Academic Language

Be precise

Vague:

A lot of people have problems because of social media.

More precise:

Heavy social media use may contribute to several problems related to concentration and wellbeing.

Precision tells the reader more while avoiding unsupported generalisations.

Choose an appropriate register

Informal:

Lots of teens don’t really care about the issue.

More formal:

Many teenagers may not consider the issue a priority.

Academic language generally avoids unnecessary slang, conversational fillers and very casual expressions.

Use hedging

Academic writing often avoids claiming more than the evidence can support.

Very certain:

Social media causes anxiety.

More cautious:

Social media use may contribute to anxiety.

Useful hedging expressions include:

• may
• might
• can
• appears to
• tends to
• suggests that
• is likely to
• in some cases

Hedging does not mean being unsure about everything. It means matching the strength of your language to the strength of your evidence.

Avoid unnecessary intensifiers

Words such as:

• really
• super
• extremely
• incredibly

often make academic writing less precise.

Instead of:

This is a really huge problem.

try:

This is a significant problem.

Integrate sources

Academic writing makes it clear when an idea comes from a source.

Useful phrases include:

• According to…
• The study suggests that…
• The researchers argue that…
• The findings indicate that…

You should still explain why the source matters to your argument.

Informal version

Loads of young people are basically addicted to their phones, and it’s obviously really bad for them.

More academic version

Frequent smartphone use among young people has raised concerns about its possible effects on concentration and wellbeing.

The second version is more precise and avoids claiming something that has not been demonstrated.

Too complicated

The utilisation of mobile telecommunication devices facilitates a substantial diminution in attentional capacity.

Better

Smartphone use can reduce students’ ability to concentrate.

Academic language should be precise, not unnecessarily complicated.

1. Remove slang and conversational fillers.
2. Replace vague expressions with precise wording.
3. Check whether your claims are stronger than your evidence.
4. Use hedging when certainty is limited.
5. Prefer clear words over unnecessarily complicated vocabulary.
6. Make it clear when information comes from a source.
7. Read the sentence aloud and ask whether it sounds formal but still natural.

Informal: “Kids are on their phones all the time.”

Better: “Many young people spend a considerable amount of time using smartphones.”

Too absolute: “AI will destroy many jobs.”

Better: “AI may significantly change employment in some sectors.”

Overcomplicated: “The aforementioned phenomenon effectuates negative ramifications.”

Better: “The phenomenon can have negative consequences.”

Why: Complex vocabulary does not automatically make writing more academic.

Vague: “Things are getting worse.”

Better: Specify exactly what is changing and in what way.

Which sentence is most appropriate in an academic essay?

• A. Everyone knows that social media is obviously terrible for kids.
• B. Social media is super bad and causes loads of problems.
• C. Research suggests that some forms of social media use may negatively affect young people’s wellbeing.
• D. I feel like social media probably isn’t great.

Answer: C. It is precise, appropriately formal and cautious about the strength of the claim.

• Academic language should be clear rather than unnecessarily complicated.
• Choose words that express your meaning precisely.
• Avoid slang, fillers and unsupported generalisations.
• Use hedging when the evidence does not justify certainty.
• Formal writing can still be direct and easy to understand.