Word count requirements are one of the staple features of academic writing. But to be frank, they are one of the most agonising parts, especially when you have to cut out all the words you spent hours writing or fill in gaps when you are literally out of words. The harsh truth is that professors don't care about the poetry and prose of your content. They only care whether you've met the writing objectives, including the word count.
Word count in academic writing forces you to write concisely to answer the assignment without wasting words.Whether you are struggling to stretch a sentence or desperately trim down paragraphs, this blog post will introduce you to quick hacks on adjusting word count in academic writing.
Imagine writing a piece of academic writing without a word count, and you end up either writing a tweet or a novel. Now, your professor wouldn't be happy about it! Word count in academic writing is not just an arbitrary rule your professor imposes on you because they only want to read so much. No. They serve a bigger purpose of shaping clear and meaningful writing.
Pertinence: Word count limits ensure your writing is focused and sticking to the relevant points and arguments rather than going off tangent just because you can.
Uniformity: Word count in academic writing creates equal proportions in content, meaning that every one of you presents your arguments within the same constraints.
Demonstrating Expertise: Hitting the word count while expressing ideas concisely and intelligently shows mastery over the subject and that you can answer the question within the word count provided.
Your First Order
Get 20% OFF!
We have all been there where we had an assignment just short of 100 words and thought about increasing the font and line spacing and praying that our professor didn't notice. If only that trick would work! So, instead of resorting to sneaky formatting tricks, why don’t we show you a few hacks on how to increase word count?
Don't simply state a definition or a concept and run. To increase your word count, unpack the term and concept with concise yet engaging explanations. Rather than simply stating, "Longinus defines sublime as something that invokes ecstasy in the audience". You can elaborate on this concept and provide more context and explanation.
Show rather than tell. Abstract ideas feel dry and dull. So, using examples to illustrate your arguments and technical points is always beneficial. Whether it is statistical evidence, a real-world event or simply an analogy, add examples and naturally increase your word count in academic writing.
The more you research and read, the more information you gather. Extra research means extra material to discuss, which will only make your argument comprehensive and add a pocketful full of words. So, dig into scholarly articles, journals, records and data to gain more perspectives for more robust and longer content!
You are probably wondering, "Why didn’t I think of this hack to increase my count?" Well, better late than never, right? Use quotes, expert declarations and studies to support your claims while naturally lengthening your writing. Don’t overdo it; your professor might think you are escaping from sharing your thoughts and ideas.
An incredible hack on how to increase word count is to acknowledge and refute opposing viewpoints. This makes your argument stronger while also adding more words to your content.
A well-structured academic writing isn't just about what you say but how you connect them. Enhance your content with transition words between sections to improve flow and prevent your content from feeling like a series of jumbled thoughts.
Instead of abrupt shifts, you can use the following phrases to increase word count:-
Building on this idea, it is crucial to consider….
Having established that…
Another question worth exploring is….
A further point worth mentioning…
It's genuinely soul-destroying to spend hours writing a beautiful paragraph and only to spend time deleting it when you exceed the word count. We get it! Cutting your word count doesn't have to feel like hewing away your poetic masterpiece. Instead of mercilessly trimming paragraphs, let us show you how to decrease word count without losing sight of your fundamental ideas.
Why say, "The experiment was led by researchers’ when you can simply say, "Researchers conducted the experiment'? See how many words just disappear when you write in an active voice? Active voice makes your writing clear, shaper and of course shorter.
Yes, your academic writing content needs to sound professional because it's an educational piece. If you want to decrease word count, just don't stuff fancy filler words like 'actually', 'literally', 'really', and so on that don't impress; only spread unnecessary words.
Some phrases just refuse to take the hint and leave. Or writing those phrases out of habit is ingrained in you. Phrases like "At this point' can be 'Now'. While they make your sentences enjoyable, shorten those with tons of unnecessary words, especially when you're sweating over exceeding the word count.
Sure, conjunctions are great, but overusing them can make sentences drag on forever; it is its sole purpose, after all. So, don't force two sentences to join; just leave them be, and your word count will be in check.
Instead of "There are many reasons why plastic use is a pressing issue", say "Plastic use is a pressing issue" Tada, you cut off so many words by simply changing the subjects. If you want to decrease word count, write the sentences directly; fewer words and better flow follow.
After all your efforts in knowing how to adjust word count, here's a slight relief. In most universities and according to some academic guidelines, you are allowed a 10% flexibility on the given word count limit. If your word count is 2000 words, you can go as low as 1,800 and as high as 2,20s. So, don't stress over a few extra or missing words.
While writing within the given word count limit might seem easy, the reality is challenging. Sometimes, the words feel insufficient, and sometimes, you overshare. Striking the right balance requires a mastery of sorts that is achieved by practicing regularly, careful editing and a clear understanding of your content. Whatever it may be, we hope this blog post was informative and, with the phrases to increase word count, has helped you master word count in academic writing. While less is more, ensure every word earns its place when writing a long word count.
© Copyright Quick Assignment Hub All rights reserved.