Antonyms are pairs or groups of words that are notionally opposite in meaning, such as night/day, boy/girl, long/short, hot/cold, etc. This post describes the four categories of antonyms that feature in the use of English, explains the characteristics of each and offers a number of examples of each type.
Punctuation is a challenging aspect of English writing, and many writers encounter problems using colons and semi-colons. However, there are a number of definite rules that can be followed to help ensure their correct usage in academic and formal writing.
When engaged with your academic writing, your first objective is to get those ideas down on paper. This is the creative phase where your main focus is on producing content that satisfies the objectives of your assignment brief or research proposal. Whether the content needs to shine at this point depends on the author. Some…
Non-native academic writers at all levels, from undergraduates to researchers, often find the manner of placing and presenting in-text abbreviations of regularly used terms such as European Union (EU), radio frequency Identification (RFID), printed circuit board (PCB), etc., somewhat challenging. Consequently, several questions arise:
When citing authors in academic papers in-text citations vary, with some systems employing numbering while others state the authors’ names and dates of publication. For those employing the Harvard Referencing System the reader is able to view the names of some or all of the cited authors’ names, and the date of the publication, without…
When proofreading scientific articles, the readability of some content is let down by the use of short informative sentences that have not been linked or connected to those that follow. This type of writing style, while perfectly functional in presenting data and information, is less engaging for the reader as continuity is interrupted by the…
Once your written document has been completed, the final task that remains is to use your proofreading strategies to check the text for errors, inconsistencies and style. This process is crucial to ensure that your text engages the reader and captures their attention, because if proofreading strategies are overlooked or dismissed then you run the…
British and American English are very similar in most respects. However, there are some small but important differences in the way that some vocabulary groups are formed. In this article we will explore the role of suffixes. For example, whereas in British English you write centre, litre and theatre; in American English you would need…
While proofreading an academic assignment this morning, I found the phrase a lot of used repeatedly in the discussion. Of course, when writing a discussion or essay about a challenging new theme, the last thing on any writer’s mind will be creating colourful synonyms for their favourite words or expressions.
Studying English is a challenging task, especially if your aim is to progress into university study. Developing your writing style and improving your reading capabilities are fundamental to ensuring that your time in university is successful and rewarding. Therefore, preparation is key!
