It's important that students become comfortable with writing, but they shouldn't become so comfortable that they forget they are writing in an academic arena. Most instructors expect a level of formality in their students' essays, so it benefits a student to break poor writing habits.
While there are many areas for improvement in academic writing, there are three habits that are relatively easy to watch for and correct.
First Habit to Break: Using Colloquialisms in Academic Writing
A colloquialism is a word or phrase usually used in conversation. Colloquialisms are a part of talking, and there is nothing inherently wrong with using them. However, when it comes to academic writing, most of the time, colloquialisms are out of place and even awkward in an essay. For example, these sentences would be out of place in an academic essay:
- Parents should treat their kids with respect.
- We know for sure that Galileo was correct.
- I was happy when I got the math problem.
These phrases are colloquial because they are common in spoken English (and they're not necessarily incorrect); however, they have no place in formal academic writing. These phrases should be rewritten this way:
- Parents should treat their children with respect.
- We know for certain that Galileo was correct.
- I was happy when I understood the math problem.
Removing colloquial phrases from essays takes away the conversational tone, which instantly makes the essay seem more formal and academic.
Second Habit to Break: Using Interjections Inappropriately
Using interjections is similar to using colloquialisms: very often, they have no place in academic writing. Again, using an interjection in an essay makes the writing seem informal and the student might not be taken as seriously. For example, these injections have no place in an academic paper:
- Well, I learned my lesson.
- Yeah, I thought so.
- Wow! I actually enjoyed this Shakespeare poem.
These interjections are perfectly acceptable in informal writing and conversation but should not be in an essay. However, there are some interjections that are acceptable in formal writing:
- In fact, his writings are not religious at all.
- Yes, a distinction is necessary.
Interjections, by and large, are usually not necessary in academic writing. Even acceptable interjections can usually be removed without affecting the meaning of the sentence, so students shouldn't have any problems removing them and still having a good essay.
Third Habit to Break: Using an Intimate Tone
Remember, academic essays are typically required to be formal; they are not meant to sound like a letter to a friend or a diary entry. One of the things professors expect is a formal distance from the writer. One of the easiest ways to accomplish distance is with point of view. Writing in first or second person creates an intimacy that is best to be avoided, while writing in third person usually maintains a distance. For example, here are sentences in first and second person that should be rewritten:
- I will be focusing on Victorian authors in this essay.
- We could make the argument that this story is propaganda.
- You will understand that these points are legitimate.
Again, there is nothing inherently wrong with these sentences, but they create an intimacy that is oftentimes considered improper in academic writing. Again, these issues are easy to correct by simply changing from first- or second-person point of view to third person:
- The focus of this essay will be on Victorian authors.
- It can be argued that this story is propaganda.
- Readers will understand that these points are legitimate.
If students can train themselves to write in third person when composing essays, they'll notice a difference.
Breaking Bad Habits Leads to Writing Better Essays
There really is nothing wrong with colloquialisms, interjections, and writing in first and second person. However, these are areas that can make academic essays seem less formal and less serious. It it means the difference between an A and a B, students will likely want to focus on breaking these bad habits.
Cynthia Jones-Shoeman - Cynthia (“Cindy”) Jones-Shoeman earned her MA in English from Colorado State University in 2007; her thesis was "Toni ...
