Scientific Writing

Scientific English is quite different from the kinds of English that you usually learn in English class.

English teachers usually focus on a style that's appropriate for newspapers or magazines on the one hand, or for fiction or personal-opinion essays on the other. This style often emphasizes subjectivity (ex: your opinion or your experiences), "interesting" style (ex: using varied synonyms and unusual words, using varied sentence types), and sometimes a conversation-like "dialogue" with the reader.

Scientific English, on the other hand, emphasizes consistency (ex: always using the same exact name for something, follow technical norms like APA carefully), clarity (ex: shorter, simpler sentences, careful word choice), and objectivity (ex: focussing on the facts rather than on opinions or people). Readers will judge how much you know based on how clearly you write.