Phrasal Verbs to Use in Academic Writing

Academic writing is renowned for its clarity, precision, and formality. While many phrasal verbs tend to be informal and conversational, some can be effectively used in academic contexts to make your writing more dynamic and engaging without sacrificing professionalism. Understanding which phrasal verbs fit well within academic writing can elevate your essays, research papers, and reports.

Why Use Phrasal Verbs in Academic Writing?

Phrasal verbs are combinations of verbs and one or more particles, such as prepositions or adverbs, that together create a specific meaning. They often convey actions or ideas succinctly and vividly. Although many phrasal verbs are casual, a select few are appropriate for formal academic language. Using these appropriately can enhance readability and help clarify complex ideas.

In academic writing, it is important to avoid clichés or overly conversational expressions. However, some phrasal verbs remain useful because they are widely recognized and accepted in scholarly texts. Let’s explore some common and suitable phrasal verbs to incorporate into your academic writing.

Look Into

The phrasal verb “look into” means to investigate or examine something carefully. This is commonly used in academic research to describe the act of exploring a topic more deeply.

Example: “This study aims to look into the effects of climate change on coastal erosion.”

“Look into” is preferable when you want to focus on thorough examination or review of evidence, theories, or data.

Carry Out

“Carry out” is widely used in academic papers to denote the execution of experiments, research, or tasks.

Example: “The researchers carried out a series of surveys to gather qualitative data.”

This phrasal verb is useful for describing how procedures or studies are conducted, maintaining a formal tone.

Set Up

In academic writing, “set up” refers to establishing an experiment, system, or framework for research purposes.

Example: “The experiment was set up to measure the impact of light on plant growth.”

It clearly indicates the preparation or organization of research components.

Break Down

“Break down” means to analyze something in detail or to divide a complex topic into smaller parts.

Example: “The following section breaks down the methodology into three distinct phases.”

This phrasal verb helps clarify the process of simplifying complicated ideas or data for better understanding.

Point Out

“Point out” is often used to highlight or emphasize a particular fact or argument in academic texts.

Example: “The authors point out the limitations of previous studies.”

This phrase is effective to draw attention to important details or findings without sounding too informal.

Account For

To “account for” means to explain the reason behind an occurrence or to consider a factor in analysis.

Example: “The model accounts for seasonal variations in temperature.”

This phrasal verb is highly suitable for justifying results or incorporating variables in academic work.

Build On

“Build on” describes the process of using previous research, ideas, or findings as a foundation to develop new conclusions or theories.

Example: “This paper builds on earlier studies to propose a new framework for understanding social behavior.”

This phrase is especially handy in literature reviews or discussions.

Set Out

“Set out” means to present or explain something clearly, often used when outlining objectives or plans.

Example: “The study sets out to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention.”

It helps structure an academic paper by clearly presenting aims or arguments.

Turn Out

“Turn out” is used to describe the eventual result or outcome of a process or investigation.

Example: “The data turned out to support the initial hypothesis.”

While less formal than some alternatives, “turn out” is often acceptable when discussing experiment results or findings.

Come Up With

“Come up with” means to generate or produce ideas, solutions, or hypotheses.

Example: “The research team came up with a new approach to solving the problem.”

This phrase is useful in explaining innovation or creativity within academic work.

Run Through

“Run through” can mean to review or summarize something in a concise manner.

Example: “The following section runs through the main theories related to cognitive development.”

This is effective when briefly revisiting key points without excessive detail.

Look Back

“Look back” is used when reflecting on previous research or historical context.

Example: “When we look back at earlier studies, we see a clear progression in understanding.”

This phrasal verb connects past findings with current analysis.

Add Up

“Add up” refers to the process of combining or calculating data to reach a total.

Example: “The results add up to a significant improvement in performance.”

This phrase suggests coherence and supports conclusions drawn from evidence.

Set Aside

To “set aside” means to temporarily ignore or put factors out of consideration in order to focus on something else.

Example: “This paper sets aside socio-economic variables to focus primarily on educational outcomes.”

This can be useful in clarifying the scope or limitations of your research.

Run Into

“Run into” can mean to encounter difficulties or obstacles during the research or writing process.

Example: “Researchers ran into unexpected challenges when collecting field data.”

This phrasal verb helps candidly acknowledge problems without informal language.

Wrap Up

“Wrap up” means to finish or conclude a discussion, section, or analysis.

Example: “The article wraps up by summarizing the main findings.”

Although slightly informal, it is acceptable in academic writing when used to signal the end of a segment clearly.

Benefit of Using Appropriate Phrasal Verbs

Incorporating the right phrasal verbs helps vary sentence structure and can make your writing less repetitive and more engaging. They fluidly express complex processes or actions and can aid readers’ understanding.

Remember to avoid overusing casual speech phrasal verbs and always maintain a formal tone compatible with academic norms. When in doubt, substitute phrasal verbs with more formal synonyms.

Tips for Using Phrasal Verbs Appropriately

1. Verify the context: Always check whether the phrasal verb fits the subject matter and maintains formal tone.

2. Use scholarly sources: Review academic papers to see how phrasal verbs are commonly employed.

3. Avoid ambiguity: Phrasal verbs sometimes have multiple meanings; ensure your usage is clear and precise.

4. Substitute if necessary: If a phrasal verb sounds too informal, replace it with a single-word alternative. For example, use “investigate” instead of “look into.”

By following these guidelines, you can confidently include effective phrasal verbs in your academic writing.

Also check out VocabDaily workbook collections.