Tips to Avoid Informal Writing in Academic Papers

Students stare at their screens every day, stuck between writing how they talk and how their professors want them to write. It's frustrating when good ideas get buried under casual language, and even smart students struggle to find that sweet spot between natural expression and academic tone.

Here's what works: formal writing isn't about fancy words, it's about clarity and authority. This guide shows how to spot and fix those everyday phrases that sneak into academic papers, replacing them with alternatives professors actually respect. Whether it's your first college essay or your hundredth, these tips will make your writing shine.

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What Is Informal Writing?

Informal writing mirrors everyday conversation. It includes the kind of phrasing you might use when talking to a friend, writing in a diary, or posting on social media. While this style feels natural, it lacks the rigor needed in scholarly work.

Defining Informal Writing

At its core, informal writing:

• Relies on contractions (don’t, can’t, isn’t).

• Makes frequent use of personal pronouns (I, we, you).

• Uses slang or idiomatic expressions (a bunch of, sort of, kind of).

• Includes casual tone and filler words (you know, like, basically).

• Occasionally uses exclamation points to add emotion.

• Often takes a conversational approach, assuming direct interaction with the reader.

While these features help in creating a relaxed connection in informal communication, they weaken texts that require academic language built on neutrality and precision.

Examples of Informal Writing

• “You can see that the results are kind of surprising, and they really show how students don’t act the way you’d think.”
  
  

• “A bunch of people didn’t really like the new rule, so it got kind of messy.”

Examples of Formal Writing

• “The results were unexpected and demonstrate a deviation from predicted behavioral patterns.”
  
  

• “Several respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the policy, which resulted in procedural challenges.”

Notice how the formal examples remove casual phrasing, avoid direct address, and substitute precise vocabulary.

Why Formal Writing Matters in Academic Papers

The difference between informal and formal writing is not simply stylistic. It has real consequences for how your work is perceived and evaluated.

1. Credibility and Authority

Academic papers are judged not just by their content but also by their style. A casual tone suggests that the writer may not fully grasp the discipline’s expectations. Journals, professors, and peer reviewers expect formality because it signals intellectual rigor. A guide on formal writing principles explains that style is just as important as content in academic work.

2. Clarity and Objectivity

Informal writing often uses vague or emotional language. For example, “a lot of people didn’t like the results” is unclear. Who are “a lot of people”? How many? Formal writing forces you to use precise data: “47% of participants expressed dissatisfaction.”

3. Reader Expectations

When your audience consists of academics, professionals, or experts, they anticipate a tone that matches their environment. Informality may distract them or reduce their trust in your arguments. In academia, credibility and academic tone function as currency.

4. Professional Growth

Learning to write formally in academic settings prepares you for other professional domains: business reports, legal writing, scientific publications, or editorial writing. Each of these contexts rewards formality and punishes casual expression.

Key Areas Where Informal Writing Creeps In

Even strong writers may slip into informality unconsciously. Here are seven areas where casual tone often appears:

1. Contractions

• Informal: can’t, won’t, doesn’t.

• Formal: cannot, will not, does not.

Contractions create a conversational tone. Expanding them immediately makes your writing more formal.

2. Personal Pronouns

• Informal: “I think we can conclude that students need more support.”

• Formal: “It can be concluded that students require additional support.”

By removing the personal pronoun, the sentence becomes objective and scholarly.

3. Slang and Colloquialisms

• Informal: “Kids these days are glued to their phones.”

• Formal: “Adolescents demonstrate high engagement with mobile devices.”

Colloquial phrases like “kids these days” are inappropriate in academic papers. Replace them with precise, neutral terms.

4. Exclamations

• Informal: “This result is shocking!”

• Formal: “This result is unexpected.”

Exclamation points add emotion. Academic tone requires neutrality.

5. Filler Words

• Informal: “It was basically like a really big problem, you know?”

• Formal: “The issue was significant.”

Delete fillers to strengthen your writing instantly.

6. Casual Sentence Structures

• Informal: “This is a big deal because it kind of changes everything.”

• Formal: “This finding is significant because it alters existing frameworks.”

7. Overuse of Conversational Style

Asking the reader questions is common in informal writing (“Have you ever wondered why this happens?”). In academic writing, replace it with statements: “This phenomenon requires further examination.”

<ProTip title="💡 Pro Tip:" description="Scan your paper for contractions and replace them with their full forms before submission." />

How to Replace Informal Writing with Formal Alternatives

Avoiding informality is not just about deleting words. It is about choosing the right vocabulary, adjusting tone, and restructuring sentences.

1. Vocabulary Swaps

2. Grammar Choices

• Nominalization

  • Informal: “The data shows how students improve.”

  • Formal: “The data demonstrates student improvement.”
    
    

• Subordination for complexity

  • Informal: “This was a big change. It surprised teachers.”

  • Formal: “This significant change surprised teachers, particularly in its scale.”

3. Tone Adjustments

• Informal: “It seems like this method works pretty well.”

• Formal: “This method demonstrates effectiveness, as supported by the results.”

<ProTip title="✍️ Reminder:" description="Replace casual verbs like get or put off with formal equivalents to maintain academic tone." />

Active vs Passive Voice: Striking the Right Balance

Voice plays a significant role in academic tone. A paper that overuses the passive voice may seem distant, while one that avoids it entirely may appear unpolished.

Active Voice Works Best When:

• You're making a clear point

• You know who did what

• You're writing about research methods

Example: "Scientists discovered three new species"

Passive Voice Makes Sense When:

• The doer isn't important

• You're describing a process

• You're writing about results

Example: "The samples were analyzed under strict conditions"

Discipline Norms

• Humanities: Prefer active voice for clarity.

• Sciences: Accept more passive voice, especially in methods sections.

Side-by-Side Comparison

• Informal: “We looked at how students behave.”

• Formal Active: “The researchers analyzed student behavior.”

• Formal Passive: “Student behavior was analyzed.”

<ProTip title="📌 Note:" description="Use passive voice sparingly; reserve it for methods or processes where the subject is less important than the action." />

Real Examples That Work

A quick comparison table shows how casual phrases can be revised into precise, formal versions. Instead of writing like a text message, try these upgrades:

<ProTip title="🔍 Pro Tip:" description="Create your own table of informal vs formal phrases that you notice in your drafts for quick reference." />

Checklist: How to Audit Your Writing for Formality

Before hitting that submit button, run through these checks (print this out if you need to):

✔️ Found and fixed all short forms (don't → do not)
✔️ Removed the me/my/I stuff unless needed
✔️ Cut out slang and everyday phrases
✔️ Fixed choppy sentences
✔️ Checked active/passive balance
✔️ Stopped talking directly to the reader
✔️ Deleted exclamation points (they're not your friend)
✔️ Replaced vague words with specific ones
✔️ Added proof for claims
✔️ Used grammar checking tools

<ProTip title="📝 Pro Tip:" description="Run your paper through a grammar checker and specifically look for flagged contractions and informal phrasing." />

Keep It Formal, Keep It Academic

Writing formally isn't about sounding like a textbook, it's about getting ideas across clearly and professionally. When professors read papers, they're looking for solid thinking backed by careful writing, not fancy words that muddy the point. Some papers might have brilliant ideas but lose impact because they read like text messages.

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These writing habits stick with you, and they matter beyond college. Whether you're headed for grad school or the workplace, strong formal writing opens doors. Take it one paper at a time, and you'll get there.