Chapter 1 - What is Academic English?

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Chapter 1: What is Academic English?

1b: General Features of Academic English

Academic texts are characterised by a specific style with the following four features:
i) formality
ii) objectivity
iii) precision
iv) technicality

iii) Precision
To avoid ambiguity, academic texts are marked by exactness and accuracy in terms of the
(1) choice of words and
(2) amount of details

Examples:

(1a)	New plants that can be grown under severe weather conditions are under investigation.
(1b)	Drought-tolerant maize and cold-resistant rice that can be grown under severe weather conditions are under investigation.
(2a)	Different skills are needed to start a business.
(2b)	Various skills such as business management skills, financial accounting skills and interpersonal skills are needed to start a business.
(In Sentence (1b), subject-specific words like “drought-tolerant” and “cold-resistant” are used to make the ideas more precise and accurate. Sentence (2b) is much clearer than Sentence (2a) as it includes more details about the skills needed to start a business.)

1. b
2. b
3. b

1a 1b - i 1b - ii 1b - iii 1b - iv

Activity 5

Compare each pair of sentences. Which one is more precise? Choose the correct answer.

Which one is more precise?
1. a)	Middle-aged men have a higher chance of stroke.
b)	Men over 55 have a higher chance of stroke.
2. a)	In some countries, a meal usually comprises three courses.
b)	In some western countries, a meal usually comprises an appetiser, a main course and a dessert.
3. a)	The survey conducted a few years ago showed that many people had symptoms of depression.
b)	The survey conducted three years ago showed that two-thirds of the respondents had symptoms of depression.