Words-phrases-examiners-dislike

*Writing*

1. Moreover, demerits, hence/ thusly:
Moreover          >>    furthermore or also
Demerits           >>    disadvantages or drawbacks
Hence/thusly    >>     therefore or as a result

2. In a nutshell, in summary or to summarise:
In a nutshell, in summary or to summarise     >>    in conclusion

3. Avoid words like "cannot be denied" in an academic writing  >>  undeniable
4. Here some other phrases that we would not use:
Nowadays,                          >> Today, currently, intoday's world, In recent year
say, think,
research has shown that,
recent surveys show that,   >> It is true that
facts show that      

*Speaking*

Do not use:                                             Should use

1. In my opinion, I think                         I think, I bet, I guess, I suppose

2. Well                                                     Less use as much as possible

3. To be honest                                        Use in negative sentence

4. Actually                                

5. Nowadays                                           Today, recently, currently, for the past few years

6. Of course

7. Very/really                                          quite, pretty,  a little, absolutely, totally

8. Always

9. No/Yes
Trả lời câu hỏi Yes/No bằng cách paraphrase lại câu hỏi theo hướng khẳng định/phủ định:
Do you watch TV?    I watch TV pretty often. or I don't have time to watch TV.

10. A lot of                                              most of, a majority of, a number of, various.

cliché : lời nói sáo rỗng
vague: mơ hồ
colloquial : thân mật

20 Words and Phrases Your Examiners Are Tired of Reading and What to Say Instead

1. Many ways…

2. In this essay…

3. The next point I want to make is that…

4. In order to

Simply writing “to” without the “in order” almost always results in a more elegantly worded sentence, and reduces the impression that you’re trying to pad out the essay to achieve the desired word count.

5. It is interesting to note that…

Another reason for students using overly long-winded or clichéd phrases in their essays is that they are often labouring under the misapprehension that certain phrases make their essays sound more intellectual.

For example:

“It is interesting to note that Larkin neglects to mention…”

It’s a stronger, more decisive statement if you remove the first few words:

“Larkin neglects to mention…”

6. The author uses…

7. The main way

8. As mentioned earlier in this essay

If you do need to refer to something you’ve mentioned previously, you could use the word “aforementioned” instead.

9. Situation

10. Aspects

If you find yourself using the expression “various aspects” in an essay, remind yourself that this is too vague and try to qualify what these “aspects” actually are.

11. You

Academic prose should be written in the third person. 

12. I

The focus of the essay should be your thoughts and ideas themselves, not a narrative of how you came to them; simply state it in the third person: “The evidence appears to point more towards such and such…”

13. Considered to be

You’ll almost certainly find that changing “considered to be” to just “considered” makes your sentence flow better.

14. First names

15. Things

Then explain exactly what aspects of quality of life in London were improved by social housing.

Just like “aspects”, the word “things” is too vague. If you’re tempted to write something like “Things in London had improved”, make it more specific: “Social housing had improved quality of life in London”, for example.

16. Lots/lots of

On the subject of vagueness, another phrase to look out for is “lots” or “lots of”. It’s not only vague – it’s too colloquial.

It’s better to say “much” or “many” if you have to (so “there were many reasons” rather than “there were lots of reasons”, for example).

Even better, be specific and include actual figures; “5,000 more immigrants arrived in the town this year than last” is far better than “There were lots more immigrants arriving in the town this year than last”.

17. On account of

It’s much better simply to say “because” rather than “on account of”.

18. Additionally

Better phrases to use instead include “what’s more”, “furthermore” or “moreover”; all these help build an argument, while “additionally” makes it look as if you’ve tagged on an extra fact as an afterthought. 

19. Words that imply absolutes

Words such as “always”, “never” and “everywhere” should be avoided because they’re difficult to defend and imprecise, coming under the category of sweeping generalisations.

There are usually plenty of exceptions when you make a statement such as “People everywhere were feeling the effects of such and such” or “Never before had such generosity been witnessed”. Exact figures are preferable, and if these aren’t possible, then at least soften your statement to allow for the possibility of exceptions.

20. In conclusion

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