Linearity means the academic text is built on one central idea. Regardless of the type of paper our writing should be thesis-driven which means that each sentence must explain the main idea, and support, or strengthen it. Following this principle, you will create well-structured logical sentences. Additionally, linearity presupposes that sentences clearly link to each other, previous sentences add to the next ones, the smooth transitions are present between the paragraphs.

Therefore,

1. the essay cannot have several main ideas and themes;

2. we cannot discuss the same subtopics in different parts of the paper;

3. the sentences should be complex and logical.

Academic writing requires you to use academic lexis that has its characteristic traits:

Formality is one of the key characteristics of academic writing because it greatly impacts visual perception, the reader's first impression of the text. Since neglecting formality results in a poor academic style, we should keep it in mind and do not use the following elements in our texts:

On the left, you can see simple informal words that can be replaced with more formal

equivalents on the right:

Usage of can't, won't, they'd, doesn't, it's, and other contractions are forbidden in the academic style. We must use full forms cannot, will not, etc. Additionally, remember that we should use definite articles when using abbreviations and mention their full meaning when using them in the text for the first time.

Since the English language is rich enough, we don't need to overuse phrasal words. It's better to utilize more specific one-word options:

We cannot talk about one gender, considering that some profession or groups of people consists of males or females only. In general, we shouldn't stick to the gender.

Moreover, you can always use the plural form and prevent making such mistakes.

Nonetheless, we can mention specific gender when talking about specific people.

All these elements have no significant meaning and results in. Hence, remember, that

literally, basically, actually, really, totally, obviously, as a matter of fact, goes without saying, to begin with, little by little, look forward to, it can be understood, it is needed to say, no wonder, to conclude everything mentioned above, to sum up, to make long story short, last but not least, first and foremost - are forbidden to use in academic papers.

Rhetorical questions are obvious because readers can find answers to them in the following sentences and cause wordiness as well.

Remember that we should never begin sentences with And, So, Because, But, Or, Yet, That to avoid "cut" sentences.

Do not use this, that, these, or those without nouns in the sentence. Even if you think it's clear what you are talking about from the previous sentence, it's not. Note, that academic writing requires accuracy and certainty, so it's better to use it (instead of this) or nouns.

Objectivity is a specific characteristic of academic writing. The writer presents an argument that is supported by information from credible sources and authors. Thus, academic style cannot stand the following:

Avoid the words I, me, my, we, I think, I believe and do not appeal to readers using you. Maintain the third-person tone in your narrative.

We cannot explain some issue from one perspective only, even if we like or don't like something. In the order, there can be the task to choose a position, but we should prove it logically considering the opposite side. Moreover, we shouldn't overuse personal opinions, stating that something is phenomenal, outstanding, fascinating, etc.

In academic writing, accuracy is the correct word choice. We should choose vocabulary that corresponds to academic level and discipline. Remember that even words that are synonyms have particular connotations.

Except correct word choice, accuracy means the absence of mistakes and consistency of the text. The factual information such as dates, numbers, names, statistics should be accurate as well as the text and sources formatting.

Accuracy minimizes confusing sentences, sentence fragments, wordiness, tautology, and other negative writing elements. To keep your texts accurate, proofread them well and follow the characteristics of the academic writing mentioned in this article.