Page 64 - Bakersfield College 2020-2021 Renegade Student Planner

Handy Tips on Improving Your Academic Vocabulary
The following list of pointers will assist you greatly in both expressing academic vocabulary, especially in your writing (research papers and creative essays), as well as understanding it when you encounter it within a variety of printed sources.
Dull Everyday Words You Must Avoid at All Costs!
1. thing or stuff (and its variants, such as something, nothing, anything, etc.): Much better options include...factor,
element, aspect, characteristic, component, trait, etc.
2. good: For more pizazz, try words such as advantageous, beneficial, helpful, useful, effective, impressive, excellent,
superb, phenomenal, etc.
3. a lot: Heard frequently in casual conversation but fails to impress on paper. More sophisticated
choices...numerous, a number of, many, multiple, various, copious amounts, etc.
4. kids: Too slang for the world of academia! Better alternatives: children, little ones, youth, youngsters, toddlers,
etc.
Useful Synonyms that will Enhance Your Research Papers
said: So often, you are required to quote a number of sources, but instead of writing said repeatedly, try these more varied substitutions...stated, expressed, commented, described, pointed out, asserted, emphasized, opined, analyzed, elaborated, stressed, explained, demonstrated, articulated, etc. Example: As Jones stressed in his autobiography, “My life was full of many twists and turns.”
A Grammatical Construction that Served Me Well on Many a Long Term Paper
the fact that: Suppose you want to make a comment about this vocabulary course, hopefully a statement along the lines of...I like learning so many new vocabulary words. The previous sentence sounds acceptable, but if you want to improve it and sound more academic, you could reword it as such: “I like the fact that I am learning so many new vocabulary words.”
Which comment gives a slightly better impression?
Practice Transforming Your Short, Choppy Sentences into “Masterpiece Sentences”
This is a step you would most likely not apply until you reach the editing stage of your writing, but it is a very vital one. The goal is to take sentences that are too simple and sparse and perform a kind of makeover on them. Example: Original sentence: My friend shouted.
1. Add an adjective in front of friend: My loyal friend shouted.
2. Add an adverb after shouted: My loyal friend shouted urgently.
3. Now substitute synonyms for friend and shouted: My loyal companion bellowed urgently.
THUS: My friend shouted. My loyal companion bellowed urgently. Which form of expression helps a reader visualize better and is more intriguing?
Final Note: Be patient as you persevere in applying these tips, and you will eventually notice marked improvement in your ability to write and comprehend in any academic or professional setting.
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