Heres the advice i got from uni about writing style:
Step 4: Writing with clarity
So far we have looked at big picture advice: planning the essay and structuring your ideas. It is also important to look closely at the smallest elements: words and sentences.
Academic essays are essentially long arguments. They succeed if they provide a rational case for the main conclusion. To do this each sentence needs to be comprehensible. Our concern is with the arguments/evidence you provide, not with the rhetorical value of your writing. Each sentence should be as clear and simply stated as possible. Also avoid statements of opinion that you do not support with argument and/or evidence. That you believe it is not a reason for your reader to believe it. Use argument rather than assertion, and reason rather than rhetoric.
George Orwell (1946) provides some wonderful advice on simple and concise writing. I have changed them a little for our context:
- Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech if you can express the point without it
- Never use a long word if you can use a short one
- If you can cut a word out, then do so
- Never use jargon if you can think of a common equivalent
[FONT="]The basic idea should be obvious: keep it simple. We are not concerned with the beauty of your writing, how many big words you know or whether you can construct a wondrous metaphor, so don't waste your time and our effort on them. Write simple, concise and precise sentences to advance your thesis.
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Step 5: Writing in your own voice
You must remember that it is important for you to write in your own voice. Writing in one's own voice is crucial to writing a good essay based on engagement, critical analysis and argument, rather than a simple reportage of information. For example, you should refer to other authors in your own text, not simply by inserting a quote from an author into your essay. When you do not engage with the work of the authors you cite, it serves only to replace your own argument, rather than to support your own ideas. Every quote you use needs to be explained. When drawing on the work of other writers, distinguish between different authors (and their contexts), so as not to suggest the writers all agree with each other. Make sure the reader is sure when you are the author of a claim: argue with authority, rather than presenting an idea passively.
Please note, writing in your own voice doesn't mean merely stating your opinion or writing a reflective essay on your personal experiences. We are still concerned with the rational evidence you have for every substantive claim you make. Writing in your own voice means not using quotes to make your case. Put things in your own words. But at all times ensure any idea from another source is adequately referenced - we will discuss plagiarism and referencing in detail presently.
