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Academic writing: a practical guide

Feedback on Writing Style and Clarity

Feedback on Writing Style and Clarity

Have you ever received feedback on your writing style and clarity of argument? Don't worry, it's a common thing for students. This page provides tips to help you fine-tune your academic writing for enhanced precision and effectiveness.


Top tip for University of York students

Are you a University of York student? Join us at the Academic Skills Community for our engaging online and in person workshops 'Academic Writing: what it is and how to do it', 'Academic Language', and ‘Writing in an Academic Style: what it is and how to achieve it’, held throughout the semester.


Common areas of feedback
Writing style isn’t academic enough Use Hedging and Cautious Language

Writing style isn’t academic enough


Examples of comments


“Very long sentences sometimes make the essay difficult to follow.”

“The writing style is overly conversational and lacks the formality required for this type of work.”

“A more academic tone is needed.”


Comment Meaning

Academic writing uses a very different style to other types of writing. It is distinct in its precision, and use of neutral language, avoiding informal, conversational, or colloquial expressions.  

How to improve:

1. Embrace Formality

  • Stick to a formal tone; avoid slang, colloquial language, and contractions (like "can't" or "won't").

2. Be Clear and Concise

  • Always refer to your module handbook and Moodle assignment brief for specific formatting guidelines, as requirements can vary by assignment and department.
  • Look for specifics like font type, size, spacing, margins, page numbers, and other formatting features.

3. Use Third-Person Perspective

  • Ensure you're familiar with the referencing style required for your assignment and correctly format your references as you write.
  • Familiarise yourself with the University library’s referencing guides and detailed style guides available on individual referencing websites.
  • Learn how to effectively collect, organise, cite, and manage your references with our online reference management guide.

4. Focus on Structure

  • Review and comply with your department or module’s formatting guidelines including page numbers, headers/footers, and document layout.
  • Use headings effectively and label graphics or tables clearly and relevantly.

5. Cite Appropriately

  • Review and comply with your department or module’s formatting guidelines including page numbers, headers/footers, and document layout.
  • Use headings effectively and label graphics or tables clearly and relevantly.

6. Edit and Proofread

  • Review and comply with your department or module’s formatting guidelines including page numbers, headers/footers, and document layout.
  • Use headings effectively and label graphics or tables clearly and relevantly.

7. Seek Feedback

  • Don’t hesitate to ask for feedback from peers, professors, or the Writing Centreto understand how you can improve.


Additional Resources

Top tip for University of York students

Are you a University of York student? Book a one-to-one online or in-person appointment with a Writing Centre Tutor who can offer advice and guidance on academic writing.

 

Use Hedging and Cautious Language


Examples of comments


“This claim is too strong.”

“Your argument would benefit from acknowledging the limitations of your evidence.”

“Avoid making sweeping generalisations in your arguments.”


Comment Meaning

This type of feedback highlights a common issue in academic writing: the lack of cautious language and hedging, and suggests that a piece of work may come across as overly assertive or definitive, failing to reflect the inherent complexities and uncertainties of scholarly topics.  

Using hedging or cautious language in our writing ‘protects’ our statements from being too strong. It also helps to ensure that your work accurately represents the complex nature of academic discourse.  

How to improve:

1. Avoid Absolute Statements

  • Steer clear of definitive language; avoid phrases that imply absolute certainty or universality.
    • Avoid: “Scholars always suggest that…”
    • Use instead: “Some scholars suggest that…”

2.Incorporate the Language of Possibility

  • Use phrases like "it appears that," "it is possible that," or "evidence suggests" to indicate a degree of uncertainty.

3. Use Conditional Language

  • Include conditional terms like "could," "might," or "may" to present ideas as possibilities rather than certainties.

4. Balance Claims with Evidence

  • Ensure your claims are always supported by evidence, but express the relationship with caution.
    • Eg. "this evidence may indicate..."

5. Acknowledge Alternative Perspectives

  • Show awareness of other viewpoints or interpretations, which helps to present a more balanced argument.

6. Avoid Over-generalisation

  • Be wary of applying a conclusion more broadly than the evidence supports. Qualify your statements where necessary.


Additional Resources