Writing In An Appropriate Style - Edition 3

Using Objective Writing


Most assignments require you to demonstrate academic objectivity and well argued approach to a subject matter, rather than an unthinking acceptance of it.


There are a number of ways to achieve this. Most importantly, throughout your studies you will develop your ability both to argue for something rigorously to and provide evidence for your argument. however, some simple language use can also demonstrate a measured and objective approach. For example, avoiding the first person (except in reflective aspects of an assignment, mentioned above) and by using 'hedging' language (see below).


First Person/Third Person


Check your course materials to see if you are asked to use the third or if you are allowed to use the first person.


Using the first person means writing: 'I think that ...', 'My opinion is that ...' . If the assignment is asking you for your reflective opinion on a subject, using the first person is okay. However, many essay-style assignments require you to avoid the first person and use the third person instead: 'He argues that ...', 'Smith's book overturned previous ideas on ...'.


Hedging Language


Hedging language means cautions language. So, rather than saying 'Parents have a greater influence over children's desire to... it might be preferable to say 'it can be argued that parents have a greater influence ...'.


Passive Language


Passive language is often used in discursive, essay-style assignments and active language is more often used in report-style assignments. However, that is not a hard and fast truth and you will find opportunities to swop between the two in either type of assignment.

• Passive language de-personalises the writing by allowing you to avoid personal pronouns and, if you don't know who is performing the action (i.e. who the subject of the sentence is), passive language allows you to avoid mentioning the 'who':"The seed pods were counted" instead of "I/We (sub) counted the seed pods"
• Passive language places the emphasis upon the result of an action rather than who is performing the action (the 'subject' of the sentences):"Children are more likely to hit their parents (sub) than their teachers" instead of "Parents (sub) are more likely to hit their children than are teachers".
• Active language allows you to be very clear about who is performing the action (i.e. in grammatical terms, who is the 'subject' of the sentence): "I counted the seed pods". It is, therefore, useful in report-style assignments.