Choosing The Right Vocabulary For Your Essay

One of the most common academic assignments is the essay. The essay is a type of work that complies the thoughts and interpretations of a student writer into a complete work. Essays allows student writers to show their knowledge about their field of study; it's one of the reasons why instructors often assign students essays when studying specific subjects.

Academic essays are relatively straightforward works; they use more formal language than a standard essay, and generally directly follow a student's interpretation of a specific topic. The information presented within an academic essay is written in a way that logically expresses the information in a logical way. It helps inform the reader about the essay's topic.

Writing an academic essay is simple. Students, however, may want to learn more vocabulary words before writing formal academic essays.

Choosing the right vocabulary for essays

Academic essays aren't complicated works of writing. They do, however, require more formal language than what standard essays require.

Vocabulary, according to dictionary definitions, is a 'body of words that are used in a particular language.' It's also a term that describes the words that an individual knows. Therefore, a student should learn new words to expand their vocabulary or the words that they can potentially use in their essays.

Some of the most useful vocabulary words used in essay writing help the writer convey their ideas in a concise manner. Some of the most effective words help them eliminate the use of excessive words that may stifle the original meaning of their sentences and paragraphs.

When choosing the right vocabulary words for essays, choosing words that eloquently express a general idea is important. Academic essays, in general, need to express the writer's thoughts and interpretations in a concise and clear way; selecting the right vocabulary words can help a writer accomplish that.

Here are some examples of essay vocabulary words that help express a general idea within an essay, as referenced from an academic resource:

  • Indicating more information: furthermore, in addition, in fact, also, likewise, moreover
  • Indicating examples: for example, for instance, in particular, particularly, to demonstrate
  • Indicating a cause or reason: since, because, due to, for the reason that, whereby
  • Indicating a result or effect: accordingly, hence, therefore, thus, so
  • Indicating a conclusion: for the aforementioned reasons, given these facts, in closing

Although these essay vocabulary words are used in various academic essays, it's also suggested to use them sparingly. Sometimes, the overuse of these words can compromise the readability of any essay.