Forum on Formality
At the Center, we frequently field questions about formality in academic writing. What's the deal with contractions? How about sentence fragments? When it comes to using a first-person voice or to ending a sentence with a preposition, am I allowed to? And can I begin a sentence with a coordinating conjuction?
When we're unsure, we always try to send students to the source of authority, to check with the professor's preferences and the discipline's standards. But here we offer a couple of tutors' perspectives on the factors of formality in academic writing. Feel free to post your own opinions on our Facebook page.
