24 General guidelines

1) Do not use idiomatic or colloquial vocabulary: kids, boss. Instead use standard English: children, manager.

2) Use vocabulary accurately. There is a difference between rule and law. In your course of studies, you must become familiar with the appropriate use of terminology and concepts.

3) Be as precise as possible when dealing with facts and figures. Avoid phrases such as about a hundred/ years ago. If it is necessary to estimate numbers, use approximately rather than about.

4) Conclusions should use tentative language. Avoid absolute statements such as unemployment causes crime. Instead use cautious phrases: unemployment may cause crime or tends to cause crime. For more go to section on caution.

5) Avoid emotive language which shows your personal attitude: luckily, remarkably, unfortunately, surprisingly (unless you are writing reflectively).

6) Do not contract verb forms: don’t, can’t. Use the full form: do not, cannot.

7) Although academic language tends to use the passive more than standard English, it should not be overused. Both are needed. Use active and passive voice deliberately. See also section on passive verbs.

8) Avoid the following:

• like for introducing examples. Use such as or for instance.
• thing and combinations such as nothing or something. Use factor, issue, aspect 
• lots of. Use a significant/ considerable number, or a majority of
• little/ big. Use small/ large.
• ‘get’ phrases such as get better/ worse. Use improve and deteriorate.
• Good/ bad are simplistic. Use positive/ negative, e.g. the changes had several positive effects.

9) When writing lists, avoid using and so on, etc. Insert and before the last item. If you need to point out that your list is not comprehensive, introduce it with a linker such as for instance.

10) Avoid using two-word verbs (phrasal verbs) such as go on or bring up if there is a suitable synonym. Use continue or raise. Phrasal verbs tend to be informal.