Academic Writing Tool

Academic Phrase Bank

455+ ready-to-use phrases for research papers, theses and essays. Search, filter by academic field, copy in one click, and practise using each phrase.

Research papersIELTS AcademicThesis writingHedging languageData description

Advertisement

πŸ”

Introducing research

85 phrases

βš—οΈ

Describing methods

70 phrases

πŸ“Š

Presenting results

75 phrases

πŸ’‘

Discussing findings

75 phrases

βœ…

Concluding

70 phrases

πŸ“ˆ

Data description

80 phrases

How to use this phrase bank

Academic phrases are the building blocks of scholarly writing. Each phrase below includes a blank [_______] that you replace with your own content. Use the Copy button to copy any phrase to your clipboard instantly, or click Practice to write a sentence and get instant feedback. Save favourites to My Collection and export them as a text file. Phrases are categorised by rhetorical function and annotated by academic field and formality level (Neutral β†’ Formal β†’ Very Formal).

455 phrases

Advertisement

Stating aimFormalGeneral

This paper aims to [_______].

β€œThis paper aims to examine the relationship between social media use and academic performance among university students.”

Stating aimFormalMedicalScience

The purpose of this study is to [_______].

β€œThe purpose of this study is to investigate how dietary habits influence cognitive function in older adults.”

Stating aimFormalBusinessSocial Science

This research seeks to [_______].

β€œThis research seeks to identify the key drivers of employee turnover in the technology sector.”

Stating aimFormalMedicalSocial Science

The present study examines [_______].

β€œThe present study examines the long-term effects of mindfulness training on stress reduction.”

Stating aimFormalSocial Science

This investigation focuses on [_______].

β€œThis investigation focuses on the role of parental involvement in early childhood literacy development.”

Stating aimVery FormalMedical

The objective of this paper is to [_______].

β€œThe objective of this paper is to provide a systematic review of interventions targeting adolescent obesity.”

Stating aimNeutralGeneral

This article reports on [_______].

β€œThis article reports on a three-year longitudinal study of reading achievement in bilingual classrooms.”

Stating aimVery FormalMedicalSocial Science

The primary aim of this study is to [_______].

β€œThe primary aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural therapy for depression.”

Stating aimFormalBusinessSocial Science

This research is concerned with [_______].

β€œThis research is concerned with understanding how cultural context shapes consumer decision-making.”

Stating aimFormalScienceMedical

The central research question is [_______].

β€œThe central research question is whether exposure to nature reduces anxiety in urban populations.”

Stating aimFormalSocial Science

This study was designed to [_______].

β€œThis study was designed to evaluate the impact of early childhood intervention programmes on school readiness.”

Stating aimFormalMedicalScience

The main goal of this research is to [_______].

β€œThe main goal of this research is to determine optimal dosage levels for the proposed pharmacological treatment.”

Stating aimFormalGeneral

This paper sets out to [_______].

β€œThis paper sets out to challenge prevailing assumptions about the role of motivation in second-language acquisition.”

Stating aimVery FormalBusinessSocial Science

The present investigation attempts to [_______].

β€œThe present investigation attempts to bridge the gap between theoretical models of leadership and observed practice.”

Stating aimVery FormalScienceSocial Science

The overarching aim of this research is to [_______].

β€œThe overarching aim of this research is to develop a comprehensive framework for sustainable urban planning.”

Stating aimFormalScienceMedical

This work seeks to shed light on [_______].

β€œThis work seeks to shed light on the mechanisms by which chronic stress accelerates cellular ageing.”

Stating aimVery FormalSocial Science

This study endeavours to [_______].

β€œThis study endeavours to provide a nuanced account of how gender intersects with educational attainment.”

Stating aimFormalBusinessMedical

This paper proposes to [_______].

β€œThis paper proposes to integrate insights from behavioural economics into public health policy design.”

Stating aimFormalSocial Science

The focus of this investigation is [_______].

β€œThe focus of this investigation is the lived experiences of first-generation university students.”

Stating aimFormalScienceMedical

This article seeks to contribute to our understanding of [_______].

β€œThis article seeks to contribute to our understanding of how machine learning can improve early disease detection.”

Stating aimVery FormalMedicalScience

The specific aims of this study are to [_______].

β€œThe specific aims of this study are to identify risk factors and assess their relative predictive power.”

Stating aimFormalBusiness

This research was undertaken in order to [_______].

β€œThis research was undertaken in order to address the shortage of empirical data on remote working productivity.”

Stating aimFormalMedicalScience

This paper contributes to the growing body of work on [_______].

β€œThis paper contributes to the growing body of work on the environmental determinants of health inequalities.”

Stating aimFormalSocial ScienceMedical

This study addresses the longstanding question of [_______].

β€œThis study addresses the longstanding question of whether bilingualism confers cognitive advantages in ageing.”

Page 1 of 19

This academic phrase bank is designed for students writing research papers, dissertations and theses, as well as IELTS and TOEFL Academic candidates seeking to improve their formal writing register.

Categories cover the full research paper structure: introducing your research question, reviewing the literature, identifying gaps, describing your methodology, presenting and discussing your results, and writing a strong conclusion.