Do not use colloquial language or slang
Colloquial language and slang
DO NOT USE YOUR EVERYDAY CONVERSATIONAL ENGLISH OR SLANG TERMS IN YOUR ACADEMIC WRITING.
Everyday conversational English (including slang) is practised daily in our lives. When you begin academic studies, you will be expected to conform to the academic standard of using formal language. What does this mean in REAL terms? It means that you will have to recognise colloquial language in your own writing and systematically edit your work to replace words, phrases and sentences with the acceptable academic form so that your writing sounds objective and informed. This takes time and practice. Following are some examples of colloquial language taken from student essays:
colloquial Most of us don't have time to, say, play around with learning grammar and punctuation while we're studying. rewrite Many students find it difficult to find time to learn the basics of grammar and punctuation while they are studying.
colloquial Gone are the days when English is drilled into students at school. rewrite The era when English was drilled into school students has passed.
colloquial At the end of the day, grammar and punctuation still count in your essay writing rewrite Lecturers expect students to use correct grammar and punctuation in their essays.
colloquial This exercise shows a couple of things about formal writing. rewrite This exercise demonstrates some of the problems students have with their formal writing.
colloquial This may be due to a succession of wave after wave of change in education practices. rewrite This condition may have been caused by a number of successive changes in education practices.
Do not use shortened forms of words and phrases incorrectly
Shortened forms of words and phrases
DO NOT USE CONTRACTIONS AT ALL (e.g. it's for it is or it has; would've for would have) Contractions are classed as informal language.
USE ACRONYMS (e.g. TAFE) AND INITIALISMS (e.g. UNE) CORRECTLY The general rule is to write the name in full first time with the acronym in brackets immediately after. For the rest of the essay, use the acronym. Be consistent—once you have written the acronym, use it all of the time. DO NOT use full stops between the abbreviated letters (e.g. UNE). If you need to make an acronym into a plural, then add a lower case 's' without using an apostrophe (e.g. TAFEs, PhDs, IQs). If an abbreviation is commonly used as a word, you can use it in the abbreviated form without writing it in full first (e.g. NSW, FAQs).
AVOID USING COMMON ABBREVIATIONS (such as e.g., i.e., viz., etc.) It is BEST to write the full term in the text of your writing. For example:
cf. (use compare instead) e.g. (use for example instead) etc. (use and so forth instead) i.e. (use that is instead) viz. (use namely instead) vs. (use versus instead) & (use and instead)
If you do use these abbreviations, then they must be placed inside brackets. For example:
The rules of plagiarism (i.e. copying another's work inappropriately) were carefully explained.
Avoid using personal language