Emphasis or emphatic writing
💡 See also (In)Appropriate language when writing an academic text.
Why arrange words for emphasis in formal writing?
In formal writing, clarity and persuasion are paramount. While factual accuracy reigns supreme, the effective delivery of your message can make all the difference. Arranging words for emphasis allows you to highlight key points, guide the reader’s attention, and strengthen your arguments. A strategically crafted sentence can resonate far more than a bland statement.
Techniques for emphasis
Effective subjects and verbs:
Active Voice: Opt for active voice to place the subject, the doer of the action, at the sentence’s forefront. This imbues the subject with agency and emphasizes its role. (“The research conclusively demonstrates…” vs. “It is conclusively demonstrated by the research…”)
Strong Verbs: Choose verbs that precisely and powerfully convey the action. A weak verb like “is” can be replaced with a more nuanced option (“suggests,” “reveals,” “establishes”). See weak verbs.
Specificity: Use specific nouns and verbs instead of vague generalizations. This adds concreteness and lends weight to your points. (“The economic downturn…” vs. “Things are not good with the economy…”)
Unemphatic (Emphatic)
was influential (influenced)
is a glorification (glorifies)
have a preference (prefer)
had the appearance (appeared, seemed)
made a claim (claimed)
Sentence beginnings and endings:
Opening Strong: Start your sentence with the most crucial information. The beginning grabs the reader’s attention, so prioritize the key element there. (“Despite initial skepticism, the project proved successful…”)
Climax or Conclusion: Place the most important idea at the end of the sentence to leave a lasting impression. This creates a sense of closure and emphasizes the concluding point. (“The data, therefore, irrefutably points to a need for reform.”)
Coordination and subordination
Coordination for Parallelism: Use coordinating conjunctions (and, or, but, etc.) to create parallel sentence structures. This adds rhythm and emphasizes the importance of each element equally. (“The findings are both significant and far-reaching.”)
Subordination for Emphasis: A Subordinating (Adverbial) Clause can highlight the main idea by providing supporting details or contrasting information. The main clause becomes the focal point in relation to the dependent clause. (“While some challenges remain, the overall outlook is positive.”)
Additional tips
Figurative Language: Carefully chosen metaphors, similes, and personification can inject vividness and draw attention to crucial points. However, use them sparingly when writing a formal text or when maintaining a formal tone.
Repetition: Repeating key words or phrases can reinforce their importance and create a sense of urgency.
Questions: Rhetorical questions can prompt reader reflection and emphasize the significance of a topic.
Remember, effective word arrangement is an art, not a science. Experiment, refine, and find the approach that best suits your message and writing style. By strategically placing words, you can elevate your formal writing from merely informative to truly impactful.
Parallelism
What is parallelism?
Parallelism is the repetition of similar grammatical structures in a sentence or paragraph. It is a powerful tool that can be used to make your writing more concise, clear, and emphatic.
Parallelism can occur in a variety of ways: - Using the same verb tense for all items in a series. For example: - I like to swim, run, and bike. - Using the same pronoun case for all items in a series. For example: - The cat, dog, and bird are all my pets. - Using the same adjective form for all items in a series. For example: - The sky is blue, the grass is green, and the flowers are red. - Using the same adverb form for all items in a series. For example: - I quickly ran to the store, bought the milk, and returned home. - To avoid parallelism, it is important to make sure that all items in a series have the same grammatical structure. You can also check your writing for parallelism by reading it aloud. If you come across a series of items that do not have the same grammatical structure, you may need to revise your sentence. ## Tips for avoiding parallelism - - Make sure all items in a series have the same grammatical structure. - Read your writing aloud to check for parallelism. - Use a grammar checker to help you identify parallelism. - Parallelism can make your writing sound choppy and unprofessional. By following these tips, you can avoid parallelism and write clear, concise sentences. ## Examples of parallelism - I like to read, write, and sing. - The dog ran quickly, the cat jumped high, and the bird flew far. - The sky is blue, the grass is green, and the flowers are red. - I quickly ran to the store, bought the milk, and returned home. ## Examples of non-parallelism - I like to read, write, and sing songs. - The dog ran quickly, the cat jumped high, and the bird flew. - The sky is blue, the grass is green, and the flowers are beautiful. - I quickly ran to the store, bought the milk, and then went home.
As you can see, parallelism can make your writing more concise, clear, and emphatic. By using parallelism in your writing, you can improve your communication skills and make your writing more effective.
Variety and details
Sentences can vary between 10 to forty words, while usually averaging between 15-25. If too many sentences are too long, main ideas don’t stand out; if too many sentences are too short, ideas may seem equally important (The Little Brown Compact Handbook: Jane E. Aaron: 9780321143242: Amazon.com: Books). Thus, vary the length of sentences throughout your text.
To extend shorter sentences, consider adding phrases (See Types Of Phrases.), coordination, and subordination (See Types Of Clauses.). Also, consider modifying the beginning of the sentence.
Completeness
Sentence Fragment
A sentence fragment is a group of words that looks like a sentence, but it is not a complete sentence because it lacks a subject, a verb, or a complete thought. Sentence fragments can occur in a variety of ways, including:
Sentence fragments without a subject (i.e., incomplete sentences):
Went to the store and bought some milk.
Barking loudly at the mailman.
Is a beautiful day today.
Loves to play soccer.
Were late for the meeting.
Sentence fragments without a verb phrase
The girl with the red dress (was dancing).
A book about ancient history (that I borrowed from the library).
In the middle of the night (he heard a strange noise).
Because of the storm (we had to cancel our plans).
The fastest runner in the school (who won the race).
To avoid sentence fragments, it is important to make sure that every group of words (i.e., clause) you write has a subject, a verb, and a complete thought. You can also check your writing for sentence fragments by reading it aloud. If you come across a group of words that does not sound like a complete sentence, it is a sentence fragment.
Here are some tips for avoiding sentence fragments: - Make sure every group of words has a subject and a verb. - Make sure every group of words expresses a complete thought. - Read your writing aloud to check for sentence fragments. - Use a grammar checker to help you identify sentence fragments.
Sentence fragments can make your writing sound choppy and unprofessional. By following these tips, you can avoid sentence fragments and write clear, concise sentences.
The error code “FRAG” refers to sentence fragments and is considered a more serious type of writing error. Also, it’s called a “sentence fragment”, fragments occur at the clause level: main clause, noun clause functioning as a subject or object, relative (adjective) clauses, and subordinating (adverbial) clauses. Refer to the Writing Errors Code List.
Conciseness
Conciseness in formal academic writing refers to expressing your ideas with the fewest words possible while maintaining clarity and precision. It eliminates unnecessary clutter and focuses on the essential information, making your writing more impactful and easier to understand.
Here are 20 examples of wordy phrases and their concise counterparts:
Wordy (Concise)
In the event that… (If…)
It is important to note that… (Note that…) - Avoid the imperative when writing an academic text.
There is a need for further research into… (More research is needed on…)
It has been observed that… (We observe that…)
In the process of doing something… (While doing something…)
On the basis of the evidence presented… (Based on the evidence…)
For the purpose of clarifying… (To clarify…)
As a consequence of… (Consequently…)
With the intention of… (To…)
It would appear that… (It seems that…)
There is a general tendency towards… (Generally, we see a…) - In most cases, it’s best to stay in the third person.
It is not possible to deny that… (Undeniably…) - Avoid subjectivity when writing a formal text.
In a similar fashion to… (Similarly…)
To a certain extent… (To some extent…)
One might argue that… (Arguably…)
The aforementioned findings… (These findings…)
In spite of the fact that… (Though…)
The primary reason for… (The main reason for…)
A significant number of… (Many…)
In the conclusion… (In conclusion…)
Remember, conciseness does not mean sacrificing depth or complexity. Aim for sentences that are clear, precise, and efficient in conveying your meaning. By applying these tips and actively seeking wordy phrases, you can significantly improve the tightness and readability of your formal academic writing.
Words and phrases to consider and avoid when writing an academic text
When writing an academic text, it is important to consider using language that is clear, precise, and appropriate for the audience. Here are some words and phrases to consider and avoid: ## Words and Phrases to Consider
Precise Terminology: Use specific and precise terminology relevant to the field of study.
Clear and consistent Definitions: Clearly define any technical terms or concepts that might be unfamiliar to the reader, but for those taking Thesis Seminar or writing a five-paragraph essay, avoid drafting complete paragraphs with only definitions. Instead, define terms when necessary, within the context of a Topic sentence. Also, be consistent when certain terms: activities, tasks, techniques, strategies, methods, approaches, etc.
Logical Connectors: Use logical connectors such as “therefore,” “however,” and “moreover” to connect ideas and improve coherence. See also Sentence Connectors by Category.
Academic Language: Utilize formal and academic language to convey authority and credibility.
Citations and References: Include proper citations and references to support your arguments and give credit to original sources. (See APA Guide.) ## Words and Phrases to Avoid
Personal pronouns: You should avoid using “I”, “me”, “my”, “you”, “your”, or “we” in academic writing, as they make your arguments sound subjective and personal. Instead, you should use impersonal expressions such as “one”, “the author”, “the researcher”, or “this paper”.
Clichés: Clichés are overused expressions that lack originality and impact. They are not suitable for academic writing, as they make your writing sound informal and vague. Examples of clichés are “in this day and age”, “the bottom line”, “a dime a dozen”, or “at the end of the day”. You should avoid clichés and use more specific and accurate terms instead.
Contractions and abbreviations: Contractions are shortened forms of words, such as “isn’t”, “can’t”, “doesn’t”, or “would’ve”. You should avoid contractions and abbreviations in academic writing, as they make your writing sound informal and colloquial. You should write out the full words or phrases instead, such as “is not”, “cannot”, “does not”, “would have”, “for example”, “that is”, “and so on”, or “as soon as possible”. Abbreviations are shortened forms of words or phrases, such as “e.g.”, “i.e.”, “etc.”, or “ASAP”. Abbreviations of technical terms may be used sparingly if they are written out first, then abbreviated thereafter. For example, English language learner (ELL); then, when the term is used again, use, “ELL”. Notice in this example that “language learner” is all in lowercase.
Weak modifiers and overused adverbs: Weak modifiers are words that add little or no meaning to your sentences, such as “very”, “really”, “quite”, or “basically”. Overused adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, but are used too frequently or unnecessarily, such as “clearly”, “obviously”, “significantly”, or “actually”. You should avoid weak modifiers and overused adverbs in academic writing, as they make your writing sound weak and redundant. You should use stronger and more precise words instead or provide evidence to support your claims.
Idioms: Idioms are expressions that have a figurative meaning that is different from their literal meaning, such as “break a leg”, “hit the nail on the head”, “spill the beans”, or “bite the bullet”. You should avoid idioms in academic writing, as they make your writing sound informal and ambiguous. You should use literal and unambiguous language instead or explain the meaning of the idiom if you must use it.
Subjective language: Minimize the use of subjective language such as “I believe”, “in my opinion”, “clearly”, etc. Stay in the third person.
Exaggerations: Avoid exaggerated or absolute statements without proper evidence or support. Avoid phrases like, “always”, “never”, “all”, “everyone”, “no one”, “it’s a fact”, “it is true” etc.
Vague expressions: Steer clear of vague expressions and ambiguous terms that may lead to confusion.
Remember, the goal of academic writing is to present information in a clear, objective, and well-supported manner.