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What Is Academic Writing? | Dos and Don’ts for Students

Academic writing is a formal style of writing used in universities and scholarly publications. You’ll encounter it in journal articles and books on academic topics, and you’ll be expected to write your essays , research papers , and dissertation in academic style.

Academic writing follows the same writing process as other types of texts, but it has specific conventions in terms of content, structure and style.

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Table of contents

Types of academic writing, academic writing is…, academic writing is not…, useful tools for academic writing, academic writing checklist.

Academics mostly write texts intended for publication, such as journal articles, reports, books, and chapters in edited collections. For students, the most common types of academic writing assignments are listed below.

Different fields of study have different priorities in terms of the writing they produce. For example, in scientific writing it’s crucial to clearly and accurately report methods and results; in the humanities, the focus is on constructing convincing arguments through the use of textual evidence. However, most academic writing shares certain key principles intended to help convey information as effectively as possible.

Whether your goal is to pass your degree, apply to graduate school , or build an academic career, effective writing is an essential skill.

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Formal and unbiased

Academic writing aims to convey information in an impartial way. The goal is to base arguments on the evidence under consideration, not the author’s preconceptions. All claims should be supported with relevant evidence, not just asserted.

To avoid bias, it’s important to represent the work of other researchers and the results of your own research fairly and accurately. This means clearly outlining your methodology  and being honest about the limitations of your research.

The formal style used in academic writing ensures that research is presented consistently across different texts, so that studies can be objectively assessed and compared with other research.

Because of this, it’s important to strike the right tone with your language choices. Avoid informal language , including slang, contractions , clichés, and conversational phrases:

• Also , a lot of the findings are a little unreliable.
• Moreover , many of the findings are somewhat unreliable.

Clear and precise

It’s important to use clear and precise language to ensure that your reader knows exactly what you mean. This means being as specific as possible and avoiding vague language :

• People have been interested in this thing for a long time .
• Researchers have been interested in this phenomenon for at least 10 years .

Avoid hedging your claims with words like “perhaps,” as this can give the impression that you lack confidence in your arguments. Reflect on your word choice to ensure it accurately and directly conveys your meaning:

• This could perhaps suggest that…
• This suggests that…

Specialist language or jargon is common and often necessary in academic writing, which generally targets an audience of other academics in related fields.

However, jargon should be used to make your writing more concise and accurate, not to make it more complicated. A specialist term should be used when:

• It conveys information more precisely than a comparable non-specialist term.
• Your reader is likely to be familiar with the term.
• The term is commonly used by other researchers in your field.

The best way to familiarize yourself with the kind of jargon used in your field is to read papers by other researchers and pay attention to their language.

Focused and well structured

An academic text is not just a collection of ideas about a topic—it needs to have a clear purpose. Start with a relevant research question or thesis statement , and use it to develop a focused argument. Only include information that is relevant to your overall purpose.

A coherent structure is crucial to organize your ideas. Pay attention to structure at three levels: the structure of the whole text, paragraph structure, and sentence structure.

Well sourced

Academic writing uses sources to support its claims. Sources are other texts (or media objects like photographs or films) that the author analyzes or uses as evidence. Many of your sources will be written by other academics; academic writing is collaborative and builds on previous research.

It’s important to consider which sources are credible and appropriate to use in academic writing. For example, citing Wikipedia is typically discouraged. Don’t rely on websites for information; instead, use academic databases and your university library to find credible sources.

You must always cite your sources in academic writing. This means acknowledging whenever you quote or paraphrase someone else’s work by including a citation in the text and a reference list at the end.

There are many different citation styles with different rules. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago . Make sure to consistently follow whatever style your institution requires. If you don’t cite correctly, you may get in trouble for plagiarism . A good plagiarism checker can help you catch any issues before it’s too late.

You can easily create accurate citations in APA or MLA style using our Citation Generators.

APA Citation Generator MLA Citation Generator

Correct and consistent

As well as following the rules of grammar, punctuation, and citation, it’s important to consistently apply stylistic conventions regarding:

• How to write numbers
• Introducing abbreviations
• Using verb tenses in different sections
• Capitalization of terms and headings
• Spelling and punctuation differences between UK and US English

In some cases there are several acceptable approaches that you can choose between—the most important thing is to apply the same rules consistently and to carefully proofread your text before you submit. If you don’t feel confident in your own proofreading abilities, you can get help from Scribbr’s professional proofreading services or Grammar Checker .

Academic writing generally tries to avoid being too personal. Information about the author may come in at some points—for example in the acknowledgements or in a personal reflection—but for the most part the text should focus on the research itself.

Always avoid addressing the reader directly with the second-person pronoun “you.” Use the impersonal pronoun “one” or an alternate phrasing instead for generalizations:

• As a teacher, you must treat your students fairly.
• As a teacher, one must treat one’s students fairly.
• Teachers must treat their students fairly.

The use of the first-person pronoun “I” used to be similarly discouraged in academic writing, but it is increasingly accepted in many fields. If you’re unsure whether to use the first person, pay attention to conventions in your field or ask your instructor.

When you refer to yourself, it should be for good reason. You can position yourself and describe what you did during the research, but avoid arbitrarily inserting your personal thoughts and feelings:

• In my opinion…
• I think that…
• I like/dislike…
• I conducted interviews with…
• I argue that…
• I hope to achieve…

Long-winded

Many students think their writing isn’t academic unless it’s over-complicated and long-winded. This isn’t a good approach—instead, aim to be as concise and direct as possible.

If a term can be cut or replaced with a more straightforward one without affecting your meaning, it should be. Avoid redundant phrasings in your text, and try replacing phrasal verbs with their one-word equivalents where possible:

• Interest in this phenomenon carried on in the year 2018 .
• Interest in this phenomenon continued in 2018 .

Repetition is a part of academic writing—for example, summarizing earlier information in the conclusion—but it’s important to avoid unnecessary repetition. Make sure that none of your sentences are repeating a point you’ve already made in different words.

Emotive and grandiose

An academic text is not the same thing as a literary, journalistic, or marketing text. Though you’re still trying to be persuasive, a lot of techniques from these styles are not appropriate in an academic context. Specifically, you should avoid appeals to emotion and inflated claims.

Though you may be writing about a topic that’s sensitive or important to you, the point of academic writing is to clearly communicate ideas, information, and arguments, not to inspire an emotional response. Avoid using emotive or subjective language :

• This horrible tragedy was obviously one of the worst catastrophes in construction history.
• The injury and mortality rates of this accident were among the highest in construction history.

Students are sometimes tempted to make the case for their topic with exaggerated , unsupported claims and flowery language. Stick to specific, grounded arguments that you can support with evidence, and don’t overstate your point:

• Charles Dickens is the greatest writer of the Victorian period, and his influence on all subsequent literature is enormous.
• Charles Dickens is one of the best-known writers of the Victorian period and has had a significant influence on the development of the English novel.

There are a a lot of writing tools that will make your writing process faster and easier. We’ll highlight three of them below.

Paraphrasing tool

AI writing tools like ChatGPT and a paraphrasing tool can help you rewrite text so that your ideas are clearer, you don’t repeat yourself, and your writing has a consistent tone.

They can also help you write more clearly about sources without having to quote them directly. Be warned, though: it’s still crucial to give credit to all sources in the right way to prevent plagiarism .

Grammar checker

Writing tools that scan your text for punctuation, spelling, and grammar mistakes. When it detects a mistake the grammar checke r will give instant feedback and suggest corrections. Helping you write clearly and avoid common mistakes .

You can use a summarizer if you want to condense text into its most important and useful ideas. With a summarizer tool, you can make it easier to understand complicated sources. You can also use the tool to make your research question clearer and summarize your main argument.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Use the checklist below to assess whether you have followed the rules of effective academic writing.

• Checklist: Academic writing

I avoid informal terms and contractions .

I avoid second-person pronouns (“you”).

I avoid emotive or exaggerated language.

I avoid redundant words and phrases.

I avoid unnecessary jargon and define terms where needed.

I present information as precisely and accurately as possible.

I use appropriate transitions to show the connections between my ideas.

My text is logically organized using paragraphs .

Each paragraph is focused on a single idea, expressed in a clear topic sentence .

Every part of the text relates to my central thesis or research question .

I support my claims with evidence.

I use the appropriate verb tenses in each section.

I consistently use either UK or US English .

I format numbers consistently.

I cite my sources using a consistent citation style .

Your text follows the most important rules of academic style. Make sure it's perfect with the help of a Scribbr editor!

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Published 18 Jun 2019

4 Tips on Avoiding Being Long-Winded When Writing

April Chung

18 Jun 2019

The overload of information on the Internet today is a real problem and our attention spans are getting short, fast.

Being able to say what you want in as few words as possible is definitely a skill to get you by in #Y2K19.

Less Is More so Be Specific

The key to being concise involves getting down to the specifics.  “The client was extremely upset”  versus  “the client was crying”  exhibits attention to detail. It also helps readers get a better glimpse of understanding of the bigger picture.  Show, don’t tell.

Less is more. Make sure what you’re writing isn’t redundant. There’s no need to write  ‘absolutely essential’  when  ‘essential’  alone is sufficient to get your point across. Be frugal in your use of qualifiers.

Writing  “in a realistic fashion”,  as opposed to  “writing realistically”  is important to make sure your reader doesn’t get bored too quickly.

‘There are 10 dental students on scholarship attending this university’  versus  ‘Ten dental students on scholarship attend this university’.

Get rid of redundant phrases like  “This is…”  or  “There are…”  Just start your sentence and say what you need to say ( cue  John Mayer ).

Break It Down Simply

In trying to explain a complicated idea, go back to what your English teachers taught you in Primary School. The simplest sentence structure involves:  Subject | Verb | Object . Here’s an example to get you through this concept:

Original sentence:  The appearance of withdrawal symptoms that occurred when Drug X was discontinued was further evidence of Drug X’s abuse potential.  [20 words]

This is a complicated sentence which can be broken down to be more easily understood. It is possible to re-write this sentence in a few ways, depending on what you want to emphasize on. Ultimately, it must be able to answer the question of who did what to whom. Below are two different versions of a more concise sentence of the first.

Concise sentence 1:  Discontinuation of  Drug X  caused withdrawal symptoms that are associated with higher abuse potential.  [14 words]

In this sentence, Drug X is made the object of the sentence.

Concise sentence 2:   Participants  who discontinued Drug X experienced withdrawal symptoms associated with higher abuse potential.  [13 words]

In this sentence, the participants become the object of the sentence.

The  Subject | Verb | Object  sentence structure we learnt in primary school can really make a difference in helping to untangle or shorten a sentence.

Weed Out the Unnecessary

People tend to want to sound more sophisticated, hence the long descriptive and flowery sentences to sound fancy when they’re actually just weeds in disguise. Not everyone appreciates this type of writing. If you painstakingly try to fluff up your writing with flowery proverbial phrases, all you end up with is a garden full of, well – fluff. What you need to do is to pluck the weeds out (what is irrelevant and unnecessary) and showcase the flowers (the essential point you’re trying to bring forward and what people are looking for).

People don’t always want to know all the nitty gritty inconsequential details. They want to know the key facts. This helps them understand things better and subsequently be able to reproduce these facts be it in conversation or writing. Wars, for example, are complicated things.  Star Wars  and the Syrian War are two such examples. Online videos are useful in their quick delivery of what there is to know without delving into excess detail. This goes the same for writing.

Cut to the Chase

Saying what something is not (negative form) makes a sentence longer than it should be as opposed to saying what it is (positive form). Being concise is not just a style preference but a business necessity in most workplaces. Do away with all the unnecessary and superfluous information and distill a message down to its essentials. Of course, if you’re writing a novel, or if Victorian Literature is pretty much your thing, then feel free to go crazy with as many long fancy sentences as you want.

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• Writing Worksheets and Other Writing Resources

Bloated Language aka Wordiness

About the slc.

• Our Mission and Core Values

There is a common misconception that a verbose writer is a great one. While supplementary sentences or words can seem to add “smartness” to an essay, unnecessary fluff can only frustrate a reader. Good news: there is some telltale signs of wordiness that can help both tutors and tutees tighten up an otherwise long-winded paper.

 In Paragraphs:

2. combine shorter, abrupt sentences. .

Choppy sentences become repetitive after awhile and can begin to bore the reader. Usually, these can be merged easily, especially if both sentences speak to the same idea.


In this paragraph, the author uses metaphors. These metaphors depict the volatility of the character’s mood swings.

A Better Example:

In this paragraph, the author uses metaphors that depict the volatility of the character’s mood swings.

1. Do not repeat ideas. 

While some ideas do need more than one sentence to be fully explained, many essays can often get redundant in this regard. If you re-read a sentence and realize that it adds no additional value, it probably should be removed (despite any writer’s attachment you may have to it).


The poem contains devices that suggest the audiences in Shakespeare’s time were relatively educated.  In other words, those who saw and appreciated Shakespeare’s plays were well read.

In Sentences:

1. use active voice..

Passive voice usually leads to longer phrases, complicated syntax, and indirect meanings. Sometimes passive voice can appear more academic or objective. However, when used frequently, it could cause confusion on the reader’s end.


Common passive verbs: is, are, was, were, am, be, been

In her essay, there are many passive verbs being used.

Her essay uses many passive verbs.

2. Get rid of wordy phrases.

In the English language, there are many phrases that could really be said with one or two words. Below are some examples.
Note: this is not an exhaustive list.

Due to the fact that → Because

With regard to → About, Concerning

Have the capability to → Can

A majority of → Most

Subsequent to → After

In the event that → If

 Caveat: Although a writer should be cognizant of his/her wordiness, there is a fine line between expressive and rambling. Thus, while these tools can be useful for wordy essays, be careful to not take them to an extreme. Rule of thumb: moderation is key.

Christine Hou

Student Learning Center, University of California, Berkeley

©2009 UC Regents

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution

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seeking a humorous example of long winded paragraph one sentence long [closed]

Back in the day, good writing meant it was a goal to make sentences short. As I have grown older this rule has served me well, especially as it relates to technical writing.

I am looking for a humorous example of the opposite -- a full paragraph 5, 6, or more lines long but consisting of only one sentence. Any referrals or leads to such an animal would be greatly appreciated.

• 1 Not an actual example, but this was the first thing I thought of: dilbert.com/strip/1998-11-28 –  KeithS Commented Oct 29, 2015 at 20:20
• 1 Just as a note, but the bulk of Ephesians 1 is one sentence in the original Greek. Paul is the oldest example I'm aware of of someone writing an excellent run-on sentence. –  Thom Commented Oct 30, 2015 at 11:48
• 1 You'd do well to read William Faulkner. –  Ricky Commented Nov 23, 2015 at 21:31

7 Answers 7

I had an English professor who loved these just the other semester. She ruined my writing style with her love of long sentences.

Edited into a slight run-on from what it was.

"The culmination of the progressionist speech for which I labored was often criticism, bored expressions, and, sometimes, outright rejection; thus, after unsuccessful revisions and heartfelt considerations, I came to a conclusion: no radical idea, however expertly or clumsily delivered and written, will be unanimously accepted; instead, radical ideas will often encounter criticism without constructive comment, but this fact does not negate our responsibility to write them and take a stand."

It's not humorous, though. And notice that I say "slight." Slight because of the monster with which I am about to hammer you. Herman Melville has some egregious ones. This one I find humorous solely in its length.

"Though in many natural objects, whiteness refiningly enhances beauty, as if imparting some special virtue of its own, as in marbles, japonicas, and pearls; and though various nations have in some way recognised a certain royal preeminence in this hue; even the barbaric, grand old kings of Pegu placing the title ‘Lord of the White Elephants’ above all their other magniloquent ascriptions of dominion; and the modern kings of Siam unfurling the same snow-white quadruped in the royal standard; and the Hanoverian flag bearing the one figure of a snow-white charger; and the great Austrian Empire, Caesarian, heir to overlording Rome, having for the imperial colour the same imperial hue; and though this pre-eminence in it applies to the human race itself, giving the white man ideal mastership over every dusky tribe; and though, besides, all this, whiteness has been even made significant of gladness, for among the Romans a white stone marked a joyful day; and though in other mortal sympathies and symbolizings this same hue is made the emblem of many touching, noble things—the innocence of brides, the benignity of age; though among the Red Men of America the giving of the white belt of wampum was the deepest pledge of honour; though in many climes, whiteness typifies the majesty of Justice in the ermine of the Judge, and contributes to the daily state of kings and queens drawn by milk-white steeds; though even in the higher mysteries of the most august religions it has been made the symbol of the divine spotlessness and power; by the Persian fire worshippers, the white forked flame being held the holiest on the altar; and in the Greek mythologies, Great Jove himself being made incarnate in a snow-white bull; and though to the noble Iroquois, the midwinter sacrifice of the sacred White Dog was by far the holiest festival of their theology, that spotless, faithful creature being held the purest envoy they could send to the Great Spirit with the annual tidings of their own fidelity; and though directly from the Latin word for white, all Christian priests derive the name of one part of their sacred vesture, the alb or tunic, worn beneath the cassock; and though among the holy pomps of the Romish faith, white is specially employed in the celebration of the Passion of our Lord; though in the Vision of St. John, white robes are given to the redeemed, and the four-and-twenty elders stand clothed in white before the great-white throne, and the Holy One that sitteth there white like wool; yet for all these accumulated associations, with whatever is sweet, and honourable, and sublime, there yet lurks an elusive something in the innermost idea of this hue, which strikes more of panic to the soul than that redness which affrights in blood."

Thank you, Moby Dick. (Compensating for something, Melville?) Not to mention the… odd commentary on race throughout that passage.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Autumn of the Patriarch. I distinctly remember that when we were assigned it as summer reading between 11th and 12th grade, I got to page 40 and counted six periods — that is, six sentences covered 40 pages. I threw the book across the room and told the teacher I refused to read it.

(She told me I was the only one in a class of 30 who had even tried.)

• 1 @LorenIpsum Literature defined alternate: book of words, read by few (if any), thrown across room (or out window) by most. :) –  raddevus Commented Nov 23, 2015 at 18:25

This is a webcomic from xkcd.com that might approach what you're looking for...

It's not humorous, but look into Immanuel Kant's Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals . I distinctly remember, in at least one English edit I read for college ethics, a single sentence which went on for a page and a half. Even without that, sentences within paragraphs easily exceed your 5-6 line requirement throughout much of the work. Kant's writing style is so convoluted that German students of ethics commonly read Kant's work in English instead of the original German, because the English translation is easier to comprehend.

Humorous single paragraph sentence? The original Winnie the Pooh provides such a thing here . I'm sure there are plenty of other examples as well, but this is the only one that presented itself to me.

It's not literature, but if you get into legal writing, you'll find a lot of insanely long and grammatically convoluted sentences that you'll probably have to read at least five times to understand. This is especially the case for statutory codes.

Here's an example from the Model Penal Code, a statutory code compiled by American legal experts that has no legal force at all but that works as a kind of "suggestion" for state penal codes:

"(2) Limitations on Justifying Necessity for Use of Force. (a) The use of force is not justifiable under this Section: (i) to resist an arrest which the actor knows is being made by a peace officer, although the arrest is unlawful; or (ii) to resist force used by the occupier or possessor of property or by another person on his behalf, where the actor knows that the person using the force is doing so under a claim of right to protect the property, except that this limitation shall not apply if: (1) the actor is a public officer acting in the performance of his duties or a person lawfully assisting him therein or a person making or assisting in a lawful arrest; or (2) the actor has been unlawfully dispossessed of the property and is making a re-entry or recaption justified by Section 3.06; or (3) the actor believes that such force is necessary to protect himself against death or serious bodily harm."

Notice that this entire mess is one sentence and that it is extraordinarily difficult to follow because it also contains a series of exceptions to the general rule. The MPC is full of stuff like this. In fact, some of the sentences in the MPC contain a rule, an exception to the rule, and an exception to the exception. Statute-writing is pretty difficult because every single word matters, but the MPC is just badly written.

You want the Bulwer-Lytton contest, an annual event recognizing the worst possible first sentence for a novel. The contest was organized in tribute to Edward Bulwer-Lytton's infamously long-winded and awkward opening sentence for his book Paul Clifford :

It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents — except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness.

Here are a couple of finalist from 2015:

Portly, abrupt Bart Simeon plodded through the citadel with a bearing of tension and anger that was like a tinderbox lying by a roadside waiting for a careless motorist to toss his or her cigarette butt out the window, most likely the passenger if the container lay on the right side of the road, or perhaps the driver with a brusque flick to the left, unless of course if they were in England, in which case it would be the opposite. - Anthony Hahn I knew that dame was damaged goods when she first sauntered in, and I don't mean lightly scratched and dented goods that a reputable merchant like Home Depot might offer in a clearly marked end display sale; no, she was more like the kind of flashy trashy plastic knockoff that always carries a child-choking hazard that no self-respecting 11-year-old Chinese sweat shop kids would ever call theirs. — Tom Billing

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged humor or ask your own question .

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12 Strategies to Writing the Perfect College Essay

College admission committees sift through thousands of college essays each year. Here’s how to make yours stand out.

Pamela Reynolds

When it comes to deciding who they will admit into their programs, colleges consider many criteria, including high school grades, extracurricular activities, and ACT and SAT scores. But in recent years, more colleges are no longer considering test scores.

Instead, many (including Harvard through 2026) are opting for “test-blind” admission policies that give more weight to other elements in a college application. This policy change is seen as fairer to students who don’t have the means or access to testing, or who suffer from test anxiety.

So, what does this mean for you?

Simply that your college essay, traditionally a requirement of any college application, is more important than ever.

A college essay is your unique opportunity to introduce yourself to admissions committees who must comb through thousands of applications each year. It is your chance to stand out as someone worthy of a seat in that classroom.

A well-written and thoughtful essay—reflecting who you are and what you believe—can go a long way to separating your application from the slew of forgettable ones that admissions officers read. Indeed, officers may rely on them even more now that many colleges are not considering test scores.

Below we’ll discuss a few strategies you can use to help your essay stand out from the pack. We’ll touch on how to start your essay, what you should write for your college essay, and elements that make for a great college essay.

Be Authentic

More than any other consideration, you should choose a topic or point of view that is consistent with who you truly are.

Readers can sense when writers are inauthentic.

Inauthenticity could mean the use of overly flowery language that no one would ever use in conversation, or it could mean choosing an inconsequential topic that reveals very little about who you are.

Use your own voice, sense of humor, and a natural way of speaking.

Whatever subject you choose, make sure it’s something that’s genuinely important to you and not a subject you’ve chosen just to impress. You can write about a specific experience, hobby, or personality quirk that illustrates your strengths, but also feel free to write about your weaknesses.

Honesty about traits, situations, or a childhood background that you are working to improve may resonate with the reader more strongly than a glib victory speech.

Grab the Reader From the Start

You’ll be competing with so many other applicants for an admission officer’s attention.

Therefore, start your essay with an opening sentence or paragraph that immediately seizes the imagination. This might be a bold statement, a thoughtful quote, a question you pose, or a descriptive scene.

Starting your essay in a powerful way with a clear thesis statement can often help you along in the writing process. If your task is to tell a good story, a bold beginning can be a natural prelude to getting there, serving as a roadmap, engaging the reader from the start, and presenting the purpose of your writing.

Focus on Deeper Themes

Some essay writers think they will impress committees by loading an essay with facts, figures, and descriptions of activities, like wins in sports or descriptions of volunteer work. But that’s not the point.

College admissions officers are interested in learning more about who you are as a person and what makes you tick.

They want to know what has brought you to this stage in life. They want to read about realizations you may have come to through adversity as well as your successes, not just about how many games you won while on the soccer team or how many people you served at a soup kitchen.

Let the reader know how winning the soccer game helped you develop as a person, friend, family member, or leader. Make a connection with your soup kitchen volunteerism and how it may have inspired your educational journey and future aspirations. What did you discover about yourself?

Show Don’t Tell

As you expand on whatever theme you’ve decided to explore in your essay, remember to show, don’t tell.

The most engaging writing “shows” by setting scenes and providing anecdotes, rather than just providing a list of accomplishments and activities.

Reciting a list of activities is also boring. An admissions officer will want to know about the arc of your emotional journey too.

Try Doing Something Different

If you want your essay to stand out, think about approaching your subject from an entirely new perspective. While many students might choose to write about their wins, for instance, what if you wrote an essay about what you learned from all your losses?

If you are an especially talented writer, you might play with the element of surprise by crafting an essay that leaves the response to a question to the very last sentence.

You may want to stay away from well-worn themes entirely, like a sports-related obstacle or success, volunteer stories, immigration stories, moving, a summary of personal achievements or overcoming obstacles.

However, such themes are popular for a reason. They represent the totality of most people’s lives coming out of high school. Therefore, it may be less important to stay away from these topics than to take a fresh approach.

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Write With the Reader in Mind

Writing for the reader means building a clear and logical argument in which one thought flows naturally from another.

Use transitions between paragraphs.

Think about any information you may have left out that the reader may need to know. Are there ideas you have included that do not help illustrate your theme?

Be sure you can answer questions such as: Does what you have written make sense? Is the essay organized? Does the opening grab the reader? Is there a strong ending? Have you given enough background information? Is it wordy?

Write Several Drafts

Set your essay aside for a few days and come back to it after you’ve had some time to forget what you’ve written. Often, you’ll discover you have a whole new perspective that enhances your ability to make revisions.

Start writing months before your essay is due to give yourself enough time to write multiple drafts. A good time to start could be as early as the summer before your senior year when homework and extracurricular activities take up less time.

Read It Aloud

Writer’s tip : Reading your essay aloud can instantly uncover passages that sound clumsy, long-winded, or false.

Don’t Repeat

If you’ve mentioned an activity, story, or anecdote in some other part of your application, don’t repeat it again in your essay.

Your essay should tell college admissions officers something new. Whatever you write in your essay should be in philosophical alignment with the rest of your application.

Also, be sure you’ve answered whatever question or prompt may have been posed to you at the outset.

Ask Others to Read Your Essay

Be sure the people you ask to read your essay represent different demographic groups—a teacher, a parent, even a younger sister or brother.

Ask each reader what they took from the essay and listen closely to what they have to say. If anyone expresses confusion, revise until the confusion is cleared up.

Pay Attention to Form

Although there are often no strict word limits for college essays, most essays are shorter rather than longer. Common App, which students can use to submit to multiple colleges, suggests that essays stay at about 650 words.

“While we won’t as a rule stop reading after 650 words, we cannot promise that an overly wordy essay will hold our attention for as long as you’d hoped it would,” the Common App website states.

In reviewing other technical aspects of your essay, be sure that the font is readable, that the margins are properly spaced, that any dialogue is set off properly, and that there is enough spacing at the top. Your essay should look clean and inviting to readers.

End Your Essay With a “Kicker”

In journalism, a kicker is the last punchy line, paragraph, or section that brings everything together.

It provides a lasting impression that leaves the reader satisfied and impressed by the points you have artfully woven throughout your piece.

So, here’s our kicker: Be concise and coherent, engage in honest self-reflection, and include vivid details and anecdotes that deftly illustrate your point.

While writing a fantastic essay may not guarantee you get selected, it can tip the balance in your favor if admissions officers are considering a candidate with a similar GPA and background.

Write, revise, revise again, and good luck!

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Synonyms of long-winded

• as in rambling
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Thesaurus Definition of long-winded

Synonyms & Similar Words

• exaggerated
• conversational
• communicative
• circumlocutory
• repetitious
• tautological
• periphrastic
• tautologous
• grandiloquent
• embroidered
• embellished
• highfalutin

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sententious
• epigrammatic
• abbreviated
• compendious

Examples of long-winded in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'long-winded.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near long-winded

long-winded

long-windedly

Cite this Entry

“Long-winded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/long-winded. Accessed 28 Sep. 2024.

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An Introduction to Academic Writing

Characteristics and Common Mistakes to Avoid

• An Introduction to Punctuation

Olivia Valdes was the Associate Editorial Director for ThoughtCo. She worked with Dotdash Meredith from 2017 to 2021.

• B.A., American Studies, Yale University

Students, professors, and researchers in every discipline use academic writing to convey ideas, make arguments, and engage in scholarly conversation. Academic writing is characterized by evidence-based arguments, precise word choice, logical organization, and an impersonal tone. Though sometimes thought of as long-winded or inaccessible, strong academic writing is quite the opposite: It informs, analyzes, and persuades in a straightforward manner and enables the reader to engage critically in a scholarly dialogue.

Examples of Academic Writing 

Academic writing is, of course, any formal written work produced in an academic setting. While academic writing comes in many forms, the following are some of the most common.

Literary analysis : A literary analysis essay examines, evaluates, and makes an argument about a literary work. As its name suggests, a literary analysis essay goes beyond mere summarization. It requires careful close reading of one or multiple texts and often focuses on a specific characteristic, theme, or motif.

Research paper : A research paper uses outside information to support a thesis or make an argument. Research papers are written in all disciplines and may be evaluative, analytical, or critical in nature. Common research sources include data, primary sources (e.g., historical records), and secondary sources (e.g., peer-reviewed scholarly articles ). Writing a research paper involves synthesizing this external information with your own ideas.

Dissertation : A dissertation (or thesis) is a document submitted at the conclusion of a Ph.D. program. The dissertation is a book-length summarization of the doctoral candidate’s research.

Academic papers may be done as a part of a class, in a program of study, or for publication in an academic journal or scholarly book of articles around a theme, by different authors.

Characteristics of Academic Writing

Most academic disciplines employ their own stylistic conventions. However, all academic writing shares certain characteristics.

• Clear and limited focus . The focus of an academic paper—the argument or research question—is established early by the thesis statement. Every paragraph and sentence of the paper connects back to that primary focus. While the paper may include background or contextual information, all content serves the purpose of supporting the thesis statement.
• Logical structure . All academic writing follows a logical, straightforward structure. In its simplest form, academic writing includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction provides background information, lays out the scope and direction of the essay, and states the thesis. The body paragraphs support the thesis statement, with each body paragraph elaborating on one supporting point. The conclusion refers back to the thesis, summarizes the main points, and highlights the implications of the paper’s findings. Each sentence and paragraph logically connects to the next in order to present a clear argument.
• Evidence-based arguments . Academic writing requires well-informed arguments. Statements must be supported by evidence, whether from scholarly sources (as in a research paper), results of a study or experiment, or quotations from a primary text (as in a literary analysis essay). The use of evidence gives credibility to an argument.
• Impersonal tone . The goal of academic writing is to convey a logical argument from an objective standpoint. Academic writing avoids emotional, inflammatory, or otherwise biased language. Whether you personally agree or disagree with an idea, it must be presented accurately and objectively in your paper.

Most published papers also have abstracts: brief summaries of the most important points of the paper. Abstracts appear in academic database search results so that readers can quickly determine whether the paper is pertinent to their own research.

The Importance of Thesis Statements

Let’s say you’ve just finished an analytical essay for your literature class. If a peer or professor asks you what the essay is about—what the point of the essay is—you should be able to respond clearly and concisely in a single sentence. That single sentence is your thesis statement.

The thesis statement, found at the end of the first paragraph, is a one-sentence encapsulation of your essay’s main idea. It presents an overarching argument and may also identify the main support points for the argument. In essence, the thesis statement is a road map, telling the reader where the paper is going and how it will get there.

The thesis statement plays an important role in the writing process. Once you’ve written a thesis statement, you’ve established a clear focus for your paper. Frequently referring back to that thesis statement will prevent you from straying off-topic during the drafting phase. Of course, the thesis statement can (and should) be revised to reflect changes in the content or direction of the paper. Its ultimate goal, after all, is to capture the main ideas of your paper with clarity and specificity.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Academic writers from every field face similar challenges during the writing process. You can improve your own academic writing by avoiding these common mistakes.

• Wordiness . The goal of academic writing is to convey complex ideas in a clear, concise  manner. Don’t muddy the meaning of your argument by using confusing language. If you find yourself writing a sentence over 25 words long, try to divide it into two or three separate sentences for improved readability.
• A vague or missing thesis statement . The thesis statement is the single most important sentence in any academic paper. Your thesis statement must be clear, and each body paragraph needs to tie into that thesis.
• Informal language . Academic writing is formal in tone and should not include slang, idioms, or conversational language.
• Description without analysis . Do not simply repeat the ideas or arguments from your source materials. Rather, analyze those arguments and explain how they relate to your point. 
• Not citing sources . Keep track of your source materials throughout the research and writing process. Cite them consistently using one style manual ( MLA , APA, or Chicago Manual of Style, depending on the guidelines given to you at the outset of the project). Any ideas that are not your own need to be cited, whether they're paraphrased or quoted directly, to avoid plagiarism.
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• long-winded

adjective as in wordy

Strongest matches

Weak matches

Example Sentences

His many publications and his emails to me are long-winded, occasionally exaggerated, and sometimes hard to follow.

What do you call a long-winded member of Congress whose opinions infuriate you?

That quote may expose Obama as long-winded, but we knew that.

The downside: Santorum is a long-winded campaigner who gets tangled in talk of subcommittees and amendments.

Basically, Khrushchev was his usual blustering long-winded self and there was no way that David could stop him.

A minister cannot control long-winded gentlemen, and when gentlemen are very long-winded there must be delay.

His novels were terribly long-winded, but there are generations which find such a quality to their taste.

And this he did, though of course not at top speed, the pumas not being a race of long-winded runners like the wolves.

The bully-ragging, long-winded collection letter has no place in self-respecting business.

His Despatches, passionately long-winded, are exceedingly stiff reading to the like of us.

Related Words

Words related to long-winded are not direct synonyms, but are associated with the word long-winded . Browse related words to learn more about word associations.

adjective as in talkative

• circumlocutory
• loose/loosen

adjective as in rambling

adjective as in boring, uninteresting

• commonplace
• oft-repeated
• out-of-date
• repetitious
• run-of-the-mill
• unimaginative
• uninspiring
• usual thing

Viewing 5 / 28 related words

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for long-winded .

Long-winded is used to describe to someone or something that goes on and on —it can be applied to a person or to a speech or a piece of writing.

How could you describe a long-winded person?

The adjective prolix can be used to describe a person who talks for a long time and uses a lot of words. It’s much more formal than long-winded .

The words garrulous , loquacious , talkative , and chatty can all be used to describe a person who talks a lot. They typically imply that such a person talks all the time—that they’re inclined to talk. Though it’s not always the case, this usually also involves them talking for a long time at once. The word voluble can also imply this, but it’s much more formal than long-winded .

What is long-winded writing?

When long-winded is applied to a speech or a piece of writing, similar words include verbose and wordy (which both mean having too many words), and prolix , which means both long and wordy. The adjective rambling describes speech or writing that goes on at length but doesn’t stay on topic. A perhaps more polite way of saying that a piece of writing is long-winded is calling it lengthy .

What is the opposite (antonym) of long-winded ?

The direct opposite of long-winded is short-winded —meaning “brief, concise, or to the point.” Short-winded is not as commonly used as long-winded, and it’s more often applied to speeches or pieces of writing, as opposed to people. The words succinct and concise can both be used to describe people, pieces of writing, or speeches that get right to the point without taking too long or using too many words.

How do you use long-winded in a sentence?

Long-winded can be used to describe people, speech, or writing.

Here are some examples of long-winded in a sentence:

• His speech was so long-winded that I almost fell asleep!
• My coworkers tell me I’m long-winded during presentations, but I just like to be thorough.
• I realized my essay was really long-winded and over the word count—I had to cut several pages. 

Is it long winded , longwinded , or long-winded ?

It’s by far most commonly spelled as long-winded .

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

LONG WINDED in a Sentence Examples: 21 Ways to Use Long Winded

Ever found yourself lost in a sea of words, drowning in a sea of unnecessary details? That’s what it means for something to be long-winded. In essence, long-winded refers to excessive verbosity or unnecessarily lengthy and elaborate speech or writing.

Table of Contents

7 Examples Of Long Winded Used In a Sentence For Kids

14 sentences with long winded examples, how to use long winded in sentences.

To use the word Long Winded in a sentence, follow these steps:

Identify the appropriate context: Long Winded is commonly used to describe speeches, conversations, written pieces, explanations, or any form of communication that is excessively wordy and drawn out.

Ensure clarity: When using Long Winded in a sentence, make sure the context is clear so that the reader or listener understands whether it refers to a person, a piece of writing, or a conversation.

Practice: Try using Long Winded in different sentences to become more comfortable with its meaning and usage.

By following these steps, you can effectively incorporate the term Long Winded into your communication to convey the idea of verbosity or excessive length.

In conclusion, the examples of sentences with long-winded structures demonstrated in this article highlight the tendency for certain writing styles to become overly verbose and convoluted. These long-winded sentences can be challenging for readers to follow, leading to confusion and a lack of clarity in communication. Simplifying and condensing complex ideas into clear, concise sentences is essential for effective writing that engages and informs the audience.

By recognizing the pitfalls of long-winded sentences and practicing concise and straightforward writing techniques, writers can enhance the readability and impact of their work. Avoiding unnecessary elaboration and trimming excess words will lead to more engaging and accessible content that effectively conveys ideas and messages to the readers.

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Home > Blog > Getting Into College > Challenges in College > How To Write The Perfect College Application Essay

Challenges in College , Getting Into College

How To Write The Perfect College Application Essay

Updated: June 19, 2024

Published: June 21, 2021

Your personal essay is one of the most important parts of your application to college. Yes, sometimes, it can be more important than your grades or letters of recommendation. Why? Your college application essay is the one place where you can let your personality and passion shine through.

Many students stress over this portion of their college applications, but with the right pointers and some quick tips about how to write a college application essay , you’ll be able to submit an essay you’re proud of and that helps stand out from the crowd.

Why is the College Application Essay Important?

As we mentioned earlier, it’s the one place you can let your personality shine. The majority of your application goes through an automation process that filters and sorts applicants, but your college essay is the only part that gets read by someone in the admissions office.

For that reason, you need to make your essay stand out. When it comes to your essay, the more personal the better. Colleges want to see and understand your personality and your motivation for attending university, and especially attending their institution in particular.

Simply put, the college application essay helps admission boards understand you as a person instead of just you as a collection of grades and test scores.

It’s also important to consider the rest of your application. If your grades are average and you’re worried about being admitted to your preferred choice, then a strong essay can help tip the scales in your favor.

How Long Should a College Essay Be?

This isn’t meant to be a long-winded essay or a research project. It’s ideal to keep your essay short and sweet. According to Common App , an app that helps you complete and submit your college applications, a good word count to aim for is between 250-650 words. This should give you enough space to show your personality, explain your passions, or show your interests.

That being said, there’s usually no cap on how long an admissions essay should be. So, if you want to write a longer essay, that’s up to you. However, it’s important to keep in mind that admission boards have tons of personal essays to go over, so if yours is too long-winded or dragged out, it likely won’t hold their attention and you risk getting the opposite to your desired effect.

Popular College Essay Topics

Sometimes universities select the topic for you or give you a choice between a few topics, and sometimes you’re on your own when it comes to choosing a subject.

Try and make the topic related to something you’re interested in or have a strong opinion about.

It also doesn’t have to be completely serious — if you want to make it lighthearted or humorous, then go for it, as long as your personality shines through.

In 2017, Carolina Williams, a high school senior, got accepted to Yale after she submitted an essay that talked about her love for Papa John’s Pizza . Clearly, almost nothing is off-limits when it comes to college essay topics.

If you’re looking for some inspiration, here are a few popular topics you can use in your college application essay:

• Highlight your background or identity and how it’s helped shape who you are and brought to where you are today.
• Write about failure and use an example of a time that you failed and how you handled it and what you learned from it.
• Discuss any obstacle you’ve faced in your life and how you worked to overcome it.
• Have your world views ever been challenged? Have you ever changed your opinion on something because of being challenged or being exposed to new information?
• Describe a character from a book or a movie that you identify with.
• Write about your life goals. It can be a mix of personal goals and professional goals.
• What quote describes you or do you relate to the most? Why?
• Describe a time where you had to choose between taking a risk or sticking to the safe route. How did you react and what did you do?
• If you could have lunch with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?
• What one thing do you want to accomplish the most during your time in college?
• If you could travel backward or forwards in time, when would you time travel to and why?

What Are Admissions Officers Looking for?

When writing your college application essay, it’s important to keep your main audience in mind: admissions officers. You should always stay focused on the purpose of your essay, which is getting accepted to college. You don’t want your essay to stray off-topic or spiral into irrelevant tangents.

Still, there are some other key factors admissions officers will look out for in your essay. First off, they want to make sure you have good enough writing skills to handle studying at a university level. This includes good grammar, punctuation, and a vocabulary that’s suitable.

They’ll also be looking at whether or not you accurately answered the question. Of course, you need to be able to expand on your answer, but your essay, overall, should provide a clear answer to the posed question. Your essay should be succinct in that it gets right to the point, and you should also display that you can stick to the point throughout your entire essay.

Make sure your opening paragraph is strong, as it has the capacity to hook the admissions officer into your essay and really ensure that you stand out from the piles of other essays.

6 Tips for Writing a College Essay

Aside from choosing the right topic and writing for admissions officers, there are some other tips for writing your college application essay that you should keep in mind.

1. Don’t repeat information

Don’t use your essay to talk about other elements of your application, like your grades, extracurriculars, classes you took, etc. You don’t want to waste this space to tell the admissions office things they can already learn about you from your application.

2. Write it in advance

Write a few drafts and give yourself ample time to write and rewrite it. If you leave it to the last minute, your essay will likely be rushed, and admissions officers will catch on to that, too.

3. Be smart about humor

Use humor if it’s relevant, but don’t rely on this too heavily. It can be tough to be funny, and making the admissions officer laugh is definitely a good thing. But you don’t want your essay to come off as forced or disingenuous, so don’t try too hard to be funny. Let your voice come naturally.

4. Keep your essays original

Don’t repeat the same essay on multiple applications. If you’re applying to more than one school, you should be writing a completely unique essay for each one. Some schools will give you a topic, so you won’t be able to copy the same essay, but in general, keep them all original.

5. Answer the question

It’s so important to answer the question being asked. Yes, showing personality is important too, but that will mean nothing if you failed to answer the question you were asked in the first place.

6. Get feedback

Friends, family, or school counselors can all provide feedback on your essay. This is another reason why it’s important to start it ahead of time. Aside from feedback, it’s good to get a set of fresh eyes to look over your essay to find mistakes or inconsistencies you may have missed.

The Bottom Line

Your college application essay shouldn’t be something you’re afraid of, it should actually be something to look forward to. This is a part of your application that you have complete control over, so use this to your advantage to make yourself stand out.

At University of the People, we know that college applications can be stressful. That’s why we’ve made our process easy. Our online application process makes applying quick and simple, so you can be on your way to studying at our tuition-free online university in no time.

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Definition of long-winded adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

long-winded

• a long-winded speaker
• a long-winded process
• He told us a rather long-winded story about his sister.
• Her essay was long-winded and boring.

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