Adapted from Matthew Nicholls – AJ13001 Academic Writing
English vs. Czech academic texts
English academic texts
Highly structured
Clear division of the text (abstract,
introduction, body, conclusion,
bibliography)
More logical division into sections
Logical division of the text into
chapters, sub-chapters / sections, subsections
etc.
Strict paragraph function
Paragraphs with clear single theme or
topic, each with a “topic sentence,”
body, and (possibly) concluding
sentence – longer paragraphs
No digression from theme
Information or ideas avoided if not
related to the theme
Thesis clearly identified
Clear thesis (expressed in
introduction)
Clarity more important than style
Repetition of expressions and use of
straightforward syntactic structures to
increase clarity and understandability
Author – happy to state opinions
Authorial self-confidence – use of
assertive statements (The results of
the research show that…); clear titles
(Problems associated with…)
Emphasis on understandability
Orientation towards the
reader – the author is
responsible for the reader’s
understanding of the text
Czech academic texts
Loosely structured
Boundaries between different parts of
text less clearly identifiable
Less logical division into topics
No division into sections, or less
logical indication of chapters and subchapters
etc.
Less strict paragraph function
Long stretches of text devoted to one
topic – made up of shorter paragraphs
to provide reading pauses only
Digression from theme allowed
Information or ideas unrelated to the
theme are acceptable
Often no explicit thesis
Explicit thesis not required. The
conclusion is wherever the “javelin”
lands.
Style more important than clarity
Use of synonyms and complex
structures to convey message in a
“flowery” way.
Author – fear of appearing immodest
Modalization – tentative statements
(From our results, it appears that …);
modest titles (A small contribution to
understanding problems associated
with…)
Emphasis on sounding “academic”
Orientation towards the subject in all
its complexity – it is the reader’s
responsibility (or problem?!) to make
sense of it.