My writing doesn't sound academic, or English isn't my first language
Write clear, confident academic prose, whether English is your first language or your third.
In short
Start here, today. Take one paragraph you're unhappy with. In each sentence, underline the subject and the main verb. Wherever they're far apart, or a sentence carries more than one idea, rewrite it as two sentences and read the paragraph aloud. This takes about 20 minutes.
After that, work through these steps. Choose one to jump to it.
Step by step
Tick each step as you finish it. Open a step for the how.
0 of 7 steps done
Aim for clear, not clever
Write each claim in the simplest words that are still accurate. Use the technical terms your field needs, define them once and then keep using the same term rather than switching to synonyms for variety. Read the sentence aloud: if you run out of breath or lose the thread, it's too long.
Keep the subject and verb close
Readers look for who is doing what. “The results of the survey of 400 households in three provinces conducted in 2023 suggest…” makes them wait for the verb. “The 2023 survey covered 400 households in three provinces. Its results suggest…” does not. Aim for one main idea per sentence, and put the new or important information towards the end.
Read as a writer
Choose two or three well-written papers from your own field. Read them once for content, then again for how they work: how the authors introduce a gap, report a result, hedge a claim with words like “suggests” or “may”, and disagree politely. Copy useful structures, never content, into a file of your own.
Build a phrase bank
Keep a document of useful phrases organised by job: introducing a topic, describing methods, comparing studies, expressing caution, concluding. The Manchester Academic Phrasebank is a good place to start. Phrases collected from papers in your own field will sound the most natural of all.
Separate content from language
Revise for argument and structure first. Only once the content is stable, do a language pass, ideally on paper, read aloud or played back with text-to-speech, which makes missing words and tangled sentences easier to hear. Ask for feedback the same way: “Is the argument clear?” is a different request from “Can you check my grammar?”
Use the writing centre
Many universities have a writing centre that sees graduate students, often with advisors experienced with multilingual writers. A good advisor won't just correct your text. They'll help you spot your own patterns, such as a habit with articles or very long openings, so you can fix them yourself next time. Bring a specific section and a specific question.
Use tools carefully and check the rules
Grammar checkers, translation tools and AI assistants can help with language, but what's allowed differs widely between universities, programs and stages of the thesis. Some institutions allow proofreading for language only, some require you to declare any editing help, and many have rules on AI. Check your program handbook and graduate school policy, ask your supervisor, and keep a note of what help you used.
Words you can use
Is this you? Signs to look for
- Feedback says “unclear” or “awkward” but doesn't tell you what to change.
- You write long sentences with many clauses because short ones feel too simple.
- You know exactly what you mean in your first language but lose it in English.
- You spend a long time choosing between words that seem to mean the same thing.
- You worry that readers judge your ideas by your grammar.
Why this happens
Academic writing is a register with its own habits, and nobody is born writing it. Native English speakers learn it slowly too; their struggles are just less visible. If you're writing in an additional language, you're doing that learning on top of doctoral research, which is a demanding skill in its own right, not a sign that something is missing.
Many students try to sound academic by making sentences longer and words rarer. It usually makes the writing harder to follow. What readers experience as good academic prose is mostly clarity: they can see who did what, why it matters and how each sentence connects to the last. Traditions also differ: in some, a long, elaborate sentence shows sophistication and the main point arrives at the end, while most English-language academic writing expects the point early and stated plainly. These are conventions, and conventions can be learned.
It helps to separate two kinds of problem. Content problems are about the argument: a step is missing, or the claim is unclear. Language problems are about articles, prepositions, word choice and sentence shape. They need different fixes and often different helpers, and content comes first.
Worth a look (6)
- Manchester Academic PhrasebankPhrases for common academic moves, organised by what you're trying to do.
- Purdue Online Writing LabClear explanations of grammar, punctuation and citation, with examples.
- Stylish Academic Writing, by Helen SwordShows that clear, readable academic prose is possible in every discipline.
- Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)Free guides on every part of academic writing, from structuring a paragraph to citing sources. A good first stop when you're unsure how something should look.
- Writing Center Tips & ToolsShort, friendly handouts answer almost any writing question, from literature reviews and abstracts to passive voice and conclusions. Reach for them when one particular thing is tripping you up.
- Writing AdviceShort, practical pages walk you through planning, drafting and revising, with advice on literature reviews, lab reports and using sources. They're easy to dip into when you have one question.
When to bring someone in
Start with your university's writing centre, and ask whether they have advisors who work with multilingual writers. If your supervisor's feedback only says “improve the English”, ask them to mark a few specific examples so you know what they mean. Before paying for an editor or running thesis text through an AI tool, check your graduate school's rules on editing help. The international student office may also know of language programs for graduate students.
Find the right person, or talk to Ify