How Word Variation Could Improve Your Academic Writing

How Word Variation Could Improve Your Academic Writing How Word Variation Could Improve Your Academic Writing (And 5 Handy Examples) While it’s important to use consistent terminology in academic writing, this applies primarily to technical terms and concepts central to your argument. When it comes to the rest of your paper, varying the language can make it much more engaging and easier to read. What words should you vary? This depends very much on the individual, but the essence is to avoid frequent repetition of certain basic terms. This doesn’t mean short words like â€Å"the†, â€Å"a† or â€Å"and†, which everyone will use regularly in their writing, but it might include words like â€Å"interesting†, â€Å"because†, â€Å"including†, â€Å"said† and â€Å"important†. Alternatives for these terms are presented below, but you might also want to try a thesaurus for other ideas. Just remember to check the meaning of words you find in a thesaurus before using them, as sometimes there can be subtle differences. 1.      Variations on Interesting The word â€Å"interesting† is often used to introduce a point as worthy of attention (e.g., â€Å"It is interesting to note that†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). Ironically, overusing â€Å"interesting† is very uninteresting indeed, so you might want to try these instead: Noteworthy/notable (e.g., â€Å"One noteworthy claim†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) Compelling (e.g., â€Å"One theory seems particularly compelling†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) Fascinating (e.g., â€Å"The Ancient Greeks were a fascinating people†) 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Because The word â€Å"because† is used when explaining the reasons behind something (e.g., â€Å"The results were this way because†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). As such, it’s often used in academic writing, so you may sometimes need to limit repetition: Since (e.g., â€Å"Since the pilot experiment failed, we had to start again.†) Due to (e.g., â€Å"The failure was due to several oversights.†) As a result (e.g., â€Å"As a result of these omissions, the results are unreliable.†) 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Including/Includes The term â€Å"including† is most commonly used to introduce examples of something just mentioned, including in this sentence you’re reading right now. See what we did there? It can also be used to describe something contained within a whole (e.g., â€Å"It will take a full week, including Sunday.†) If you’re using â€Å"includes† a lot in a paper, you might want to consider these variations: Such as (e.g., â€Å"I collect tools, such as hammers and tongs.†) Like (e.g., â€Å"I eat fruit, like apples and pears.†) Incorporates (e.g., â€Å"The design incorporates many useful features.†) 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Said The word â€Å"said† is most overused when quoting sources (e.g., â€Å"Costello said that ‘there’s nothing underhand that she won’t understand’†). Your options here include: Claimed (e.g., â€Å"Holland claimed†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) Argued (e.g., â€Å"Weller argued†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) Stated (e.g., â€Å"Suggs stated†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Important The term â€Å"important† is used to emphasize the significance or value of something, so overusing it can undermine its impact. Substitutes include: Significant (e.g., â€Å"The most significant finding†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) Vital (e.g., â€Å"It is vital to remember that†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) Crucial (e.g., â€Å"Addressing this problem is crucial in order to†¦Ã¢â‚¬ )

The Decline of Union Power and Organized Labor

The Decline of Union Power and Organized Labor When the Industrial Revolution swept the United States up in a flurry of new innovations and employment opportunities, no regulations existed yet to govern how employees were treated in the factories or mines but organized labor unions began popping up across the country in order to protect these unrepresented working class citizens. However, the according to the  U.S. Department of State, the changing conditions of the 1980s and 1990s undermined the position of organized labor, which now represented a shrinking share of the workforce. Between 1945 and 1998, union membership fell from just over one-third of the workforce to 13.9 percent. Still, powerful union contributions to political campaigns and members voter-turnout efforts have kept unions interests represented in government to this day. This has recently, however, been mitigated by legislation allowing workers to withhold the portion of their union dues used to oppose or support political candidates. Competition and the Need to Continue Operations Corporations began shutting down work unions resistance movements around the late 1970s when international and domestic competition drove the need to continue operations in order to survive in the cutthroat marketplace that was developing in the 1980s. Automation also played a key role in breaking up union efforts by developing labor-saving automated processes including state of the art machinery, replacing the role of swathes of workers at every factory. Unions still fought back though, with limited success, demanding guaranteed annual incomes, shorter workweeks with shared hours, and free retraining to take on new roles associated with the upkeep of machinery. Strikes have also notably declined in the 1980s and 90s, especially after President Ronald Reagan fired Federal Aviation Administration  air traffic controllers who issued an illegal strike. Corporations have since been more willing to hire strikebreakers when unions walk out, too. A Shift in Workforce and Declining Memberships With the rise of automation and the decline of strike success and means for employees to express their demands effectively, the workforce of the United States shifted to a service industry focus, which has traditionally been a sector unions have been weaker in recruiting and retaining members from. According to the U.S. Department of State, Women, young people, temporary and part-time workers - all less receptive to union membership - hold a large proportion of the new jobs created in recent years. And much American industry has migrated to the southern and western parts of the United States, regions that have a weaker union tradition than do the northern or the eastern regions. Negative publicity about corruption within high-ranking union members has also sullied their reputation and resulted in lower labor involved in their membership. Young workers, perhaps due to a perceived entitlement to the past victories of labor unions for better working conditions and benefits, have also shied away from joining unions. The biggest reason these unions have seen a decline in membership, though, may be due to the strength of the economy in the late 1990s and again from 2011 through 2017. Just between October and November 1999 alone, the unemployment rate fell 4.1 percent, meaning an abundance of jobs made people feel like workers no longer needed unions to maintain their jobs.