Academic Tone in UK Essays: Formal Without Being Dull
How to sound academic without writing the kind of sentence no human would ever say.
Academic tone in the UK is more relaxed than students think. Clarity beats formality every time. Long Latinate words don't make you sound smart - they make you sound like you're hiding.
Three quick rules
1. Prefer the short word ('use' over 'utilise'). 2. Cut hedging stacks ('it could be argued that perhaps it might be possible' - pick one). 3. Read every sentence aloud; if you'd never say it, rewrite it.
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