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Academic Writing: Common
Patterns, Part One |
The new school year is beginning in communities across
the United States.
Many students are busy at work in their new classes.
Some are already thinking about all the homework they
will face in the weeks to come.
Schools often require students to read academic articles
-- short or long reports about a class-related subject.
Teachers also ask students to write book reports and
research papers.
Today on Everyday Grammar, we will explore two
grammatical structures that you will see often in
academic writing.
We will show you how to use these structures. We also
will show you when not to use them.
#1 Evaluating an idea
If you are writing or reading for academic purposes, you
will likely see the following structure: It + is + an
adjective + that-clause.
This is a common way to express an attitude, opinion or
position. It is often used when considering an idea,
note grammar experts Susan Conrad and Douglas Biber.
Here is an example:
"It is clear that the evidence is inconsistent."
Here is how you can understand the sentence. The subject
in our example is the word it. Then comes the verb is.
After is, there is an adjective: the word clear.
After clear, there is a that-clause. A that-clause is a
group of words, beginning with the word that. It has a
subject and a predicate. A predicate is the part of a
sentence that expresses what is said about the subject.
The that-clause has the idea that the writer is
considering. In the example we gave you, the idea under
consideration is the following statement: "the evidence
is inconsistent."
The adjective clear suggests the writer's judgment.
By saying "it is clear," the writer is saying that he or
she agrees the evidence appears to be conflicting with
other information.
Note that the writer did not write, "I think that the
evidence is inconsistent," even if it has the same
meaning as the example sentence. Why? We will explore
that issue later in the report.
Academic writers often use it + is + an adjective +
that-clause to raise questions, note possibility, and
express importance.
For example, you might read the following sentence:
"It is unlikely that the results will be conclusive."
Or,
"It is likely that the information was incomplete."
In the former case, the writer is using the adjective
unlikely to raise questions. In the latter one, the
writer is using the adjective likely to express
possibility.
#2 Evaluating an action
A second common structure, it + is + an adjective + an
infinitive phrase, is often used to judge an action. The
infinitive phrase describes the action. The adjective
shows the writer's evaluation.
Consider this example:
"It is difficult to define these ideas."
In this example, the infinitive to define relates to an
action, while the adjective difficult shows the writer's
evaluation.
Writers often use it + is + an adjective + an infinitive
phrase to show possibility, difficulty, importance, and
so on.
So, for example, you might read the following sentences:
"It is hard to understand these effects," or "It is
necessary to carry out further research."
In the former example, the writer is expressing
difficulty, while in the latter the writer is expressing
necessity.
Other ways to express the same
ideas
The two structures we have discussed are common in
academic writing.
You should try using them with your own adjectives,
that-clauses, infinitive phrases, and so on.
There is one point to keep in mind, however. You should
know that sometimes you might not want to use these
structures – especially if you are writing for business
or even artistic reasons.
In those situations, it might be better to use more
direct language.
Consider the first example we gave you, "It is clear
that the evidence is inconsistent."
This is a common, acceptable way to write a sentence for
academic purposes. It is grammatically correct.
However, the statement uses indirect language to express
an evaluation. The writer is expressing an opinion
without specifically writing "I think...," for example.
However, if you are writing for other purposes other
than college professors, you could simplify your
language. You could give a very direct evaluation by
writing "I think the evidence is inconsistent," or
simply "The evidence is inconsistent."
The structure that you choose to use depends on what
kind of writing you are doing.
It is difficult to improve your writing. But with
practice, you can do it!
I'm John Russell.
And I'm Pete Musto.
John Russell wrote this story for Learning English.
George Grow was the editor. |
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Words in This Story |
-
that-clause – n.
a part of a sentence (beginning with that) that has
its own subject and verb
- evaluate
– v. to judge the value
or condition of (someone or something) in a careful
and thoughtful way
-
inconsistent – adj.
having parts that disagree with each other
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conclusive – adj.
showing that something is certainly true
- data
– n. facts or
information used usually to calculate, analyze, or
plan something
-
infinitive phrase – n.
an infinitive phrase is a group of words consisting
of an infinitive, objects, and modifiers
- concept
– n. an idea of what
something is or how it works
- academic
– adj. of or related to
a school, especially of higher education
- article
– n. a piece of writing
or story about a subject
- verb
– n. a word that
expresses an action, event or state of being
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