How to write in an evidenced based formal style
- Academic writing
- Commonly confused words
- Critical thinking
- PEEL Paragraphs
- Linking/transition words
- Paraphrasing
- Proofreading
- Terms and definitions
- Action Words: What is description, application, analysis and evaluation
Linking/transition words: Things you need to know...
All assignments are written in formal language. You need to ensure that you demonstrate your knowledgeand understanding alongside your ability to answer the question/solve the problem.
Below are some ideas to help you to develop your structure and flow.
- Linking / transitionwords and phrases join ideas, sentences and paragraphs together. They should be used within sentences and to move from one idea to another(between sentences).
These words and phrases indicate the direction, order and flow of ideas. Significantly, they strengthen the quality and structure of your work.
- Redundant Words - less is more. Particularly when trying to reduce the word count, it is important to look for phrases which can be replaced with a single word.
Linking/Transition Words
Transitions link one main idea to another separated by a semi-colon or full-stop.When the transition word is at the beginning of the sentence, it should be followed by a comma:
Among other functions, they can signal cause and effect or sequencing (see examples in the table below).
| Additional comments or ideas | additionally; also; moreover; furthermore; again; further; then; besides; too; similarly; correspondingly; indeed; regarding. |
| Alternatives | whereas; conversely; in comparison; by contrast; another view is…; alternatively; although; otherwise; instead. |
| Analysing results | therefore; accordingly; as a result of; the result is/results are; the consequence is; resulting from; consequently; it can be seen; evidence illustrates that; because of this; thus; hence; for this reason; owing to x; this suggests that; it follows that; otherwise; in that case; that implies; Author (year) suggests that; |
| Cause / Reason | as a result of; because (mid-sentence only) |
| Compare | compared with; in the same way; likewise |
| Contrast | by contrast; although; compared with; conversely; despite; however, nevertheless; yet |
| Effect / Result | As a result; therefore; thus |
| Emphasising earlier statements | however; nonetheless; furthermore; in the final analysis; despite x; notwithstanding x; in spite of x; while x may be true, nonetheless although; though; after all; at the same time; even if x is true; count |
| Introducing examples | for example; for instance; namely; such as; as follows; as exemplified by; such as; including; especially; particularly; in particular; notably; mainly; |
| Re-phrasing | in other terms; rather; or; better; in view of this; in contrast |
| Sequencing | first (ly); second (ly); third (ly); another; additionally; finally moreover; also; subsequently; eventually; next; then |
| Summary or Conclusion | in conclusion; therefore; to conclude; on the whole; hence; thus to summarise; altogether; overall; …following the research of…after analysis |
Linking words: conjunctions
Linking words within a sentenceare referred to as coordinating conjunctions. Do not worry about the term: think about the function.
| Conjunction | Function |
| for | connects a reason to a result |
| and | connects equal and similar ideas |
| nor | connects two negative ideas |
| but | connects equal but different ideas |
| or | connects two equal choices |
| yet | connects equal and contrasting ideas |
| so | connects a result to a reason |
Conciseness / redundant words
Microsoft Word now has an additional feature within the Editor - it is called conciseness or wordiness.
- If you cannot see the Editor menu a quick tip is to hold down the function (fn key at the bottom left of the keyboard) + F7 (top line of keys).
- From the Refinements section - select Conciseness - if there are any suggestions a number will appear in the box alongside this option
- A dotted line will appear under any groups of groups
- Either select the identified text by clicking with your right mouse button OR click on the down downnext to the Concisenessmenu.
- MS Word will display any alternative words which you can either select and they will be replaced in your text or reject if you want to keep the original phrases.
Examples: try to replace phrases with a single wordswhich meanthe same.
| Instead of ... | Use ... |
| employed the use of | used |
| basic fundamentals | fundamentals |
| alternative choices | alternatives |
| in as few words as possible | concisely |
| look into | investigate |
| put on | gained |
| turned down | rejected |
| got better | improved |
| hit and miss | erratic |
| in spite of | although |
Need to know more...
- Related pages
- External links
- Books
Academic writing
Illustrates the main features of academic writing so that you are aware of what it is and what it involves
Critical Thinking
Academic work involves thinking, not just accepting what you read or are told.
Terms and Definitions
Important words appear in your assignments and examinations. The aim of this factsheet is to help you to fully understand what they mean.
Additional resources to help youto improve your confidence and grades:-
- Writing Effectivelydemonstrates the importance of: clarity, structure, relevance, argument and precision.
- Writing Mechanicsgives further examples and resources on areas including: sentence structure, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Linking/Transition words - Scribbrhttps://www.scribbr.co.uk/syntax/transition-words-examples/ [Accessed 10 February 2023]
Staffordshire University (2015)Refzone. Referencing (Harvard style) explained with interactive quizzes to make sure that you get it.
There are many books concerning academic writing, look around Dewey number808
Writing for Academic Success by Megan Poore; Gail CraswellISBN: 9780857029270
Publication Date: 2012-03-05
- Writing Skills for Nursing and Midwifery Students by Dena Bain Taylor
ISBN: 9781446208342
Publication Date: 2012-12-06
- Legal Writing by Lisa Webley
ISBN: 9781138840683
Publication Date: 2016-03-23
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- Last Updated: Aug 29, 2024 9:40 AM
- URL: https://libguides.staffs.ac.uk/academic_writing
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Subjects: Academic Study Skills
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