Academic Writing Terms

noun an item of additional material added at the end of a book or other publication

• The contract was finalized with the addition of an addendum outlining specific terms.
• I had to sign an addendum to my lease agreement for the new pet policy.
• I totally forgot to mention that in my presentation, but I'll just throw in an addendum at the end.
• As an addendum to our conversation, I wanted to express my gratitude for your support.

adjective capable of being argued or debated; open to disagreement or dispute

• It is arguable whether the new policy will effectively address the issue.
• Some people argue that pineapple belongs on pizza, but it's arguable.
• I mean, it's arguable that he's the GOAT of basketball.
• The line between right and wrong can be arguable in certain situations.

verb to attribute or credit to a particular cause, source, or origin

• Many historians ascribe the fall of the Roman Empire to a combination of internal weaknesses and external pressures.
• Some people ascribe his success to luck, but I think it's more about hard work.
• I don't know why she's always ascribing drama to everything.
• She likes to ascribe human emotions to her cat, saying he looks sad when he's really just sleepy.

noun a trivial objection or criticism

verb to make petty or unnecessary objections

• He would always find something to cavil about, no matter how well the project was executed.
• Stop caviling and just enjoy the movie.
• Why do you always have to cavil over every little thing?
• Her constant caviling was like a dark cloud hanging over the family gathering.

noun a person who collaborates with one or more other authors in writing a book or article

• The professor decided to collaborate with a coauthor on his latest research paper.
• I'm working with a coauthor on this project for school.
• Me and my coauthor are gonna crush this presentation.
• In a way, nature can be seen as the ultimate coauthor in the creation of life on Earth.

noun a collection of elements that make up a whole

verb to consist of; be made up of

• The research paper comprises a detailed analysis of the data collected.
• The team comprises experts from different fields working together on the project.
• The playlist comprises all my favorite songs from the 90s.
• Success comprises of hard work, dedication, and perseverance.

noun a close similarity, connection, or equivalence

• The correspondence between the two companies was conducted through official letters.
• I received your email, but let's continue this correspondence over the phone.
• I'm tired of this back and forth correspondence, let's just meet in person.
• The correspondence of colors in the painting created a harmonious effect.

verb to recognize or point out a difference between two or more things

• It is important to distinguish between fact and opinion when conducting research.
• I can't distinguish between the twins - they look so alike!
• I can't distinguish between these new slang words - they all sound the same to me.
• His unique painting style helps him distinguish himself from other artists in the industry.

noun a reduction in price

verb to reduce the price of something

• I prefer to write my documents in markdown format for better readability.
• I always use markdown when writing notes for class.
• I'm gonna markdown this document before sending it out.
• She used markdown to simplify the complicated instructions.

noun a genre of writing that is based on facts, real events, and real people

adjective describing something that is not fictional, but based on facts and reality

• Nonfiction books provide readers with factual information and real-life stories.
• I prefer reading nonfiction because it's based on true events.
• Nonfiction books are the real deal, none of that made-up stuff.
• In a world full of fiction, nonfiction stands out as a beacon of truth.

noun a style of writing or speaking that is typically used in official documents or by government officials

• The document was filled with complex officialese language that was difficult to understand.
• The report was full of jargon and officialese that made it hard to read.
• I can't stand all the officialese in these government forms.
• Her speech was so full of officialese that it felt like she was speaking a different language.

adverb usually; in a normal or customary manner

• Ordinarily, individuals are expected to follow the rules and regulations set by the organization.
• I don't usually eat breakfast, but I'll make an exception today.
• I ain't normally into that kind of music, but it's actually pretty good.
• She ordinarily keeps her emotions in check, but today she couldn't help but cry.

adjective relating to or involving strongly critical, controversial, or disputatious writing or speech

• The author's polemical writing style sparked a heated debate among scholars.
• His polemical rant on social media caused quite a stir.
• She always gets into polemical arguments with her classmates.
• The politician's polemical speech was like a verbal boxing match.

noun a refutation or contradiction

adjective relating to or constituting a rebuttal

• The defense attorney presented a strong rebuttal to the prosecution's argument.
• She had a quick rebuttal ready when he tried to challenge her.
• He dropped the mic with his rebuttal to the haters.
• Her success was the ultimate rebuttal to all those who doubted her abilities.

adjective relating to or involving revision; serving to revise or review

• The revisional process is crucial in ensuring the accuracy of the final report.
• I need to do some revisional work on my essay before submitting it.
• I'm gonna do some last-minute revisional stuff before the exam.
• Life is like a never-ending revisional process, always learning and improving.

verb A word that expresses an action or state of being. In this case, 'speak' is a verb that indicates the act of communicating or expressing something.

pronoun A word that is used in place of a noun. In this case, 'itself' is a pronoun that refers back to the subject of the sentence, which is 'something'.

preposition A word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence. In this case, 'for' is a preposition that indicates the purpose or reason for which something speaks.

• The data presented in the report will speak for itself during the board meeting.
• Just look at the final product, it speaks for itself.
• The music video is so good, it totally speaks for itself.
• His actions will speak for themselves in the long run.

noun a legal term referring to a response or reply made by a defendant to a plaintiff's rejoinder

• The lawyer presented a subjoinder to counter the opposing counsel's argument.
• The attorney fired back with a subjoinder to shut down the other lawyer.
• The legal eagle dropped a sick subjoinder to win the case.
• Her subjoinder was like a sharp sword cutting through the opponent's argument.

noun a document issued by a legal or government official authorizing the police or another body to make an arrest, search premises, or carry out some other action relating to the administration of justice.

verb justify or necessitate (a certain course of action).

• The police obtained a warrant to search the suspect's house.
• The cops got a warrant to go through the guy's place.
• The feds got the green light to raid the dude's crib.
• His reckless behavior warranted a closer look by authorities.

verb to write something on a surface, typically on paper or a document

• The instructions were written down in great detail for future reference.
• Hey, can you write down the address for me?
• I'll jot it down real quick.
• Her words were etched in his mind as if written down in permanent ink.

noun WF can also stand for Workflow, which is the sequence of industrial, administrative, or other processes through which a piece of work passes from initiation to completion.

• The WF report highlighted several areas for improvement in the company's operations.
• I heard WF is implementing a new policy next month.
• Did you see that WF memo? It's so confusing.
• The WF of the situation is that we need to act quickly to avoid any further complications.

verb to issue a warning or caution; to qualify a statement with a warning or caution

• The contract was caveated with a clause regarding payment terms.
• I caveated my advice with a warning about potential risks.
• I caveated my plans to hang out with a 'maybe' just in case something else comes up.
• His promise to always be there for me was caveated by his tendency to disappear when things got tough.

noun a plural form of the noun addendum, which means an item of additional material added at the end of a book or other publication

• The contract was signed with several addenda attached for further clarification.
• I found a bunch of addenda at the end of the report that I didn't even know were there.
• I skimmed through the addenda and didn't see anything important.
• In life, we often encounter unexpected addenda that can change our plans.