Formal Writing

Smrt English
15 Nov 201204:44
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRThe video script emphasizes the importance of using formal language in academic writing, particularly in essays for university or college. It provides several tips to achieve a more formal and academic tone, such as avoiding contractions, slang, first-person pronouns, personal examples, direct reader address, and overly emotional language. The script also advises against overgeneralizations and using statistics without proper reference. Instead, it encourages the use of the passive voice for objectivity, replacing common words with more academic vocabulary, and ensuring the language used is suitable for the task. The video concludes by urging students to proofread their essays to maintain a formal tone throughout.

Takeaways
  • 📚 Use formal writing for academic essays in university or college.
  • 🚫 Avoid contractions; use full forms like 'cannot' instead of 'can't'.
  • 🛡️ Steer clear of slang and informal expressions for a more formal tone.
  • 🙅‍♂️ Omit first-person pronouns like 'I', 'me', and 'my' to increase objectivity.
  • 🤔 Express opinions without using phrases like 'I think'; the essay itself conveys your viewpoint.
  • 🚫 Exclude personal anecdotes and experiences from academic writing.
  • 📉 Refrain from direct address of the reader with words like 'you'; use 'one' for formality.
  • 😶 Avoid overly emotional language to prevent appearing irrational.
  • 📉 Prevent over-generalizations; avoid absolute terms like 'everybody' or 'all'.
  • 📊 Do not use statistics without proper citation to maintain accuracy.
  • 🔄 Utilize passive voice to create an impersonal and objective tone.
  • 📈 Incorporate academic vocabulary to enhance the formality of your writing.
  • 🔍 Ensure the language used is suitable for the task during proofreading.
Q & A

  • What is the primary focus of the transcript provided?

    -The transcript focuses on providing tips for making writing more formal and suitable for academic essays in a university or college setting.

  • Why should contractions be avoided in formal writing?

    -Contractions like 'can't' and 'won't' are considered informal and should be replaced with their full forms 'cannot' and 'will not' for a more formal tone.

  • What is the alternative to using the first-person pronoun 'I' in academic writing?

    -To maintain objectivity and focus on ideas rather than the writer, one can express opinions without using 'I' by directly stating the opinion, as shown in the example 'Cell phones should be banned in classrooms'.

  • Why should personal examples or experiences be avoided in academic writing?

    -Personal examples and experiences are not appropriate for academic writing because they lack the generality and objectivity required for a formal and scholarly discourse.

  • What is one way to make writing more formal without using 'I think' or 'in my opinion'?

    -Using a pronoun like 'one' can make the writing more general and formal, as in the example 'Following this process will increase one's chances for success'.

  • How can emotional language affect the perception of an academic argument?

    -Emotional language can lead the reader to perceive the writer as irrational, which may cause them to question the validity of the arguments and opinions presented.

  • What is the issue with using over-generalizations like 'everybody knows' or 'all' in academic writing?

    -Over-generalizations can be inaccurate because they imply absolute certainty, which is not suitable for academic writing that requires precision and consideration of varying perspectives.

  • Why is it important to reference statistics properly in an academic essay?

    -Proper referencing of statistics ensures credibility and transparency, allowing the reader to verify the source of the information and understand its context.

  • What is the passive voice and how does it contribute to formal writing?

    -The passive voice is a grammatical structure where the subject of the sentence is acted upon by the verb. It creates objectivity by removing the writer from the sentence, making it suitable for formal and academic writing.

  • What is an example of using academic vocabulary to replace common words?

    -Instead of using the word 'bad', one can use 'harmful' or 'detrimental'. Similarly, 'help' can be replaced with 'facilitate' or 'foster' to enhance the formality of the writing.

  • What is the final advice given for proofreading an academic essay?

    -The final advice is to ensure that the language used is suitable for the task, focusing on formality and academic standards during the proofreading process.

  • How can one get more practice with formal language as suggested in the transcript?

    -One can get more practice by following the link provided at the end of the video, which presumably offers additional resources or exercises for improving formal writing skills.

Outlines
00:00
📚 Formal Writing Tips for Academic Essays

This paragraph emphasizes the importance of using formal language in academic essays. It advises against using contractions, slang, informal expressions, and first-person pronouns like 'I', 'me', and 'my'. The speaker provides examples to illustrate how to rephrase sentences to make them more objective and less personal. The paragraph also suggests avoiding personal anecdotes and direct address to the reader, using more neutral language and passive voice to enhance objectivity. It concludes with the recommendation to use academic vocabulary and to avoid emotional language, overgeneralizations, and unsupported statistics.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Formal Writing
Formal writing refers to a style of writing that is characterized by a serious tone, proper grammar, and a lack of colloquial language. It is typically used in academic, professional, and official contexts. In the video, formal writing is emphasized as the preferred style for academic essays to convey ideas in a serious and objective manner. An example from the script includes avoiding contractions and slang to maintain formality.
💡Contractions
Contractions are words formed by combining two words with an apostrophe, such as 'can't' for 'cannot' or 'won't' for 'will not'. The video advises against using contractions in formal writing, as they are considered informal. The script illustrates this by suggesting to use 'cannot' instead of 'can't'.
💡Slang
Slang refers to informal language, often consisting of words and phrases that are specific to a particular group or subculture. The video script discourages the use of slang in academic writing because it is not formal enough. The script points out that words like 'stuff' and adjectives like 'awesome' should be avoided.
💡First-Person Pronouns
First-person pronouns include 'I', 'me', and 'my', which are used to refer to oneself. The video suggests avoiding these pronouns in academic writing to promote objectivity and to shift the focus from the writer to the ideas being presented. The script demonstrates this by rephrasing 'I think cellphones should be banned in classrooms' to 'Cell phones should be banned in classrooms'.
💡Personal Examples
Personal examples involve using one's own experiences or anecdotes to illustrate a point. The video advises against using personal examples in academic writing, as they can detract from the objectivity and credibility of the essay. The script emphasizes that academic writing should be based on evidence and logical arguments rather than personal stories.
💡Direct Address
Direct address is when the writer speaks directly to the reader, often using the pronoun 'you'. The video script suggests that this approach is too casual for academic writing and recommends using more formal and general language, such as 'one' instead of 'you'. For instance, the script changes 'If you want to succeed' to 'Following this process will increase one's chances for success'.
💡Emotional Language
Emotional language involves using words and phrases that evoke strong feelings or emotions. The video warns against using overly emotional language in academic writing because it may lead the reader to perceive the writer as irrational. The script advises maintaining a neutral and objective tone throughout the essay.
💡Over Generalizations
Over generalizations are statements that make broad, sweeping claims without allowing for exceptions. The video script advises against using phrases like 'everybody knows' or 'all' because they can be inaccurate and weaken the writer's argument. The script provides an example of changing 'everybody knows that smartphones are useful' to a more precise and less absolute statement.
💡Unsourced Statistics
Unsourced statistics are numerical data or percentages that are included in a text without proper citation or reference to their origin. The video emphasizes the importance of providing accurate references for any statistics used in academic writing to maintain credibility and avoid misinformation. The script instructs not to include percentages without knowing their exact source.
💡Passive Voice
Passive voice is a grammatical structure where the subject of the sentence is acted upon by the verb, rather than performing the action. The video suggests using the passive voice in academic writing to create an impersonal and objective tone. An example from the script is 'It is believed by some that widespread use of technology affects the way people interact with one another', which reports others' ideas formally and passively.
💡Academic Vocabulary
Academic vocabulary consists of precise and formal words and phrases that are appropriate for scholarly writing. The video encourages the use of academic vocabulary to enhance the formality and sophistication of the essay. The script provides examples of replacing common words with more academic alternatives, such as using 'harmful' instead of 'bad' or 'facilitate' instead of 'help'.
💡Objectivity
Objectivity in writing means presenting information, ideas, or arguments in a way that is unbiased and fair. The video script emphasizes the importance of objectivity in academic writing, suggesting that writers should strive to remove personal perspectives and emotions to allow the reader to focus on the ideas being presented. This is achieved by avoiding first-person pronouns and emotional language, and by using passive voice constructions.
Highlights

Use formal writing for academic essays in university or college.

Avoid using contractions; use full forms like 'cannot' instead of 'can't'.

Do not use slang or informal expressions such as 'stuff' or 'awesome'.

Avoid using the first-person perspective (I, me, my).

Express opinions without using 'I think' by embedding the opinion in the text.

Focus on ideas and opinions rather than personal experiences.

Avoid addressing the reader directly with 'you'.

Use a pronoun like 'one' for a more formal tone.

Avoid overly emotional language to prevent appearing irrational.

Steer clear of over-generalizations like 'everybody knows'.

Avoid using statistics without proper reference.

Use the passive voice to create objectivity and remove personal bias.

The impersonal passive voice is useful for reporting others' ideas formally.

Practice with impersonal passive and passive voice for better formal writing.

Use academic vocabulary to enhance the formality of your writing.

Replace common words with more formal synonyms, e.g., 'bad' with 'harmful' or 'detrimental'.

Ensure language suitability for the task during proofreading.

Follow the link at the end of the video for more practice with formal language.

Transcripts

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Formal WritingAcademic EssaysWriting TipsObjectivityLanguage UsePassive VoiceAcademic VocabularyWriting StyleContractionsFirst-PersonEmotional ToneStatistical Accuracy