper?
What is slang?
Slang
 Slang is very informal language usually found in speech and
not writing. Slang is also typically associated with groups of
people that share a similar cultural background.
 Because slang can be offensive, it’s not always appropriate in
writing.
 Can you think of any types of writing where slang may be
appropriate?
What are stock phrases?
Stock phrase:
 A stock phrase is a phrase that is habitually used by a person
or group of people, and thus associated with them. This can
also refer to certain fields of study.
 What are some stock phrases you know?
 When might stock phrases be appropriate in writing?
 Are any of the examples we talked about ever appropriate in
academic writing?
Informal vs. Formal
Language
Informal
Formal
Simple language
Complex language
Colloquial language (slang)
Academic language
Contractions and
abbreviations
No contractions or
abbreviations
Subjective (empathy and
emotion) – 1st person
(Usually) 3rd person: Objective
and factual/logical
Informal/Formal Writing
Assignments
Informal
• Journal
• Book-Article Report
• Glossary
• Note-taking
• Process Reflection
• Summaries
• Timed Short Response
• Web Site Review
Middle
•Annotation
• Book/Article Review
• Contextual
Analysis/Solution
• Definition Paper
• Reflective Paper
• Response/Reaction
Paper
Formal
•Lab Report
• Essay Exam
• Group Project Report
• Letter to the Editor
• Professional Article
• Research Paper
• Translation Paper
Writing Activities
 Tweet the main idea of one of your current papers.
 Tweet first to your friends
 Tweet second to a professional audience
 Turn both of your Tweets into a Facebook status about
the topic of your paper (no more than 4 sentences)
 First to your friends
 Second to a professional audience
Academic Vocabulary
Resources
http://www.englishvocabularyexercises.com/AWL/index.htm
http://www.uefap.com/vocab/select/awl.htm
http://www.lextutor.ca/vp/eng/
The OWL is also Helpful
• There are many resources
on the OWL’s website,
one of which is about
vocabulary and
appropriate language in
academic writing.
Here’s the link:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/608/01/
The End
Words Matter: How to effectively use idioms,
slang, & stock phrases in academic writing
By: Ashley J. Velázquez
Brought to you in cooperation with the Purdue Online Writing Lab