Questions tagged [academic-writing]

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The book was given to me (by Rion)

I have a question about Passive verbs. One of the forms of useing passive verbs is: Object+Verb+"By+Subjects" ("optional"). E.g. Sarah was killed by a police officer. My cat was ...
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How to use English Punctuations?

Comma Colon Semicolon Brackets After useing comma should we use space between comma and next word or not? E.g: When I saw him, he was reading book. When I saw him,he was reading book. After useing ...
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Is this usage of apostrophe grammatical: "the person with dementia’s employer"

This is from a booklet about caring for elderly people who has dementia: "requesting flexible working arrangements from your employer and the person with dementia’s employer." When I read it,...
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Comparison of two categories over a specific period of time

Year: 2009 / 2019 Mobile use: 15% / 26% Tablet use: 5% / 19% what is the correct way to describe changes in two different years? I have tried to describe the changes in three different ...
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Putting labels into quotation marks when describing a graph

Suppose we want to describe the following graph. Isn't it preferable to put labels in quotation marks? For example, instead of writing 1 Salaries comprise three-thirds of the total budget, as ...
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Difference between "Why is this so?" and "Give reasons for this and solutions?"

In IELTS writing task 2, I saw some questions such as the following, Why is this so? Give reasons for this and solutions? Here, the IDP asked to answer in the following essay structure (paragraph-...
Ishrat Hossain's user avatar
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Am I asked to express my opinion?

In IELTS band descriptor, it is clearly written that I have to mention a position and stick to it throughout the essay from Introduction to Conclusion. Band 9: “presents a fully developed position“ ...
Ishrat Hossain's user avatar
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Using "the" and "a" in title, figure titles, and headings in an academic paper

Is it acceptable to drop "a" and "the" words in the title, figure titles, and headings in an academic paper or on a NEWS website? For example: Instead of writing: "The ...
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Is 'all the way up to 100%' a formal expression

I am writing an academic paper and I do not know whether my expression is formal. The full sentence is There is a threshold (we call it take-off threshold) of ρc above which the proportion of the ...
Gao Roy's user avatar
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Adverbial phrase across multiple sentences

Consider the following toy example: Chess is a board game. More precisely, there are 2 players. There is an 8 by 8 grid. There are 6 kinds of pieces. There are... It seems to me that the scope of ...
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Is using the phrase 'That being said' acceptable in an academic paper for science?

I'm currently writing an academic paper on radioactivity, and I included the following sentence in one of my paragraphs: That being said, it is also our (the community’s) responsibility to uphold the ...
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The use of 'their' in academic writing

Is it right to write “big corporations must work on their marketing strategies” in academic writing? Our instructor said you can't use pronouns like 'their' in academic writing.
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Right position of "including" in academic writing

I saw this in the New York Times, I am curious to know if the position of "including" is right, especially for academic writing case? What is the rule of thumb for position of phrases such ...
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What is the abbreviation for "column"?

While references usually refer to page numbers, e.g. Smith, J. On a a certain subject. In: Obscure Journal 2022, pp. 75-81. it is sometimes (e.g., in some lexicons) necessary to refer to text ...
Hagen von Eitzen's user avatar
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parenthesis or commas for extra information in academic writing?

Which style is more preferable for providing extra information in academic writing? Parenthesis or comma? The two below examples are one sentence expressing the two styles. Also, is there a better way ...
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Comparison between quantities of several things

For academic writing, which of these three comparative styles is preferred, or more correct? The mantle velocity of the China Craton is around 8 Km/s, similar to the typical cratons. The mantle ...
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How to rephrase a long comprative sentence

I am trying to state a comparative argument in a long sentence for an academic paper. I don't want to split it. Is there any way for shortening it? Is it always necessary to use "those of the&...
Esi's user avatar
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How to use the verb "filter" to mean include?

Suppose I have a group of items. Each item in the group is of type A,B,C, or D. I want to filter them and keep only items of group A. I can say "I want to filter out B, C, and D from the group&...
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Using "the" to begin paper title for a scholarly article

Consider two following options for the title of a scientific article: The underlying mechanism of coupled ion motion in lithium-sulfur batteries. Underlying mechanism of coupled ion motion in ...
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long title without verb

As a non-native English speaker I know that English requires verbs in every sentence, but I don't know if it is the case for the long title (a title of a subsection in academic article). Example for ...
Ben's user avatar
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Inquiry vs Enquiry what's the difference?

Is there a difference between the two words Inquiry and Enquiry when being used in formal writing as the two have been used alternatively in literature. And if not which one should be preferred in ...
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Should "Example" have a capital letter when pluralised?

When referring to different examples in a research paper, the e should be capitalised: In Example 3, we see how... But does this hold for the plural as well? That is, which of the following is ...
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What is the word *then* doing in "The constant synthesis, **then**, of specific material from simple....",?

It was usually considered that the most characteristic feature of life is its metabolism. " The constant synthesis, then, of specific material from simple compounds of a non-specific character ...
Jax Hammer's user avatar
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"respectively"—should only be used if your sentence would be unclear without it?

Should we use in academic writing the word "respectively" for the following case: Consider circles 1 and 2. These circles have radii r1 and r2, respectively. Maybe because it is obvious ...
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"or" between items

Which option is the proper in academic writing for "or" items (apples/pears/oranges): I am going to eat red apples or yellow pears or green oranges. I am going to eat red apples, or yellow ...
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Academic writing Simple Past/Simple Present in passive form

As per online guides, actions or events completed are to be written in simple past in academic papers. In that case, specific calculations and observations are to be in the past tense as well. For ...
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Using a comma instead of "and" in "A and B are the objects that are part of the equation."

It is proper to use "," between A and B A, B are the objects that are part of the equation. instead of "and" A and B are the objects that are part of the equation. in formal ...
Ben's user avatar
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Is "to the point" formal enough to be written in an academic text?

In the following text I used "to the point" to mean that some governments control people and this tendency to control causes the right of individual liberty be restricted. Is it natural to ...
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Plural or singular verbs with lists of single elements

Another plural/singular verb question that I feel must have been asked before but cannot find a good example on ELL or the usual grammar websites. I know the rules for compound subjects. The dog and ...
Mr. T's user avatar
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at the same time as or at the same time when

The sentence: At the same time as the value of x decreases, the variable y and its absolute value decrease. Can we use when instead as? At the same time when the value of x decreases, the variable ...
Ben's user avatar
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With or without apostrophe: The Modal Analysis of Snowflakes' Wake Flows

I am about to print my Master Thesis and I am a bit confused with the title. My supervisors didn't mention anything so I wanted to ask if the title is grammatically correct. In the thesis, I have four ...
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definite or indefinite article for new term that described in other paper?

When we present a term for the first time with reference to another article, should we use definite or indefinite article? (without reference, we should use indefinite article) Example (The Hilbert's ...
Ben's user avatar
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definite article after "and"

The sentence about general facts: Molecules are neutral particles made of two or more atoms bonded together. The proton and the electron are parts of an atom. Can we remove article before electron? ...
Ben's user avatar
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"comma" or "and" between section names? [duplicate]

"Comma" or "and"? Case 1: In §2.1 and §2.2 we prove ... or In §2.1, §2.2 we prove ... Case 2: As mentioned in Section 2 (§2.1 and §2.2) ... or As mentioned in Section 2 (§2....
Ben's user avatar
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"That which" or "What" for academic writing

That which and what have equivalent meanings. Which is better to use in an academic context? Does it depend on the context, e.g. scientific report vs essay? For example: That which comes from the ...
physBa's user avatar
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1 answer
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What's the difference in "Ethics is (a/the) branch of philosophy"?

Is there any semantic or grammatic difference in "a branch" and "the branch" usage, or are the articles interchangeable? Some examples: Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that ...
Estno Izvne's user avatar
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Concise way of saying "harder than we were thinking"

I am writing the following sentence in a research article: The authors investigated the feasibility of XXX; we find that this direction, though look promising, is much harder than we thought. I am ...
lllllllllllll's user avatar
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Why single authored scientific papers addressed as "We"?

I have come across a couple of single authored scientific papers. For example, see this, this, this, etc. Why does the author refer to him/her as "We" instead of "I" since there is ...
Inuyasha Yagami's user avatar
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1 answer
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How to mention thesis in a paper?

I've written an academic paper with my master thesis. I need to mention my master thesis in the paper, but I'm not sure what I should write. Some examples: This paper was derived from my master ...
Emre's user avatar
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Placing footnote mark before or after punctuation?

I am writing a research paper. I need to add a footnote. Should I place the footnote mark/superscript before or after "full stop"? For example: The placement of footnote: style Ahere. The ...
Inuyasha Yagami's user avatar
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When can I omit "and" without making it look like all the information has been given?

fabulous people! I am writing a scientific essay with a 500 word limit. I am trying to list the major symptoms presented in the three stages of COVID-19 infection. The sentence in question is the ...
Alexander A.'s user avatar
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1 answer
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'Curve B rises comparatively gently than Curve A does.' - Is this a correct sentence [closed]

This is my first time to be here, and so excited to find here I can rise the questions. I am learning writing now, and makes me very confused at times. And is my question, I wonder if this is a ...
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Half vs. a half

I'm preparing for academic IELTS by writing some essays and then correcting those using a grammar correction app. In the following sentence, Overall, carbohydrates prevail in both dishes, especially ...
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The percentage of journeys made by public transport is 3%/3

Which is correct? The percentage of journeys made by public transport is 3%. or The percentage of journeys made by public transport is 3
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The second most popular way of making journeys is on foot

I'm checking this chart's description: There is one sentence that sounds odd The second most popular way of making journeys in Canada is on foot. I think that way of making journeys doesn't sound ...
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The last place in this category is the Netherlands with almost twice less car use

There is an IELTS writing task: Is this description correct? According to the table, it is clearly seen that car use prevails in all represented countries. The leader in the group is Canada with 90 ...
i_yre_b's user avatar
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Is it appropriate to use another verb after the main verb (main verb + subject + verb) in a sentence? and why?

I don't quite understand why it is grammatically correct to use another verb after the main verb (main verb + subject + verb) in a sentence, for example: I can't believe you remembered that blue is ...
Clement Leung's user avatar
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1 answer
267 views

When to use “tomato” and when to use “toma­toes”?

In my sci­en­tific ar­ti­cle manuscript, I used tomato to re­fer to the plant in gen­eral. But af­ter I sent the manuscript to the El­se­vier English Cor­rec­tion Ser­vice, they changed all tomato ...
MD P's user avatar
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What is the formal synonym of the hot weather?

Is there any substitute for the word hot in the following sentence? In recent years the weather is becoming hotter. In 2018, for instance, some areas in eastern and southern Europe baked in ...
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Effect something have or get"

Do they have the same meaning: The effect "y" has when the value of "x" changes is called rate of change. The effect "y" gets when the value of "x" changes is ...
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