Writing in U.S. Academic Genres

56a Meet expectations for U.S. academic writing.

The expectations for college writing are often taken for granted by instructors. To complicate the matter further, there is no single “correct” style of communication in any country, including the United States. Effective oral styles differ from effective written styles, and what is considered good writing in one field of study is not necessarily appropriate in another. Even the variety of English often referred to as “standard” covers a wide range of styles (see Chapter 22). In spite of this wide variation, several features are often associated with U.S. academic English:

conventional grammar, spelling, punctuation, and mechanics
organization that links ideas explicitly
readable type, conventional margins, and double spacing
explicitly stated claims supported by evidence (Chapter 14)
careful documentation of all sources (Chapters 49–55)
consistent use of an appropriate level of formality (23a)
conventional use of idioms (Chapter 60)
conventional academic formats, such as literature reviews, research essays, lab reports, and research proposals

This brief list suggests features of the genre often described as U.S. academic writing. Yet these characteristics can lead to even more questions: What does conventional mean? How can a writer determine what is appropriate in any given rhetorical situation?

Most students can benefit from some instruction in how new contexts require the use of different sets of conventions, strategies, and resources. This is especially the case for multilingual writers.