Some key characteristics of English academic style are as follows:
formal, structured, impersonal, objective, concise, cautious, clear, objective, evidence-based, consistent, reader-oriented
Academic English makes extensive use of the following:
signpost language, generic phrases
Grammar forms and continental academic styles
These key concepts are the basis for the particular use of grammatical forms and other elements of English academic style which future blog posts will examine.
Some of these concepts are quite different than continental styles of academic writing. Part of learning to write in academic English is gaining awareness of these differences, which are rooted in culture and intellectual traditions.
Source: Some of the key concepts above are from the Cambridge Academic English Advanced Students’ Book by Martin Hewings and Craig Thaine, Cambridge University Press 2012.
