The Rules of Academic Writing
Among the taboos of academic writing that can only be broken on rare occasions is the use of contractions. Contractions are only allowed when quoting a source directly if the contraction is a part of the quote. Using contractions is typical of colloquial language which is quite different from the academic style of writing. It is also worth considering that colloquial English includes plentiful collocations and phrasal words the use of which is never welcome in academic language. Since academic writing is about impersonal English, using personal pronouns is considered to be a mistake. Nevertheless, sometimes it is permissible to use third person pronouns (Proofreading.Org, 2017).
When writing an academic paper it is extremely important to understand the audience that is to be addressed and the level of formality that one is to follow. Using jargon, slang words and idiomatic expressions is rather inappropriate since academic writing is not usually oriented specifically on one part of the society. Forming unbiased wording and racial-, ethnic-, and gender-free style is a must, or else a piece of writing can be regarded as an attempt to discriminate a certain part of the society. What is more, using euphemisms and other “veiled” words can create confusion and misinterpretation of an academic work (Owl.English.Purdue.Edu n.p.).
Among the dos of academic writing is the use of the vocabulary that demonstrates one’s knowledge and understanding of the topic under discussion. Therefore, subject-specific terminology is what proves that a topic is properly understood and covered to the needed extent. Finally, when using abbreviations and acronyms it is quite reasonable to first introduce the full term first, since some acronyms can stand for a number of terms (Proofreading.Org, 2017).
Works Cited
"Purdue OWL: Using Appropriate Language". Owl.English.Purdue.Edu, 2017, https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/608/1/.
"Tips For Writing In An Academic Tone And Style". Proofreading.Org, 2017, …
