What is Academic Writing?

Academic writing it is a cultured, formal, cherished writing.

Features of Academic writing

·         Academic writing is generally linear which means it has one particular theme.

·         Every part of the writing contributes to the central theme.

·         Primarily its objective is to inform the audience.

·         Its features are formality, objectivity, explicitness, accuracy, consistency, precision, complexity, hedging, responsibility,

Ø  Formality: formal, no colloquial words and expressions, no jargons and contraction (they're, he's, etc), third person rather than first person perspective

Ø  Objectivity: objective and factual rather than subjective and personal, information based on research;

Ø  Explicitness: information clearly and explicitly expressed.

Ø  Accuracy: accurate in the use of vocabulary items, no ambiguous items.

Ø  Consistency: use of style in writing is consistent, no deviation, for example, while referencing one of the three styles (MLA: modern language association; APA: American Psychological association; and Chicago Manual) can be used but not all together.

Ø   Precision: all facts and figure clearly and precisely expressed.

Ø  Complexity: relatively more complex; lexically, grammatically and semantically dense and formal; use of clauses compound, complex sentences.

Ø  Hedging: hedges are language items used when the writer is uncertain of something being expressed, for example, approximately, I think, etc.

Ø  Responsibility: the writer is held responsible for all the facts, justifications, evidence and claims made in the writing

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