Yes, academic writing is formal — but formal means precise, evidence-based, and clear, not stiff, jargon-heavy, or stuffed with archaic phrasing. Formal writing avoids contractions, slang, and colloquial expressions; it uses careful hedging and qualified claims; and it cites evidence for every substantive point. It does not require big words, convoluted sentences, or passive voice everywhere.
PaperDraft is a writing assistant, not a paper generator — the draft is your starting point, not your submission. You are responsible for editing, verifying sources, and following your school's academic integrity policy.
The most common failure in student writing is confusing formal with fancy. Dropping a thesaurus into a paper does not make it formal — it makes it hard to read. Real academic formality is about rigor, not vocabulary. A short, clear, cited sentence is more formal than a long sentence full of abstract nouns.
What "formal" actually requires
Formal academic writing has four non-negotiable traits:
- Evidence-based claims. Every substantive assertion is supported by a citation or data point.
- Precise language. Terms are used with their technical meaning; qualifiers ("many," "some," "most") are used accurately.
- Controlled tone. No slang, no colloquialisms, no pop-culture shorthand unless analyzing it.
- Standard mechanics. No contractions (see can I use contractions), no abbreviations outside accepted ones, correct citation style.
These four make writing formal. Big words and convoluted sentences do not.
What formal does NOT mean
- Passive voice everywhere. Both APA 7 and MLA 9 now explicitly prefer active voice when it is clearer. "The study found X" beats "X was found by the study."
- Avoiding first person. Depends on the discipline. APA 7 accepts "I" and "we" for first-person authors; MLA accepts it; many humanities fields actively prefer first person when describing your own argument. See can I use first person in a research paper.
- Long sentences. A formal paper is not judged by average sentence length. Short sentences are fine when they carry the logic.
- Archaic phrasing. "Henceforth" and "heretofore" signal a student trying to sound formal. Cut them.
- Third-person circumlocutions. "This writer believes..." is less formal, not more. Just say "I argue."
The concrete don'ts
Here is what to cut from a formal academic paper:
| Informal | Formal replacement | | --- | --- | | "A lot of studies..." | "Several studies..." or "Seventeen studies..." | | "Kids these days..." | "Recent cohorts of adolescents..." | | "It's kind of..." | "It is partially..." or cut "kind of" entirely | | "Back in the day" | "In the 1990s" or the specific period | | "Tons of evidence" | "Substantial evidence" (with citations) | | "Stuff like X and Y" | "Factors including X and Y" | | "The thing is..." | Cut entirely; rewrite the sentence | | "Pretty much" | "Largely" or cut | | "Gonna / wanna / gotta" | "Going to / want to / need to" | | "So" at sentence start | "Therefore" or cut |
Note: most "formal" replacements are actually just clearer. Formality and clarity are aligned, not opposed.
Hedging and qualified claims
Formal writing is careful with certainty. Strong claims need strong evidence; moderate claims are usually safer. Key hedges that belong in academic writing:
- "suggests" instead of "proves"
- "is associated with" instead of "causes" (unless you have causal evidence)
- "may indicate" instead of "shows"
- "consistent with" instead of "confirms"
The goal is not to hedge into meaninglessness but to calibrate claims to evidence. Overclaiming ("This proves that X causes Y") from a correlational study is the most common undergraduate error.
Contractions, abbreviations, and numbers
- Contractions: Out. Write "do not," "cannot," "it is." (Detailed rules in can I use contractions.)
- Abbreviations: Define on first use. "The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)..." and then "EPA" subsequently. Common abbreviations that do not need defining: US, UK, UN, AIDS, DNA.
- Numbers: APA 7 and MLA 9 both spell out numbers under 10 and use digits for 10 and above. Exceptions for dates, page numbers, percentages, and statistics.
- Jargon: Define technical terms on first use. Do not assume the reader knows field-specific vocabulary.
Voice: active vs. passive
The old myth: "academic writing is passive." The current reality: APA 7 explicitly prefers active voice. So does most contemporary academic style.
Passive is fine when:
- The actor is unknown or unimportant ("The specimens were collected in 2023").
- The grammatical subject is what the sentence is about ("The theorem was proven by Cantor in 1874," if the theorem is the topic).
Active is better when:
- The actor is specific and relevant ("Walker argues..." not "It is argued by Walker...").
- Clarity benefits ("The researchers tested..." not "The variable was tested...").
Tense
Academic writing uses specific tenses for specific jobs — past for reporting completed studies, present for established findings, present for literary analysis. Full breakdown in our note on what tense to use for a research paper.
The clarity test
Before submitting a formal paper, run every paragraph through one test: could I explain this sentence to a curious reader outside my field? If no, something is wrong — either the idea is unclear or the language is dressed up. Fix by simplifying the words, not the ideas. Strong academic writing presents complex ideas in clear language.
For the full picture on voice, tense, and tone, see our research paper guide. When you are ready to start a formal draft with the right tone baked in, you can generate a structured outline on our research paper page.
Frequently asked questions
Is it okay to use "I" in an academic paper?
Yes, in most disciplines. APA 7 and MLA 9 both accept "I" for the author's own arguments. Some older style guides and some fields (traditional sciences, some journals) still discourage it — check your course rubric or journal guidelines.
Does formal writing mean using bigger words?
No. Precision matters; size does not. "Use" beats "utilize" in almost every context. Pick the word that carries the meaning most directly.
Can I use contractions in a formal paper?
No, in almost all cases. "Do not" instead of "don't." See can I use contractions for the narrow exceptions.
Is passive voice required for formal writing?
No. Current style guides prefer active voice when it is clearer. Use passive only when the actor is unknown or unimportant.