Whether you’re writing an undergraduate essay or submitting a PhD thesis, grammar matters. A lot.
Strong grammar is the backbone of clear, persuasive academic writing. It ensures that your ideas are understood, your arguments are coherent, and your tone is appropriate for your audience. When grammar is weak—even if your research is outstanding—your writing can appear careless, confusing, or unprofessional.
For many students, especially those writing in English as a second language, grammar is one of the biggest hurdles to overcome. Academic writing follows strict rules of structure, formality, and clarity—and even small mistakes in tense, punctuation, or sentence structure can distract from your message.
The good news? Grammar is a skill you can improve. With the right tools, habits, and feedback, you can refine your writing and gain the confidence to express complex ideas clearly and correctly.
In this article, we’ll explore why grammar is so important in academic writing, identify the most common errors students make, and share practical strategies and resources you can use to improve—whether you’re writing your first essay or finalising your dissertation.
Need help right now? Our Academic Proofreading Services can fix grammar errors, improve your tone, and help you submit your best work.
Understand the Grammar Standards of Academic English
Academic English is not the same as everyday spoken English. It follows stricter rules and conventions designed to promote clarity, objectivity, and precision. Whether you’re a native speaker or learning English as a second language, understanding these grammatical expectations is key to success in university writing.
Here are some of the key grammar standards you should keep in mind:
Formal Tone
Academic writing generally avoids informal expressions. This means:
- No contractions (use “do not” instead of “don’t”)
- Avoid slang or idioms (“on the same page,” “a bunch of”)
- Limited use of personal pronouns (“I,” “we”) unless your discipline allows them
Maintaining formality helps you sound more objective and professional.
Sentence Clarity
Each sentence should express one clear idea. Avoid run-on sentences or incomplete fragments. Break long, complicated thoughts into shorter statements that your reader can easily follow.
Unclear: Due to the fact that the survey was delayed, and because participants didn’t respond, which was unexpected, the data was not conclusive.
Clear: The survey was delayed, and fewer participants responded than expected. As a result, the data was not conclusive.
Tense Consistency
Academic texts often shift between tenses—especially in different chapters of a thesis—but tense within a section should be consistent. For example, use the past tense when describing methods and results, and the present when discussing general truths or interpreting findings.
Article and Preposition Use
English article usage (a, an, the) and prepositions (in, at, by, on, etc.) are notoriously difficult for ESL students. Unfortunately, they’re also critical to grammar accuracy and often misunderstood. Getting these right requires reading, practice, and feedback. Read How to Identify Prepositional Phrases for more help.
Academic grammar is not about using fancy vocabulary—it’s about being clear, direct, and correct. By focusing on formality, clarity, and sentence-level control, you’ll already be on your way to stronger writing.
Strategies to Improve Your Academic Grammar
Improving your grammar for academic writing isn’t about memorising hundreds of rules—it’s about building practical habits, using smart tools, and learning from your mistakes. Whether you’re just starting to write in English or refining your postgraduate thesis, the following strategies will help you make consistent progress.
1. Read Academic Texts in Your Field
The more academic writing you read, the more you’ll absorb its patterns of grammar, vocabulary, and structure. Pay attention to sentence structure, verb tenses, and how ideas are connected.
Tip: Read with a highlighter and mark examples of phrases or grammar structures you could use in your own writing.
2. Write Regularly—and Revise Ruthlessly
Good writing comes from regular practice. Keep a journal, summarise articles you read, or write mini-essays on your research topic. But don’t stop at the first draft—go back and revise with a focus on grammar and clarity.
3. Keep a Grammar Journal
Every time a teacher, editor, or tool like Grammarly corrects one of your sentences, write down the mistake and the correct version. Over time, you’ll start to notice patterns—and fix them before they appear.
4. Use Tools (But Don’t Rely on Them Alone)
Grammar checkers like Grammarly or Microsoft Editor are helpful for spotting basic mistakes, but they don’t always understand academic tone or complex meaning. Use them as a guide—but not as your final editor.
Related: Proofreading Tools for ESL Students
5. Read Your Writing Aloud
When you read your work aloud, it’s easier to catch awkward sentences, repeated words, or grammatical errors that you might miss when reading silently. If a sentence sounds strange when spoken, it may need revising.
6. Seek Feedback
Ask a classmate, supervisor, or language tutor to review your writing and highlight recurring grammar issues. Better yet, work with a professional editor who understands academic expectations.
Need expert support? Our Academic Proofreading Services will ensure your grammar is not only correct—but clear, consistent, and suitable for university-level work.
Resources to Support Your Learning
Improving your grammar for academic writing is easier when you have the right tools. Fortunately, there are excellent books, websites, and platforms designed specifically for students who want to write with greater accuracy and clarity. Here are some of the most effective resources to support your progress.
English Grammar in Use by Raymond Murphy
This classic self-study book from Cambridge is ideal for intermediate and advanced learners. It explains grammar rules clearly, includes plenty of examples, and offers exercises to help reinforce what you’ve learned. Many universities recommend it for ESL students—and for good reason.
Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)
Purdue OWL offers free, easy-to-understand grammar guides and academic writing advice. It’s perfect for understanding everything from comma placement to thesis structure. It also includes dedicated sections for ESL writers.
Grammarly (Free & Premium)
Grammarly is a widely used grammar and writing assistant. It catches grammar mistakes, spelling issues, and tone inconsistencies. While it shouldn’t replace a human proofreader for formal academic writing, it’s a great tool for learning from your mistakes and catching errors early.
The Academic Phrasebank (University of Manchester)
Visit: http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk
This site provides sentence templates and examples you can adapt to structure your academic writing. It’s especially useful for learning how to transition between ideas, describe results, or introduce literature.
Vocabulary.com and Quizlet
These sites help expand your academic vocabulary. You can create your own flashcards for new words, practice using them in context, and review important academic terms related to your field.
Related: Best Dictionaries and Resources for ESL Thesis Writers
Why Professional Proofreading Still Matters
Even the most determined student, armed with grammar guides and editing tools, can struggle to produce writing that’s truly academic in tone and flawless in grammar. That’s why, no matter how hard you work to improve, professional proofreading remains essential—especially when it comes to your final thesis or academic publication.
Here’s why expert editing is worth the investment:
Automated Tools Have Limits
Tools like Grammarly are excellent for catching surface-level errors, but they can’t always grasp the subtlety of academic language. They may miss inconsistencies in tone, introduce unintended changes to meaning, or fail to understand the conventions of your field.
A professional human editor, on the other hand, can:
- Identify and fix awkward or unclear sentences
- Improve the flow of ideas across paragraphs
- Ensure your tone matches academic expectations
- Catch the small, tricky errors that machines overlook
Academic Writing Demands Precision
When you’re writing for an academic audience—especially in a thesis or dissertation—mistakes can affect your credibility. Professors, reviewers, and examiners expect well-written work. Grammar errors, even small ones, can distract from your arguments and weaken your impact.
Feedback That Helps You Grow
One of the biggest advantages of working with an experienced editor is learning from their suggestions. At Vappingo, our editors not only correct your grammar but also help you understand why a sentence needed changing. That way, you can avoid repeating the same errors in future work.
Your Final Polish
Even if you’re confident in your English, a second pair of eyes—especially one trained in academic proofreading—can make the difference between a good paper and an excellent one. Whether English is your first or fifth language, no one should submit a final thesis without a thorough edit.
Ready to take your writing to the next level? Get expert help from our Academic Proofreading Services and submit your best work with confidence.
Improving your grammar for academic writing isn’t about becoming perfect—it’s about becoming clearer, more precise, and more confident in how you express your ideas. Every sentence you revise, every rule you understand, and every error you learn from gets you closer to writing that not only meets academic standards, but reflects the strength of your thinking.
Use the strategies in this guide to develop practical grammar habits: read academic work regularly, practise writing intentionally, learn from your mistakes, and make use of trusted resources. Build up your grammar muscle with tools like Grammarly and the Academic Phrasebank—but remember that human feedback is where the real learning happens.
When it’s time to submit your thesis or final paper, make sure your grammar doesn’t hold you back. Let our expert editors help you produce polished, professional writing that’s ready for academic success.