Students are frequently required to write essays to convey their understanding of concepts and ideas, and they need to express their views and analyses clearly and effectively. Here are several ways that students can improve their academic writing:

Research the Topic and Expand on It

Because academic writers must perform thorough research, they need to gather and expand upon published reports and analyses of their chosen topics. By collecting and examining such information and research, authors can produce informative papers that explore new ideas generated from what they have read. Further, providing support for statements on these new ideas convinces readers of their importance and verity.

Before writing, students should read publications and research on the topic under discussion. After doing so, students can generate original thoughts that add or enlarge upon the texts they have read. If an abstract is required, the student can summarize the paper’s content in one or two short paragraphs.

Be Aware of the Audience

Since academic writing is usually presented to the instructor who is familiar with the material that is to be discussed or analyzed, the introduction should be brief and end with the thesis statement that contains the main points of the paragraphs that will follow.

 Write in the Active Voice

More affirmative and expressive of the present time than Passive Voice, Active Voice is employed by students in academic writing that usually requires the writer to take a position on a subject. Providing adequate support for the thesis is also essential and should be in Active Voice, as well, because its tone strengthens the writer’s theme and position on a topic.

Vary Sentence Structure, Use Proper Punctuation, and Be Concise

Too many short, simple sentences or other repetitive writing patterns become tedious and cause readers to lose interest in the written material. So, it is essential that the writing remain fresh and sentences varied so that ideas will convince or make an impression on the reader. Punctuation, too, is necessary as it facilitates the comprehension and separation of concepts. For, punctuation often designates the thoughts that hold more importance. Since academic writing is designed to inform, students should write concisely and succinctly so that readers can easily understand themes, arguments, and supporting details.

Edit and Proofread

The writing process is not complete until the writer edits his/her work. Writers can obtain conciseness and clarity by improving their sentence structure, the arrangement of ideas, support for arguments, spelling, and correction of grammatical structures.