Examples of Standard Writing and Academic Writing

Example of Standard Writing

What is academic English?

Dear Professor Plum,

Please find below my answers to your questions. I believe academic English and general English

are different for the main reason that they have very different goals. Lectures and seminars need

a different approach to general spoken English. And, of course, academic essay writing is not the

same as standard writing. I think there are 4 main areas where I can see big differences between standard writing and academic writing. They are:

• You should not be subjective.

• You should be more complex.

• You should have more structure.

• You should use academic style and systems.

Best wishes,

Sophia

Example of Academic Writing

Characteristics of academic English

‘Academic English’ is differentiated from ‘general English’ in its focus on ‘those communication skills in English which are required for study purposes in formal education systems’(Jordan, 1997: 1). Within these systems, there are three main areas of focus: the lecture, the seminar and the essay, each of which has a specific set of sub-skills which are required for successful performance. It is essays where the most significant distinction between academic English and general English is made. Generally speaking, there are four main areas where differences between standard writing and academic writing can be seen: the inherent objectivity of academic writing, its complexity, its formality of structure and its adoption of academic style.