This lesson will look at some of the ways that word choice can make an essay more formal or academic.
There are a number of ways you can write essays that use the appropriate formal or academic style:
| Rules | Informal | Formal / Academic |
|---|---|---|
| Avoid slang | teens | young adults |
| Avoid acronyms if a phrase can be used instead | e.g. | for example; such as |
| Use an appropriate verb, instead of ‘get/got’ | get a better job | achieve a better position |
| Use an appropriate verb, instead of simple verb + adjective | make bigger | grow |
| Use noun phrases which give more detail | a little money | a reduced level of income |
| Favour nouns and noun phrases over verbs | it caused a fire | the cause of the fire was an electrical fault |