Academic Style

TASK I. Look at the two texts below and answer the questions:
1. Where do you think you would see them?
2. What are the main differences between them? Are there any similarities? Give examples.

What should you wear when you start your first real job? Obviously, things are different depending
on whether you’re a guy or a gal, but a lot of the decisions are the same. You’re probably worried
about the interview and the first few days at work. The interview, of course, is where they make up
their minds if they’re actually going to hire you. But also, you have to think about the trial period
when you and the employer look each other over. It’s a two-way street, isn’t it? Clothes are a good
way of seeing if you’ll fit in. It’s part of what they call the corporate culture.

Many young people graduating from university are unsure about the clothes they need when they
embark on their chosen careers. The details are different for men and women, but the principles are
the same. In most cases, the main concern is the job interview itself, and, secondarily, the first week
once hired. At the interview the candidate is assessed and the company makes a decision on whether
to offer a contract of employment, usually on a probationary basis of six months. This is to see if a
candidate will function well in the corporate culture.

TASK II. Read the attached text and find out about the characteristics of the
formal style.
Formal English and Informal English are two distinct styles of communication, each with its own set
of rules and appropriate usage. Here's a breakdown of their key differences:

[Link] and precise vocabulary: Avoid slang, colloquial expressions, and casual words. Use more
sophisticated or technical terms.

 Informal: "Kids nowadays use phones too much."

 Formal: "Children today frequently engage in excessive mobile phone usage."
[Link] forms instead of contractions: Avoid contractions (e.g., don't, can't).

 Informal: "We didn’t get the report."

 Formal: "We did not receive the report."
[Link] sentences: Ensure sentences are grammatically complete with clear subjects and
predicates.

 Informal: "Got the email yesterday. Thanks!"

 Formal: "I received your email yesterday. Thank you."
[Link] and impersonal: Avoid personal pronouns such as "I" and "we" in most cases, and aim
for neutrality.

 Informal: "I think that the results are promising."

 Formal: "The results appear promising."
[Link]-person perspective: Use third-person pronouns and passive voice to depersonalize writing.

 Informal: "We found out that the method works well."

  Formal: "It was found that the method works effectively."
[Link] tone: Maintain professionalism and politeness. Avoid casual expressions or emotional
language.

 Informal: "Your idea is awesome!"

 Formal: "Your proposal is highly commendable."
[Link] punctuation: Follow formal punctuation rules, including using commas, semicolons, and full
stops properly. Avoid excessive use of exclamation marks.

 Informal: "Great job!"

 Formal: "The work has been completed to a high standard."
[Link] and coherent: Ensure logical flow with well-organized paragraphs and appropriate
transitions between ideas.

 Informal: "I want to say this first. Then, this is important."

 Formal: "First, it is essential to address this issue. Additionally, it is important to consider the
following."

When use written formal language?

 Academic Papers: Essays, theses, research reports, and scholarly articles.

 Business Communications: Professional emails, memos, reports, and proposals.
 Official Documents: Legal contracts, government notices, and formal announcements.
 Job Applications: Cover letters, résumés, and references.
Mastering formal written English allows for clear, respectful, and effective communication in
professional and academic contexts.

When writing essays and other academic texts, it is important to use an appropriate style. Academic
English, particularly when written, is usually described as ‘FORMAL’ language. The formality of
academic writing is characterized by the following:

 An impersonal rather than a personal style, including the use of passive voice and structures
that begin with it and there, rather than the personal pronouns I, we and you.

There is little hope that the opera company will find a sponsor for its innovative programme.

 A tendency to base structures around nouns rather than verbs (called 'nominalization').

The research team made a careful assessment of the data. (rather than The research team
assessed the data carefully.)

 The use of formal vocabulary, such as resign from rather than quit a job, and children rather
than kids.

A preference for a cautious and objective approach, with evidence to support our ideas, and
consideration given to the views of others, along with the avoidance of emotive or subjective
language such as disgusting or marvellous.

TASK III. Identify Formal vs. Informal

1.I’d appreciate it if you could send me the report by Friday. –

2. Could you give me the documents, please? -

3. I am writing to request additional information regarding the proposal. -

4. Everyone needs to send in their documents by the end of the week. -

5. Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. –

TASK IV. Say whether formal (F) or informal (INF) writing is more likely to:
a) have short sentences _ _ _ e) use passive verbs _ _ _

b) have an impersonal tone _ _ _ f) use phrasal verbs _ _ _

c) use contractions (e.g. didn't). _ _ _ g) leave out words (e.g. pronouns) _ _ _

d) include polite phrases __ _ h) use very simple words or slang _ _ _

TASK V. Look at the phrases below and decide if their style is rather formal or
informal. Why?
A. Sorry about last night! ___
B. I am writing to apologize for yesterday evening. ___
C. We are sorry to inform you the meeting could not be rescheduled. ___
D. How are things with you? ___
E. Can’t wait to hear all about your holiday! ___
F. It must be remembered that Italy as an entity did not exist until 1861. ___
G. I tried to get you on your mobile, but it was switched off. ___
H. The final decision on the length of the offender’s prison sentence will be made by the judge.
___
I. There needs to be a proper exploration of the causes of the riots. ___
J. Have you heard about Tim and Jan? They’ve called off their wedding! ___

TASK VI. Complete the sentences below with either a formal or informal
phrase based on the context given.
would appreciate / inquire about /submitted / appears to be/ demonstrates/ conducted
/demonstrate / do / look forward to / is likely to
1. I am writing to _______________ the status of my application.
2. This paper will _______________the impact of globalization on local economies.
3. The data _______________a clear connection between stress and illness.
4. Please note that all documents must be _______________by 5 p.m.
5. Climate change _______________destroying coastal ecosystems.
6. Can you _______________me a favor?
7. I _______________meeting with you
8. I _______________it if you could provide additional information.
9. The researchers _______________an experiment to determine the efficacy of the new drug.
10. The new policy _______________reduce unemployment.

TASK VII. Look at the following extract from a student’s essay on attitudes to science and how
these might be changed. The tutor commented on the underlined sections of the essay. Match the
sections (1-21) to the tutor’s comments (a-m). Some comments refer to more than one section.

a) Avoid colloquial words and phrases (i.e. ones used in informal conversations rather than formal
writing). 1 , ___, ___, ___

b) Avoid long expressions where there are shorter ones with the same meaning. ___
c) Use a one-word verb rather than a multi-word verb where possible. ___, ___

d) Unless you are referring specifically to men or to women, use gender-neutral language. ___, ___

e) Avoid referring to the reader as ‘you’ or ‘the reader’. ___, ___

f) Avoid contracted forms (e.g. ‘is not’ rather than ‘isn’t’). ___, ___

g) Don’t use ‘like’ instead of ‘such as” when giving examples. ___

h) Don’t use ‘besides’ to add another, stronger reason. ___

i) Avoid using questions to organise your writing. ___

j) Avoid using ‘I’ (think/believe etc.) when you express your opinion. ___

k) Use nominalisations where possible to express yourself more effectively. ___, ___

l) Don’t use exclamation marks (!) to show your surprise. ___

m) Use more appropriate negative forms (‘few’ rather than ‘not many’, ‘little’ rather than ‘not
much’, ‘no’ rather than ‘not any’). ___

TASK VII. Nominalisation

Nominalisation is the process of focusing your writing around NOUNS rather than verbs and
adjectives. Nouns make your writing more impersonal and allow you to add information to your
writing more easily and to use structures that place the emphasis on an important event rather than
on the agent (the person or thing that made it happen).
The council converted the disused factory into a community centre... (verb)
The conversion of the disused factory into a community centre provided a much needed social space
for the area. (noun)
If companies continue to burn the forests, they are likely to destroy much of the local flora and
fauna.
The continued burning of the forest will lead to the destruction of much of the local flora and fauna.
The judge will decide finally on how long (adjective) the offender remains in jail.
The judge will make the final decision on the length (noun) of the offender’s prison sentence.
Look at the following sentences.

Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning as the first. Use one noun in each
space.
1. It is essential to communicate regularly but briefly with the sales force in the field.
 Regular but brief _______________ with the sales force in the field is essential.

2. Local authorities preserved a wide area of land from being developed, and this allowed them
to create a park.
The ________________ of a wide area of land from _______________ allowed local
authorities to create a park.

3. The presenter questioned whether some of the research into prime numbers was relevant.
The _______________ of some of the research into prime numbers was questioned by the
presenter.

4. Orton supports Foster, who predicts slow economic growth led by the service sector.
Orton supports Foster in his _______________ of slow economic growth led by the service
sector.

5. The political situation must be stable before it is possible for poverty in this part of Africa to
be eliminated.
The __________________ of the political situation is a pre-condition for the
________________ of poverty in this part of Africa.

TASK VIII. KEY ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 1

From the following list, use each word only once to complete the sentences below. Remember that
in the case of nouns and verbs you may need to change the form of the word:

ARBITRARY ASSIGN CONTEXT CRITERION DATA DENOTE DEVISE

FORMULATE IGNORE IMPACT SIMILAR SUMMARY USAGE VERTICAL

1. Although not exactly identical, the two books are so _____________________ to each other that
one author must have copied much of his book from the other.
2. The Prime Minister set up a committee of financial experts to help him discuss and
_________________ new policies.
3. It is often possible to guess the meaning of a word from the other words around it — that is to say,
the _____________________.
4. In 1990, the British researcher Tim Berners-Lee _____________________ the first browser, and so
paved the way for the development of the World Wide Web.
5. In newspapers, the layout of the columns is _____________________, while the rows run across
the page horizontally.
6. The rise in the number of deaths from AIDS has had a very significant _____________________ on
people's sexual behaviour.

7. The _____________________ of drugs has increased significantly in spite of more severe penalties
such as longer prison sentences.
8. Students should not try to write down everything they hear in a lecture, but just make a
_____________________ of the most important points.
9. We use the term "class" to _________________________ groups of people who share the same
social and economic backgrounds.
10. In one case, a murderer may go to prison for life, while another may be set free: it all seems
completely __________________.
11. The new journalist was ____________________ to researching the election promises of the main
political parties.
12. Before we can judge a government's success, we have to decide the ____________________,
such as unemployment, defence or taxation.
13. One student failed because he completely ________________________ the instructions on the
paper, although they appeared at the top of every page.
14. Market researchers use _________________________ such as people's spending patterns as well
as information about age and occupation to decide on the most effective marketing strategies.

TASK IX. KEY ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 2

In each of the sentences below, decide which word is more suitable.
1. During the 1970's and 1980's, it became increasingly evident / visible that companies in the West
were uncompetitive.
2. The United Kingdom makes / publishes more books than any other country.
3. There has been a major road accident, involving / including 23 cars and 16 lorries.
4. On the basis of the latest survey, we know that most people have a very negative / bleak view of
politicians and their parties.
5. In many parts of the world, people are becoming more worried about the danger of pollution and
its effect on the environment / ecology.
6. Education experts from France travelled to Japan to evaluate / judge the secondary school system
there.
7. Although it is not very big, the library has an excellent range / variety of books, journals and other
resources for study.
8. Increasingly, the design of buildings is being adjusted / modified to allow easier access for disabled
people.
9. The lack of extra student accommodation restricted / narrowed the expansion in student numbers
which the university was planning.
10. Many students acquire / derive a great deal of enjoyment and satisfaction from their time at
university.
11. Although the world is getting warmer slowly, the increase in temperature varies / fluctuates from
country to country.
12. Following the bank raid, the police followed / pursued the robbers but were unable to catch
them.
13. Assessment on this course includes / consists of coursework (30%) and examinations (70%).

TASK X. KEY ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 3

Choose the best ending for each of the sentence extracts below from the list underneath:
1. I like your essay, but I want you to illustrate…
2. What will the result be if in the future we assume…
3. Students may be asked to compare many alternative…
4. The Channel Tunnel between France and England was constructed…
5. Everyone wants to be happy, but we probably all define…
6. Many universities now have language centres to facilitate…
7. Numbers and results are not particularly useful in themselves; we need to interpret…
8. In spite of warnings about cancer, many Westerners equate…
9. Advertisers use a variety of techniques…
10. At first, the police viewed the crimes as random…
11. It may be the case that no solution is possible, given the magnitude…
12. Although computers are becoming increasingly complex,…
13. The investigation was stopped because the witnesses could not identify…

_______________________________________________________________________________

a. …theories, from which they have to select the most convincing.

b. …happiness in many different ways.
c. …that nearly everyone has access to a motor car?
d. …the programs they use are becoming much easier to operate.
e. …a sun tan with health and youthfulness.
f. …the man they had seen commit the robbery.
g. …language learning for international students.
h. …at a cost of over £8 billion.
i. …of this problem.
j. …them to understand what they actually mean.
k. …events, but realised later that there was a pattern linking them.
l. …to persuade consumers to buy products and services.
m. …your points by providing some supporting examples.

TASK XI. KEY ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 4

For each of the sentences here, choose the best word from a, b or c:
1. In this first assignment, we will _______________________ your work and then give you detailed
feedback on how to improve your writing.
a. assess b. judge c. measure
2. In a seminar or tutorial, everyone should take part rather than allow one person to
_______________________ the discussion.
a. overwhelm b. dominate c. oppress
3. Although it is impossible to give a _________________________ age, we believe that the woman
was between 25 and 30 when she died.
a. definite b. certain c. absolute
4. Rather than try to treat it, the best _________________________ to the problem of poor public
health may be to attempt to prevent it.
a. way b. method c. approach
5. Surprisingly perhaps, the biggest _________________________ health risk for tourists travelling
abroad is actually road traffic accidents.
a. potential b. possible c. theoretical
6. Water is made up of two _______________________, namely oxygen and hydrogen.
a. sections b. aspects c. elements
7. Computers can be difficult to repair because there may be hundreds of different
________________
inside.
a. components b. pieces c. parts
8. Because Paris is expensive, many organisations pay higher salaries to _________________ for the
high cost of living there.
a. compensate b. adjust c. redress
9. Many people were killed instantly at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but thousands more died from
_________________ radiation sickness.
a. succeeding b. following c. subsequent
10. The clothing of men and women used to be quite ___________________________, whereas
today
women often wear trousers as well as men.
a. distinct b. diverse c. distinguished
11. Research _______________________ that customers want free car-parking when they go
shopping.
a. claims b. indicates c. points out
12. In political terms, the Middle East is one of the most unstable __________________________ of
the
world.
a. locations b. places c. regions
13. The ___________________________ cause of death today in Britain is heart disease, with cancer
in second place.
a. first b. prime c. initial

TASK XII. KEY ACADEMIC VOCABULARY 5

MAKE A COLLOCATION
Start by reading through the sentences below. Then take one word from the box on the left and
combine this with one from the box on the right to make a collocation. For example, valid can be
joined with reason. (Note that more than one pairing may be possible and also that some words
appear more than once.) Then try to match your combinations with the spaces in the sentences
below:

status responsibility role

new analyse leading concept the hypothesis
ultimate valid marital results dimension
establish new initial temperature reason
reverse tense a link atmosphere results
constant the verdict requirement
minimum put forward

1. If you submit work late, you will lose marks and may even be given a fail grade, unless you have a
_________________ _________________ such as illness.
2. One travel company is now advertising a completely _________________ _________________ in
tourism: flights into outer space by rocket.
3. At the bottom of the ocean, the water remains at a _________________ _________________
irrespective of changing weather conditions at the surface.
4. The growth of China will add a _________________ _________________ to the economic and
political situation in the Far East.
5. Students are expected not just to describe what they have done but also to _________________
_________________ when they write a research report.
6. Investigators have been able to _________________ _________________ between childhood
illnesses and industrial pollution.
7. Following the demonstrations by thousands of students, there was a very _________________
_________________ in the capital, with many choosing to leave the city and head for the
countryside.
8. Unfortunately, although the _________________ _________________ were very promising, the
project failed in the long run because of a lack of interest.
9. Engineers have played a _________________ _________________ in improving our health by
giving us clean water supplies, perhaps more so than doctors.
10. The Managing Director may run the company, but _________________ _________________
rests with the Board of Directors.
11. On the form, please give your name, nationality, address and indicate your _________________
_________________.
12. When some scientists originally _________________ _________________ known as global
warming, the idea was not taken seriously, and yet today it is accepted by nearly everyone.
13. In some instances, a Court of Appeal may _________________ _________________ reached at
the first trial and released somebody who has been wrongly held in prison.
14. Most universities require international students to have an IELTS score of at least 6 as a
_________________ _________________ for English language competence.
TASK XIII. Passive Voice . Rewrite the following as passive constructions.
1 You can even see Venus in the middle of the day.
Venus ___________________________________________________________________
2 They outlawed smoking in public in 2003.
________________________________________________________________________
3 Someone has found a new galaxy circling the Milky Way.
________________________________________________________________________
4 Researchers repeated the test a year later.
________________________________________________________________________
5 They are testing a nasal spray which may cure Alzheimer’s disease
Impersonal passive structures are commonly used in academic writing to present information in an
objective and formal manner. They allow the writer to focus on the action or information rather than
the person performing the action, making the writing sound less personal and more authoritative.
Here are several examples of impersonal passive structures:
1. "It is believed that the universe is expanding."
 The agent (who believes this) is unspecified, and the focus is on the belief itself.
2. "It was reported that the experiment had failed."
 No specific person is mentioned; the emphasis is on the report, not on who made it.
3. "It is expected that the new policy will reduce carbon emissions."
 The agent (who expects this) is generalized, and the focus is on the expectation itself.
4. "It is assumed that most students have completed their assignments."
 The person making the assumption is not mentioned, making the statement
impersonal.
5. "It has been proven that regular exercise improves mental health."
 The focus is on the fact that something has been proven, rather than who proved it.

TASK XIV. Rewrite the following sentences using an impersonal passive

structure. Use "it" + passive verb where appropriate.
Example:
 Original: Researchers believe that climate change is accelerating.
 Impersonal Passive: It is believed that climate change is accelerating.

[Link] have discovered that this drug can reduce blood pressure.
It _____________ that this drug can reduce blood pressure.

[Link] suggest that online learning is more effective than traditional methods.
It _____________that online learning is more effective than traditional methods.

[Link] claim that this event marked the beginning of the modern era.
It _____________that this event marked the beginning of the modern era.

[Link] think that early intervention can improve patient outcomes.

It _____________that early intervention can improve patient outcomes.

[Link] people assume that artificial intelligence will dominate future industries.
It _____________that artificial intelligence will dominate future industries.