Writing is an art form that has existed for years and, over time, has evolved to consider various situations. Two of the most common forms of writing are Academic writing and general writing. To help you understand better what these two forms of writing bring to the table, we’ll be going over 4 of the main differences between them in this article.

4 Differences Between Academic And General Writing

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Whether you’re a student or not, there’s a lot to gain from learning about the differences between academic and general writing. For a clear picture of some of the ways to differentiate the two, here are 4 things to consider:

• Purpose
• Language
• Length
• References

1. Purpose

Regarding purpose or use, academic writing favors research, publications, essays, reports, etc. So if you’re a student, you’re more likely to use academic writing when working on your essays. It can be challenging for many students, so glorious essays offer affordable and high-quality writing services. On the other hand, general writing is used for emails, letters, and other related activities where precise rules for writing aren’t required. So, you’re more likely to use a general form of writing when chatting with friends, blogging, or sending an email.

2. Language

Academic writing tends to be more formal than general writing. As the purpose is to share with a professor or a body of scholars, a high degree of formality tends to follow academic writing. On the other hand, depending on who you’re writing to, general writing can vary between formal and non-formal.

For instance, depending on the context, you might want to be formal with your writing if you’re sending an email to your supervisor. If you’re chatting with a friend, on the other hand, you are more likely to use informal terms when communicating.

Also, while it might be perfectly normal to use slang for general writing, no slang is allowed for academic writing. To maintain formality and ensure clarity in writing, authors are always encouraged to avoid any sort of slang in their essays, reports, and publications.

3. Structure

Usually, academic writing tends to be very long, except in the cases of essays, which usually have a specific length given. Other aspects that guide academic writing include an abstract, an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. General writing doesn’t have any fixed structure as this can vary significantly depending on what you’re writing about and who your audience is.

4. References

Academic writings usually require the author to include any and all references used in the writing process. This is very important in cases where a section of writing whose reference was omitted can see the original author argue a case of plagiarism. And in the world of academic writing, plagiarism is severely frowned upon. However, the same can’t be said about general writing. Except you’re writing for a prominent newspaper, you generally won’t be required to provide your source material.

Final Thoughts

Both academic and general writing forms can be instrumental when correctly. Hence it’s essential to understand what tells them apart. Hopefully, you have understood the key differences and are now set to use them effectively in your daily life.