You may have read some articles from our ‘Commonly Confused Words’ series: a series where we explain the difference between some of the most misused words in academic writing. As a tangent to that series, we want to spend some time exploring the confusing aspects of tense. What is the…
Our previous article, ‘Using Lists—Vertical Lists’, outlined how to create emphasis in your writing through effective construction of lists. What happens if you have a list, but don’t want that much emphasis or visual signposting? What if you don’t have the physical space to present dot points? Horizontal lists, lists…
You might remember from your early schooling that it’s a pretty safe bet to put an apostrophe before an ‘s’ at the end of a word. Chances are you’ll need one there, right? This is not always the case. There is nothing more irksome for a reader than to wade…
Increasing Numbers of Students are Using Ghostwriters In early 2016, I wrote an article on ghostwriting—more specifically, on the quality of the output of the ghostwriting industry. This article was the first study into the actual quality of ghostwritten papers, as opposed to the relatively common, and quite honestly redundant,…
My previous blog referenced the Macquarie Dictionary’s definition of plagiarism: Plagiarism (noun): 1. the appropriation or intimidation of another’s ideas and manner of expressing them, as in art, literature, etc., to be passed off as one’s own. 2. a piece of writing, music, art, etc., appropriated or commissioned from another and…
Did you know that ‘swum’ and ‘swam’ are both correct forms of the verb ‘swim’? This article explains how to use irregular verbs, such as ‘swim’, correctly as their role in a sentence changes. This three-part series explores the tricky transformations of verbs as they move from plain form, to…
This article supplements the series on Find and Replace by providing a detailed explanation of the search options available under More in the Find and Replace dialogue box. How to Find the Search Options To open the Find and Replace dialogue box, type Ctrl + H. The More option can be found…
The purpose of this article is to provide some guidance for undergraduates—particularly for first-year students—who aren’t familiar with the different functions of Microsoft Word that they can use for writing their essays at uni. Knowing these shortcuts and tips will make your formatting neater and your overall presentation more professional,…
Academic writing, like any skill, can be improved with practise and discipline. Mastery of content is only half the battle where academic writing is concerned. The ability to showcase your knowledge in written form is essential. Here are our tips for improving your academic writing. Subscribe to an Online Dictionary…
You may have heard the joke, ‘How do you eat an elephant?’ The punchline, ‘One bite at a time’, is useful in the context of discussing a mammoth research task: a thesis. Whether you prefer the elephant metaphor (or perhaps the notion of conquering your own personal Everest), a thesis…