Can You Say You in a Research Paper

Words and Phrases to Avoid in Academic Writing

Published on Feb 6, 2022 by Sarah Vinz. Revised on July 20, 2020.

When you are writing a dissertation, thesis or research paper, many words and phrases that are acceptable in conversations or informal writing are considered inappropriate in academic writing.

Yous should endeavour to avoid expressions that are too breezy, unsophisticated, vague, exaggerated, or subjective, likewise as those that are by and large unnecessary or incorrect.

Deport in listen, even so, that these guidelines do non utilize to text you are directly quoting from your sources (including interviews).

As well breezy

Bookish writing is generally more than formal than the writing we see in non-academic materials (including on websites). It is also more than formal than the ways in which we normally speak. The post-obit words and phrases are considered besides informal for a dissertation or academic paper.

Taboo	Example	Alternative
A bit	The interviews were a flake difficult to schedule	The interviews were (hard/somewhat hard) to schedule
A lot of, a couple of	A lot of studies	(Many/several/a great number of/eight) studies
America	A researcher in America	A researcher in (the United States/the US/the United states of america)
Isn't, can't, doesn't, would've (or whatever other wrinkle)	The sample isn't	The sample is not
Kind of, sort of	The findings were kind of significant	The findings were (somewhat pregnant/significant to some caste)
Til, till	From 2008 till 2012	From 2008 (until/to) 2012
You, your (i.e. the 2d-person point of view)	You can clearly meet the results	One tin can conspicuously encounter the results The results can conspicuously be seen

Informal judgement starts

Some words are adequate in certain contexts, but become too informal when used at the beginning of a sentence. You tin replace these with appropriate transition words or only remove them from the sentence.

Taboo	Example	Alternative
Also	Also, the participants were in agreement on the third question	(Moreover/Furthermore), the participants were in agreement on the 3rd question
So	Then it tin be concluded that the model needs further refinement	Therefore information technology can be concluded that the model needs farther refinement
And	And the participants were all over the historic period of xxx	The participants were all over the age of 30
Too	As well, we asked all the participants to sign an agreement	Additionally, we asked all the participants to sign an understanding

As well unsophisticated

Using likewise many simple terms can brand your writing experience elementary, then take intendance not to overuse them. Information technology'south also ameliorate to supercede phrasal verbs with their one-word alternatives.

That said, some of the beneath terms do take their place in bookish writing. For instance, writing "Effigy iv shows that…" or "Table Bgives an overview of…" from time to fourth dimension is perfectly fine. Longer, more than complex words aren't necessarily better than shorter words: skillful academic writing should aim to be concise and apply varied language.

Taboo	Instance	Alternative
Bad	A bad result	A (poor/negative) result
Big, humongous	A big sample	A (large/sizable) sample
Get	This model gets attention	This model receives attention
Give	This affiliate gives an overview	This chapter (provides/offers/presents) an overview
Good	A adept example	A (useful/prime) example
Prove	The below figure shows	The below figure (illustrates/demonstrates/reveals)

What tin can proofreading do for your paper?

Scribbr editors not only right grammar and spelling mistakes, merely also strengthen your writing by making certain your newspaper is free of vague language, redundant words and awkward phrasing.

Encounter editing example

Too vague

Using vague terms makes your writing imprecise and may cause people to interpret information technology in different means. Ever try to be as specific equally possible.

Taboo	Example	Alternative
Stuff	People are concerned most their stuff	People are concerned about their (property/possessions/personal furnishings)
Affair	The report presents many things	The report presents many (details/findings/recommendations)
A long fourth dimension, a while	This topic has interested researchers for a long time	This topic has interested researchers for more than 30 years

Too exaggerated

Academic writing is usually unadorned and direct. Some adverbs of frequency (such every bit always and never), superlatives (terms that indicate something is of the highest degree, such equally the all-time), and intensifiers (words that create emphasis, such as very) are frequently besides dramatic. They may also not be accurate – you're making a significant claim when you lot say something is perfect or never happens.

These terms exercise sometimes add value, merely try to use them sparingly.

Taboo	Example	Alternative
Always, never	Researchers always argue that	Researchers (frequently/commonly/ typically) fence that
Perfect, best, worst, most (or any other superlative)	The perfect solution to the trouble	(An platonic solution/i of the all-time solutions) to the trouble
Very, extremely, actually, too, so (or any other intensifier)	This theory is extremely important	This theory is (important/critical/crucial)

Too subjective

Some words and phrases reveal your own bias. For instance, if you country that something will manifestly happen, you are indicating that you think the occurrence is obvious – not stating a fact.

Expressing your opinion is advisable in sure sections of a dissertation and in particular types of academic text (such every bit personal statements and reflective or argumentative essays). In most cases, though, take care when using words and phrases such every bit those below – try to permit the facts speak for themselves, or emphasize your point with less biased linguistic communication.

Taboo	Example	Alternative
Beautiful, ugly, wonderful, horrible, skillful, bad	A review of literature yielded many good articles	A review of the literature yielded manyrelevant articles
Naturally	The participants naturally wanted to know	The participants wanted to know
Plainly, of form	The results plainly signal	The resultsclearly indicate

By and large unnecessary

You should strive to make your academic writing as curtailed equally possible. Avoid adding words and phrases that exercise non add meaning, even if you lot think they requite your writing a more than refined feel.

Taboo	Example	Alternative
Has got/take got	This dissertation has got iv capacity	This dissertation has iv chapters
Serves to, helps to	This chapter serves to explain	This affiliate explains

By and large incorrect

Certain words and phrases are often used incorrectly, even past native speakers of a language. If you're exposed to such mistakes often enough, you may showtime to assume they are correct – but information technology'south of import that yous don't allow them pitter-patter into your writing.

You should as well bear in mind that some of these mistakes relate to things nosotros all often mishear (for instance, we oft think the speaker is saying would of instead of would take).

Taboo	Case	Alternative
Literally	The students were literally dying to participate	The students were (dying/very eager) to participate
Would of, had of	The study would of considered	The written report would have considered

Other tips

In general, you should also endeavor to avoid using words and phrases that fall into the post-obit categories:

Jargon (i.e., "insider" terminology that may be difficult for readers from other fields to understand)
Clichés (i.east., expressions that are heavily overused, such equally think outside of the box and at the terminate of the mean solar day)
Everyday abbreviations (eastward.k. photos, fridge, telephone, info)
Slang (east.thousand. cops, cool)
Gender-biased linguistic communication(e.k. firemen, flesh)

Exceptions

Reflective reports and personal statements sometimes have a less formal tone. In these types of writing, you lot may non have to follow these guidelines as strictly. The preface or acknowledgements of a dissertation also frequently have a less formal and more personal vox than the residuum of the document.

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