You know what you want to say. You have done the work and are excited about contributing to your field. Unfortunately, getting it onto the page in clear academic English can be hard.
Sometimes the grammar needs attention. Sometimes the sentence is correct but takes too much effort to read. And sometimes the wording says more than your evidence can support.
The examples below show ten common editing problems and ways to fix them. They’re written for researchers and postgraduate students who use English as an additional language.
You don’t need bigger words to sound academic. You need words that make your meaning clear.
1. Cut the opening that says very little
Before:
“It is important to note that there are many researchers who have investigated this issue.”
After:
“Many researchers have investigated this issue.”
Why it works:
The opening delays the point. Removing it lets the reader get straight to the information.
Try this:
Search your draft for “It is important to note that”. Does the sentence still work without it?
2. Turn a noun phrase back into a verb
Before:
“We carried out an analysis of the interview responses.”
After:
“We analysed the interview responses.”
Why it works:
“Analysed” says what you did more directly than “carried out an analysis of”.
Try this:
Look for phrases such as “conducted an investigation of” or “made a comparison between”. Could you use “investigated” or “compared”?
Keep the longer phrase when it has a technical meaning you need.
3. Make it clear what “this” means
Before:
“Participants received the questionnaire late, and several questions were unclear. This affected their responses.”
After:
“Participants received the questionnaire late, and several questions were unclear. The unclear questions affected their responses.”
Why it works:
In the original, “this” could refer to the late questionnaire, the unclear questions or both.
The revision names the problem—but it is right only if the unclear questions are what you mean.
Try this:
Circle “this”, “it” and “they” in a paragraph. Can the reader tell exactly what each word refers to?
4. Make the subject and verb agree
Before:
“The results of the study shows a difference between the groups.”
After:
“The results of the study show a difference between the groups.”
Why it works:
The subject is “results”, which is plural. It needs “show”, not “shows”.
“Study” is closer to the verb, but it is not the subject.
Try this:
When a subject contains several words, find its main noun before checking the verb.
5. Keep the time clear
Before:
“The researchers collected the questionnaires and analyse the responses.”
After:
“The researchers collected the questionnaires and analysed the responses.”
Why it works:
Both actions happened in the past, so both verbs use the past tense.
This does not mean every verb in your paper must use the same tense. You might describe completed methods in the past and explain what a table shows in the present.
Try this:
Ask when each action happened. Choose the tense to match.
6. Replace a vague description with the actual finding
Before:
“The programme had a good effect on students.”
After:
“Students reported greater confidence after completing the programme.”
Why it works:
“Good effect” leaves the reader guessing. The revision names the outcome: reported confidence.
Use this revision only if that is what your study measured. Greater confidence does not automatically mean better performance.
Try this:
When you write “good”, “important” or “effective”, ask: “What exactly changed, and how did we measure it?”
7. Use active voice when it helps
Before:
“The questionnaires were distributed by the research team.”
After:
“The research team distributed the questionnaires.”
Why it works:
The revised sentence makes it easy to see who did what.
Passive voice is useful too. “The questionnaires were distributed electronically” works well when the method matters more than the person doing it.
Try this:
If a passive sentence feels awkward, try an active version. Keep whichever makes the meaning clearer.
8. Choose a linking word that fits
Before:
“Attendance increased. However, satisfaction also increased.”
After:
“Attendance increased. Satisfaction also increased.”
Why it works:
“However” usually signals a contrast. Here, the two findings move in the same direction.
You could use “Furthermore”, but you may not need a linking word at all.
Try this:
Before adding a transition, decide what the connection is: addition, contrast, reason or result.
9. Keep the claim within the evidence
Before:
“The survey proves that writing groups improve writing quality.”
After:
“In the survey, students who attended writing groups more often reported greater writing confidence.”
Why it works:
For this example, imagine the survey measured attendance and confidence—not writing quality.
The revision reports what was measured. It also avoids claiming that attendance caused the difference.
This is more than a style change. It corrects the meaning of the claim.
Try this:
Underline “proves”, “causes” and “improves”. Does your study support those exact words?
10. Split a sentence that is doing too much
Before:
“Although attendance increased during the programme, which lasted six weeks and included weekly workshops, satisfaction scores remained unchanged, suggesting that greater attendance did not necessarily reflect a better experience.”
After:
“The six-week programme included weekly workshops. Attendance increased, but satisfaction scores remained unchanged. This suggests that greater attendance did not necessarily reflect a better experience.”
Why it works:
The programme details no longer interrupt the main comparison. The reader can follow the setting, the finding and the interpretation one step at a time.
The cautious word “suggests” stays because the interpretation is not a proven fact.
Try this:
If a sentence contains background details, a finding and an explanation, see whether two or three sentences would be easier to follow.
Try these edits on one paragraph
Choose a paragraph from your current draft. Look for:
- An opening you could remove
- A noun phrase you could turn into a verb
- An unclear “this”, “it” or “they”
- A vague word that needs more detail
- A claim that goes beyond the evidence
Make one change at a time. Then compare the revised sentence with the original.
Have you kept the same facts? The same level of certainty? The same intended meaning?
That final check matters. A smoother sentence is helpful only when it still says what you mean.
Want help with your final language checks?
Download the free Academic English Proofreading Checklist for 25 checks with examples you can use on your own draft.
Marlene
Better English Writing