Academic Writing Strategies

adjective serving to convince or persuade; persuasive

• The lawyer presented convincing evidence to the jury.
• She made a convincing argument for why we should go to the beach.
• I gotta say, that movie was hella convincing.
• Her smile was so convincing, it could light up a room.

verb to diminish the value or importance of something

• The outdated decor detracts from the overall elegance of the room.
• The loud music really detracts from the peaceful atmosphere here.
• His constant complaining really detracts from the fun of the party.
• Her negative attitude detracts from the positivity we are trying to cultivate.

noun lack of interest or concern

verb to cause someone to lose interest or concern

• Her disinterest in the topic was evident during the meeting.
• I could tell he had a lot of disinterest in what was being discussed.
• She was totally disinterested in the whole situation.
• His disinterest was like a thick fog, enveloping the room and stifling any enthusiasm.

noun the quality or state of being wordy, lengthy, or tedious in speech or writing

• The prolixity of the legal document made it difficult to understand.
• I couldn't finish reading the prolixity of that article, it was too long.
• I can't stand the prolixity of his speeches, he talks way too much.
• The prolixity of her excuses was a clear sign that she was lying.

verb to express in a different way, usually to clarify or simplify

• It is important to reword the legal document to ensure accuracy.
• Can you reword this paragraph for me so it's easier to understand?
• I need to reword this text to make it sound less boring.
• She had to reword her feelings in order to spare his feelings.

noun a heading or caption that appears below the main title or headline

verb does not apply

adjective does not apply

adverb does not apply

pronoun does not apply

preposition does not apply

conjunction does not apply

interjection does not apply

article does not apply

• The subhead of the article provided a succinct summary of the main points.
• The subhead at the top of the page gave a quick overview of the content.
• I always skip over the subhead and go straight to the main text.
• In life, the subhead can be seen as the guiding principle that leads us through each chapter.