When in school, write like the academics do.  And we don’t mean the bad kind.  No, copying the dense and complex constructions some academics keel towards doesn’t serve anybody.   Instead, write the same way good academic documents look.  Here are the three areas to focus on:

1. Language.  Use language that’s objective and formal, writing in the third person and steering clear of self-referential pronouns as much as possible.   Jargon and technical language are allowed, provided you’re writing to an audience that will understand it (as is usually the case with academically-published material).   Being conversational is acceptable, provided you don’t devolve into being chatty.
2. Tone.  Adopt an unbiased tone, using reasoning to argue your case, rather than letting your emotions loose.   Personal beliefs, views and opinions shouldn’t make their way through any writing intended for the academe.  Instead, your words must rely on logic, evidence and sound reasoning.
3. Style.  Pretentious language may seem like a part of academic writing.  It isn’t.  Instead, using obscure words, long-winded phrases and unnecessary complexity are hallmarks of poor writing skills, rather than an academic writing staple.   Write concisely, tailoring your words to maximize reader understanding, just as you would in any other medium of writing.

Writing for university?  Then it pays to have a good idea of what kind of writing you’re supposed to be doing.  These six qualities are considered as central characteristics of academic writing.  It will serve you well to take note and apply them in your future work.

1. Formal.  Writing conversationally is fine.  Just don’t get too convenient.  Doing so can lead you down a colloquial path and, for the most part, it’s not that ideal for university writing.
2. Complex.  Don’t set out to be intentionally complicated.  However, do understand that academic writing will probably require more lexical density than your typical high school paper.
3. Precise.  Accuracy is highly valued in academic writing.  You can’t draw conclusions without the proper facts and figures to back it up.  As such, you need to be as precise as possible with both your arguments and the language that you use.
4. Objective.  Academic writing puts the emphasis on information and reasoning, rather than the writer or the reader.  It cannot sound like it favors one side over another without proper merit.
5. Explicit.  Implied relationships, connotations and meaning aren’t celebrated in technical writing.  Instead, you want everything to be explicitly stated.  Don’t give your readers room to misinterpret anything.
6. Responsible.  In academic writing,  it is your paper’s responsibility to justify any claims it makes.  No off-hand remarks are acceptable.  Either you can prove something or you can’t.

In many social science courses, you’ll have to write application papers whose main purpose is to document the application of a theoretical perspective.  The goal of such papers is to test your understanding of theories and ideas by making you explain how they apply to actual social events.

When writing such a document, keep these things in mind:

1. First step is to get a clear understanding of the actual theory.  Don’t just memorize the theory.  Instead, get to know why the original author argues for it and the justifications they use, understanding how it relates to real world phenomena.
2. Carefully choose your case study.  This is a critical step, as the wrong one can really hurt your paper.   When choosing, try to find one that isn’t too similar to the scenarios used by the original author of the theory, since doing so only parrots the research, rather than create something original.   Make sure your case study isn’t too trivial either — the more significant the social phenomena is, the more compelling your paper will be.
3. Craft a strong analysis.  Make sure that your analysis cuts beneath the surface, exploring the different processes that create the social phenomenon you’re applying the theory to.   Show the similarities between the theory and phenomenon by citing details and specifics, rather than spouting more generalities.

Students do a lot of writing, in the form of essay assignments, report papers and all sorts of project documentation.  As such, it isn’t a surprise that they’re among the biggest users of software for writing.

Whether in high school, college or graduate studies, a software for writing should prove extremely valuable to one’s performance of scholastic duties.  With one, you can:

1. Speed up the amount of time it takes to finish essays assignments and project documentations.
2. Get better grades, as a direct result of cleaner, more polished writing.
3. Improve your own vocabulary, grammar and overall writing skills, by way of repeated encounters with the various concepts governing them.

As such, many people who used a software for writing when they were in school continue to do so long after they’ve left the confines of their academic institutions.  Once you realize the potential benefits of employing one, after all, it makes little sense to stop doing so.

No matter what field you end up working in, writing will still be part of your daily activities.  From emails to IMs to reports to proposals, you’re likely to be firing up a spreadsheet and putting words to paper at one point or another.  Because of this, software for writing should continue to play a pivotal role in accomplishing your tasks.



Taking a history class?  Writing assignments usually come hand-in-hand with being enrolled in one.  Here are types of writing you should look forward to doing.

1. Research papers.  Basically, this assignment boils down to doing historical research, analyzing them and making interpretations to answer questions about the past.
2. Response papers.  In these types of writing tasks, you’re asked to provide a reaction on a given film, book or reading, usually with intent of answering a specific historical question.
3. Book reviews.  In history classes, book reviews entail discussing the material’s primary arguments, assessing its various strengths and weaknesses.
4. Exam essays.  Typically, this requires answering questions based around topics discussed in class.  The bulk of the work usually entails organizing facts into a thoughtful interpretation that answers the exam questions.
5. Historiographical essays.  Chances are, you won’t do this unless you’re a history major.  Just in case, these types of assignments are usually about writing a “history of history,” where you examine historians’ treatment of a particular topic, explaining the different schools of thought.

As with all types of university writing, we recommend doing history papers with the help of an academic writing software.  Not only can it help you with grammar and spelling, but it will provide assistance in making sure your work complies with typical academic standards.

Expressing your ideas in university writing involves more than effective language and correct grammar.  In many ways, it’s also about the right choice of words.

If you’ve ever had a teacher (or whoever checks your paper) flag you for inappropriate diction, chances are, you’re using English poorly in parts.  Bear in mind: using an academic writing software could have saved you from  a lot of the trouble.  Chances are, you’re erring on the side of one or more of these:

Jargon. Technical and specialized terms work well for an audience in a very specific industry.  If you’re writing for a more general readership, though, they should be avoided.

Pretentious passages. Big words, lofty language and other writing intended to impress never work out.   They’re pretty transparent, too.

Slang. Aside from being out of place in a formal school paper, the exact same slang can mean slightly different things to different people.  Add to this the fact that they’re quickly outdated and you’ve got one of the poorest choices in expressions you can find.

Immature wording. Some words and phrases may be valid from your writing software’s point of view, but they could still sound too childish for a formal university document.  Words like “doggies” and “puppies” come to mind.

Cliches and other overused expressions. These make your writing sound unimaginative to the point of being boring.

Mixed and confusing metaphors. Done right, metaphors can make plainly-written work  more vivid and colorful.   Done poorly, however, they can lead readers down a confusing path to the point of sounding ludicrous on occasion.



Have professors been giving your essays back with the comment that you’re going too heavy in the words?  If they are, then your writing is probably bordering on obese – you need to trim off the fat to get in shape.

Producing a lean  essay means stripping your writing free of all words that don’t contribute to its “health.”  That means clearing it of things such as:

• Wordy constructions
• Unhelpful modifiers and intensifiers
• Unnecessary explanations
• Tangential discussions
• Clichés
• Fillers
• And, pretty much, anything that doesn’t contribute to the essay’s strength and purpose.

How do you do this?  At the core, you should focus in  communicating your ideas using ungarnished nouns and verbs, relying on them to clearly express your ideas.  Throwing in an occasional adjective or adverb is fine, too.  If one isn’t absolutely necessary, however, then leave the nouns and verbs to fend themselves.  They can do just fine.

When you find yourself using two or more words to describe something, try finding a single-word replacement.  It’s usually possible.   Cut out the worthless intensifiers, such as very, totally and really, without remorse.   Be vicious when checking for duplicate expressions and ideas.   Unless you have a valid reason for repeating things, cut the extra stuff out.  Fire up the English writing software and look at all its recommended fixes.  Chances are, they’ll help streamline your work even further.

Most importantly, make sure you actually have something to say when crafting an essay.  The easiest way to produce wordy text, after all, is to begin writing with absolutely nothing to talk about.