Academic Writing vs. Business Writing: Similarities & Dissimilarities You Have to Keep in Mind

Throughout your course of study, chances are that you will come across a range of different writing tasks and, as such, it is quite critical to know what you are in for.

With this said, it is quite critical to be able to differentiate between the different writing styles.

For instance, you might have to prepare an academic paper the one day, and write a business report the other. But there are quite a lot of things that you ought to be aware of when it comes to handling academic and business writing if you are to make sure that everything is handled properly. There are different writing methods and you need to be able to tell the differences.

This is the main reason for which we’ve decided to provide you with quite a few tips on the similarities and the differences that you ought to be aware of.

Style, Focus, and Formality of Academic Writing

These are the first characteristics that you ought to take into account. The style of academic writing is entirely formal. It is using the third person perspective. The focus of the writing is placed on facts as well as issues and the writer’s opinion is set aside. The language which is required has to use precise words and abbreviations, jargon, and slang are completely off the plate.

In order to be able to produce a high-quality piece of academic writing, you ought to spend some time planning and get help with research papers . It is quite beneficial to create a comprehensive outline which is going to guarantee that your style is fairly consistent. If you are writing for a school, you might want to check and see if they have recommended a certain writing style such as MLA, Chicago, APA, and others of the kind.

In terms of formatting, it is important to understand that the piece is designated to be very serious and it targets already informed audience. Therefore, you ought to make sure that your structure is overly well-made and very precise.

Style, Focus, and Formality of Business Writing

The first and foremost requirement for business writing is for it to be incredibly clear. The language has to be both clear and precise and it needs to be used so that the communication is fairly easy to read. The style has to be entirely professional and mainly courteous. However, you should watch out in order not to make it too formal.

You have to develop your ideas with clear examples because you need to exemplify your thoughts precisely. It is also advisable to provide as many details as it is needed.

You shouldn’t use far too many extra words like adjectives and adverbs. Furthermore, it is highly advisable that you stay away from unnecessary clichés. There is no set format for business writing because it is usually not as formal in terms of how official it is. You need to make sure that the text is structured comprehensively and that everything is handled professionally – that’s all.

Comparing Both

When it comes to academic and business writing, we can clearly see that there are certain similarities and a lot of differences.

  • Academic writing is strictly formal and it uses the third person. Business writing, on the other hand, is far less formal and it can take advantage of any point of view necessary.
  • Academic writing is placing the emphasis on sheer facts as a rule of thumb. Business writing, on the other hand, is more about opinions.
  • Long sentences are fairly usable in academic writing. Business writing doesn’t tolerate them as well.

Needless to say, both types of writing require you to formulate your idea clearly and to make sure that you have everything laid down in a precise manner which is easy to digest.

However, the differences seem a bit more than the similarities. While academic writing requires you to abide by pre-set rules such as the formatting guidelines of the different styles which are used, there is no such requirement for business writing.

Business writing is far more liberated. You can extend yourself as much as you want there as long as you are keeping things clean and polished. Of course, a level of formality is necessary but that would also depend on the type of relationship you have with the one you are addressing. Opinions are accepted and even encouraged.

Obviously, the differences between academic and business writing are a bit more compared to the similarities and this is definitely something that you ought to keep in mind. However, it’s also worth noting that being aware of both will be in serious benefit to you.

Those who can make clear distinctions between the different writing styles are going to reap a lot of advantages in the long run. In fact, they are likely to stand out in front of those who don’t.

During your time in college, you ought to find every single edge that you can and use it to your advantage. Failing to do so is only going to put you behind. Being perfectly aware of the different writing styles is going to ensure that you won’t make silly mistakes and will constantly move forward.

Of course, if you don’t want to go through all the hassle, you can always use a custom writing service and make sure that everything is handled as per the highest standards.