Journal

The Sense of Style in Academic Writing

4 min read

Inspired by the Steven Pinker’s book ‘The Sense of Style’ (more like Copied), this essay will chronicle the salient points I gained from reading about the sense of style in academic writing and collect them in one place in an annotated formfor a quick revision. This article is a rehash/update of my previous article pithily titled “Grammar lessons from academic writing”. Good writers are also good readers, I read somewhere. But I read voraciously, and yet, struggle with academic writing. But not with poetry; that flows mellifluously from my brain to hand to the keyboard, for some reason. All the poems I ever wrote were written within a span of 5 mins.

End of rant, begin of substance

The first thing to do is build a cache of verbs. The verb is the main part of the sentence and using the right one helps convey the right meaning.

The second rule is to use active voice than passive voice. Keep the tense in one paragraph consistent. Use present tense for the discussion of the established results, whereas past tense for the experiments done in the past.

Avoid long sentences. Break it down. Avoid making multiple points in the same sentence.

Each paragraph should convey a singular point. Start with a topic sentence, then expand on it, and then finally bring it to a proper conclusion.

I read about a “stress position” and a “topic position”. The stress position in the sentence contains the new information to be emphasized, whereas the topic position contains the old information available. The topical position comes before the stress position.

Avoid: “This ocean basin was warmer during 2012 than any period found in the observational database, based on our analysis of recent ship-based measurements.”

Write: “Based on our analysis of recent ship-based measurements, this ocean basin was warmer during 2012 than any period found in the observational database.”

Case studies

that+verb Vs. verb-ing

that+verb should be used while introducing a new subject or before a new clause that requires qualifying a specific action being referred to a subject. Simply put, use that+verb to qualify an action.

Ex: She admitted that she made a mistake

verb+ing should be used when the subject is already understood.

Ex: He enjoys reading

to+verb Vs. for+verb+ing

to+verb indicates the purpose or intention of an action.

Ex: He shouldn’t have joined the army to impress people.

for+verb+ing describes the reason or function of something

Ex: HE is known for singing beautifully

that Vs. which

that should be used for restrictive clauses. A restrictive clause is something that limits the meaning of a noun.

Ex: The song that you performed right before intermission is my favorite.

which should be used for non-restrictive clauses. A non-restrictive clause simply supplies additional information to the noun.

Ex: These pairs of pants, which no longer fit me, should be given away.

should be Vs. has to

should be means less strict obligation.

  • A recommendation or best practice

  • A less strict obligation

  • Something that is advisable but not absolutely required

Ex: The room should be cleaned weekly (it’s recommended but not mandatory)

has to is more strict and is mandatory

  • A strict requirement or necessity

  • No choice in the matter

  • Mandatory action

Ex: The form has to be submitted by Friday (it’s absolutely required, no exceptions)

Must vs Should

Must must indicate a strong obligation or requirement, often with a rule or law involved.

Should indicates a recommendation, leaving room for personal choice and indicating a higher degree of permissibility.

When to Use “The” in Written Text

Use “the” when referring to something specific or previously mentioned:

  • “I bought a car. The car is red.” (specific car already mentioned)
  • “The sun rises in the east.” (unique entity everyone knows)
  • “The report you requested” (specific report identified by context)

Use “the” with superlatives and ordinals:

  • “The best option” / “The first time” / “The largest building”

Use “the” with certain geographical features:

  • Oceans, seas, rivers: “the Pacific,” “the Thames”
  • Mountain ranges: “the Alps,” “the Rockies”
  • Groups of islands: “the Bahamas”
  • BUT NOT with individual mountains, lakes, or most countries: “Mount Everest,” “Lake Michigan,” “France”

Use “the” with plural proper nouns:

  • “The United States,” “the Netherlands,” “the Beatles”

Use “the” when context makes something definite:

  • “Please close the door” (the door in this room)
  • “The government announced” (the relevant government)

DON’T use “the” with:

  • General concepts: “Music is beautiful” (not “The music is beautiful”)
  • Most singular proper nouns: “John,” “Harvard University,” “Tuesday”
  • Uncountable nouns used generally: “Water is essential” / “Information travels fast”
  • Plural nouns used generally: “Dogs are loyal” / “Students need support”

Key Principle

Use “the” when both you and your reader know which specific thing you’re talking about.

References

  1. Griffies, S.M., Perrie, W.A. and Hull, G., 2013. Elements of style for writing scientific journal articles. Publishing Connect, Elsevier, pp.20-50.