Grammar in academic texts
Daniel Gerrard
daniel.gerrard@cjv.muni.cz
Which text seems more academic?
Text 1 = academic text
̶ Mostly consists of long (sometimes complex) noun phrases, e.g.
one source of business ideas; the degree to which one is
already motivated and knowledgeable about the area
̶ Verbs are ‘lexically empty’ and mainly used to link ideas within
the noun phrases, e.g. are; have
̶ Simple sentence structures, e.g. The advantages are X and Y;
The disadvantages include W and Z.
̶ Main function of the text is to describe
Text 2 = magazine article?
̶ Addresses the reader directly, e.g, think about your hobbies;
You might be able to
̶ Makes assumptions about the reader, e.g. You probably already
know about the area and find it motivating
̶ Empty/‘dummy’ subjects, e.g. There are
̶ Verbs carry some of the information, e.g. enjoy
̶ Contractions, e.g. didn’t
̶ Complex sentences with dependent/subordinate clauses, e.g. If
it becomes your work, you might no longer enjoy the activity and
find it relaxing.
Determiner Premodifier Head noun Postmodifier
one
(numeral)
source
of business ideas
(prepositional phrase)
commercial
(adjective)
potential
the
(article)
degree
to which one is already
motivated
(relative clause)
No modifier: 42% (of academic texts)
Premodifier: 26%
Postmodifier: 21%
Pre- and postmodifier: 11%
Premodifier + noun
Noun + postmodifier