Guide to Academic Writing
Guide to Academic Writing include:
Requirements to the language patterns
– The papers should be written in Academic English which envisages the complex sentences, proper citations and official language;
– Please avoid using colloquial English, shortenings (I’m, don’t, wouldn’t) and slang words;
– Please avoid using rhetoric questions unless it is mentioned in the requirements to the paper;
– Do not use first person pronouns unless it is mentioned in the instructions. Some types of papers allow the usage of first person pronouns (I, we) such as, for example, reflective papers, personal statements, resumes, motivation letters, letters of purpose etc.
– Please, avoid being too wordy in your papers. It is good to use the proper English language with the linking words, however, they should not constitute the whole paper.
Example: Therefore, summing up the aforementioned, it is possible to conclude that the concept that has been previously outlined and explicitly explained is of paramount importance for the current paper.
– Mind the number of words in sentences. We do not require from you to count the number of words in each of the sentences but it would be beneficial if the sentences were no longer than 30-35 words.
– Please, be careful with punctuation. Do not use excessive and unnecessary punctuation if the sentence can be simply divided into two separate sentences without the loss of meaning. For example, compound sentences connected with the semicolon are easy to divide into the separate simple ones. English grammar and punctuation rules differ from your native language, therefore, if you are not sure do not try to use its rules in English punctuation.
– Please, avoid using a semicolon.
– Please, review the rules of using Oxford comma. It is also called serial comma and is a final comma in a list of things. Its use is mostly stylistic but it can make the meaning of the sentence clearer.
http://thewritepractice.com/why-you-need-to-be-using-oxford-commas/
– Do not mistake the words similar in pronunciation such as, for example, it’s and its.
– Be careful with the sentence structure. Try to use direct word order. Remember that English mostly requires SPO (subject – predicate – object) sentence structure.
– Before submitting your paper, do not forget to proofread it.
General requirements to formatting
– Please, make sure you format the paper according to required citation style. Remember, MLA, APA, Harvard, Chicago all require different title pages and headers.
– It is recommended to use 1-inch margins from each side.
– We use the font Times New Roman, size 12 with double spacing unless different is provided in paper requirements.
– One page equals 300 words. Please, do not write less or more. Sometimes clients need strictly this amount of pages. If the client requires, for example, 1 page single-spaced you will be paid for the two pages.