TOOLKIT CONTENTS
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Sentence basics
1. Is this a sentence? The basic structure of an English sentence
2. Should I start a new sentence? Common errors with sentence structure
Verbs
1. Is the tense correct? Verb tenses and their uses in academic writing
2. Agree with or agree on-is this the right preposition? Verbs followed by prepositions
Nouns
1. How many are there? Singular, plural and uncountable nouns
2. A/an, the or no article? Choosing the right article
Punctuation
Academic Style
1. Not using I: Passive and active voice in academic writing
2. Expressing opinions: Tentativeness and certainty
Proof Reading for Grammar Activity
If you prefer to consult the Proof Reading for Grammar Guide in a printable format, use the links below:
How to Write What You Want to Say ... at University by
This guide provides students at university and other tertiary institutions with the language they need to write for scholarly, or academic, purposes. It aims to provide those with limited experience in academic writing with a starting point to say what they want to say using language that academic writers use. How to write what you want to say ... at university is a guide for those who know what they want to say but can't find the words. It provides a unique tool for improving writing. It suits inexperienced writers enrolled in undergraduate courses at university, including those for whom English is a second language. It is especially helpful to mature-aged students returning to study.
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
•Academic Phrasebank (University of Manchester) provides sample sentence starters for introducing sources in your work
•Using tentative language in academic writing is also referred to as hedging. Check this explanation and activity from UEfAP
In academic writing, when expressing our views or presenting an argument, very few ideas can be stated as fact. Usually, our ideas contribute to a much wider debate. In this case, stating that something is a certainty can imply a lack of awareness around a topic area. Often it is more appropriate to lean towards caution.
Tentativeness refers to the various language choices that can be made between yes/no (something that is certain) and maybe (something that is not certain). By making certain choices about language, students can express varying degrees of certainty in their work. Consider the examples below:
For academic purposes, writing tends to be more tentative and expresses low certainty. Therefore, low tentative language is used to convey a reasoned and objective argument.
Below are some examples of the types of language that express both low and high certainty.
The language used in the tentative box is generally more appropriate for academic writing unless you are making recommendations for future research.
A traditional scientific perspective might be concerned with proving or disproving a hypothesis, in which case more certainty may be required. However, there still needs to be awareness that further experiments by others (or yourself) may disprove this certainty.
To download a PDF copy of the Tentative writing checklist, click the link below.
