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Qualities of good academic writing
Academic writing is in a class all its own. Some students may struggle to write well at first, but here are a few guidelines to help you to produce better academic texts. Read on!

'Good' academic writing includes the following
essential elements:
? use of formal language
? objective style
? precise and concise language
? accuracy (particularly in grammar,
punctuation and syntax)
? correct referencing style, and
? flow and cohesion.

In academic writing you should also avoid using
absolutes or generalisations.
Example:
Instead of
"It is impossible to determine..."
you might use
"It seems difficult to determine...".
Precise and concise language

Use of formal language
Academic writing uses a formal style in order to
aid clarity. Contracted forms, such has "they're"
and "it's" have no place in academic writing,
unless you are reporting an interview. Casual
(spoken) expressions, such as "pretty important,"
"a lot of", "get by", "sort of" and "they say" must
also be avoided. Formality is aided by using the
language of the particular discipline (area of
study) in which ...

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