Updates 2024/01/11
I decide to collate a list of words and phrases that should be avoided in academic writing and promise that I will keep updating this list. On one hand, it is a reminder for myself that you should keep improving your academic writing. On the other hand, I would like to share this list with you, especially fresh PhD students.
First of all, academic writing in English is very different from oral English/informal writing/website posts.
The principle is - you should try to avoid expressions that are too informal, unsophisticated, vague, exaggerated, or subjective. Also, keep your writing accurate and concise, so please avoid those that are generally unnecessary or incorrect.
Too informal
The following words and phrases are considered too informal for a dissertation or academic paper.
| Taboo | Example | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| A bit | The interviews were a bit difficult to schedule | The interviews were (difficult/somewhat difficult) to schedule |
| A lot of, a couple of | A lot of studies | (Many/several/a great number of/eight) studies |
| Isn’t, can’t, doesn’t, would’ve (or any other contraction) | The sample isn’t | The sample is not |
| Kind of, sort of | The findings were kind of significant | The findings were (somewhat significant/significant to some degree) |
| Til, till | From 2008 till 2012 | From 2008 (until/to) 2012 |
| You, your (i.e., the second-person point of view) | You can clearly see the results | One can clearly see the results; The results can clearly be seen |
Informal sentence starts are too informal in academic writing, as follows:
| Taboo | Example | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Plus | Plus, the participants were in agreement on the third question | (Moreover/Furthermore/What is more), the participants were in agreement on the third question |
| So | So, it can be concluded that the model needs further refinement | Therefore, it can be concluded that the model needs further refinement |
| And | And the participants were all over the age of 30 | The participants were all over the age of 30 |
| Besides | Besides, we asked all the participants to sign an agreement | Additionally, we asked all the participants to sign an agreement |
Too vague
Using vague terms makes your writing imprecise and may cause people to interpret it in different ways. Always try to be as specific as possible.
| Taboo | Example | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Stuff | People are concerned about their stuff | People are concerned about their (belongings/possessions/personal effects) |
| Thing | The report presents many things | The report presents many (details/findings/recommendations) |
| A while | This topic has interested researchers for a while | This topic has interested researchers for more than 30 years |
| Some | Some people argue that… | [Strive for specificity] Several studies/a large number of studies … |
Too exaggerated
Academic writing is usually unadorned and direct. Some adverbs of frequency (such as always and never) and intensifiers (words that create emphasis, such as really) are often too dramatic. Some terms are not accurate – you’re making a significant claim when you say something is perfect or never happens.
These terms do sometimes add value, but try to use them sparingly.
| Taboo | Example | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Always, never | Researchers always argue that | Researchers (frequently/commonly/ typically) argue that |
| Perfect | The perfect solution to the problem | (An ideal solution/one of the best solutions) to the problem |
| Really, so, super | This theory is really important | This theory is (important/critical/crucial) |
Too subjective
Some words and phrases reveal your own bias. For instance, if you state that something will obviously happen, you are indicating that you think the occurrence is obvious – not stating a fact.
In most cases, take care when using words and phrases such as those below – try to let the facts speak for themselves, or emphasize your point with less biased language.
| Taboo | Example | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Beautiful, ugly, wonderful, horrible, great, boring, daunting, overwhelming | A review of the literature yielded many great articles | A review of the literature yielded many relevant articles |
| Obviously, naturally, of course | The results obviously indicate | The results clearly indicate |
Generally incorrect
Certain words and phrases are often used incorrectly, even by native speakers of a language.
It’s important that you don’t let them creep into your writing - just avoid them in writing.
You should also bear in mind that some of these mistakes relate to things we all frequently mishear (for instance, we often think the speaker is saying would of instead of would have).
| Taboo | Example | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Literally | The students literally did not understand | The students did not understand |
| Would of, had of | The study would of considered | The study would have considered |
Others
In general, you should also try to avoid using words and phrases that fall into the following categories:
- Jargon (i.e., “insider” terminology that may be difficult for readers from other fields to understand)
- Clichés (i.e., expressions that are heavily overused, such as think outside of the box and at the end of the day)
- Everyday abbreviations (e.g., approx., ASAP, corona, stats, info)
- Slang (e.g., cops, cool)
- Gender-biased language (e.g., firemen, mankind)
- Generally unnecessary (e.g., redundant expressions that do not add meaning, such as compete with each other instead of simply compete)
Reference
- Vinz, S. (2023, September 11). Words and Phrases to Avoid in Academic Writing. Scribbr. Retrieved January 9, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-writing/taboo-words/ (My article relies heavily dependent on this reference)